aratus-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ARATUS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　271…213　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　THE　philosopher　Chrysippus；　O　Polycrates；　quotes　an　ancient
proverb；　not　as　really　it　should　be；　apprehending；　I　suppose；　that
it　sounded　too　harshly；　but　so　as　he　thought　it　would　run　best；　in
these　words：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Who　praise　their　fathers　but　the　generous　sons？〃

But　Dionysodorus　the　Troezenian　proves　him　to　be　wrong；　and　restores
the　true　reading；　which　is　thus：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Who　praise　their　fathers　but　degenerate　sons？〃

telling　us　that　the　proverb　is　meant　to　stop　the　mouth　of　those　who；
having　no　merit　of　their　own；　take　refuge　in　the　virtues　of　their
ancestors；　and　make　their　advantage　of　praising　them。　But；　as　Pindar
hath　it…

　　　　　　　　　〃He　that　by　nature　doth　inherit
　　　　　　　　　　From　ancestors　a　noble　spirit；〃

as　you　do；　who　made　your　life　the　copy　of　the　fairest　originals　of
your　family…　such；　I　say；　may　take　great　satisfaction　in　being
reminded；　both　by　hearing　others　speak　and　speaking　themselves；　of　the
best　of　their　progenitors。　For　they　assume　not　the　glory　of　praises
earned　by　others　out　of　any　want　of　worth　of　their　own；　but
affiliating　their　own　deeds　to　those　of　their　ancestors；　give　them
honour　as　the　authors　both　of　their　descent　and　manners。　Therefore　I
have　sent　to　you　the　life　which　I　have　written　of　your
fellow…citizen　and　forefather；　Aratus；　to　whom　you　are　no　discredit　in
point　either　of　reputation　or　of　authority；　not　as　though　you　had
not　been　most　diligently　concerning　to　inform　yourself　from　the
beginning　concerning　his　actions；　but　that　your　sons；　Polycrates　and
Pythocles；　may　both　by　hearing　and　reading　become　familiar　with
those　family　examples　which　it　behooves　them　to　follow　and　imitate。　It
is　a　piece　of　self…love；　and　not　of　the　love　of　virtue；　to　imagine　one
has　already　attained　to　what　is　best。
　　The　city　of　Sicyon；　from　the　time　that　it　first　fell　off　from　the
pure　and　Doric　aristocracy　（its　harmony　being　destroyed；　and　a　mere
series　of　seditions　and　personal　contests　of　popular　leaders　ensuing）；
continued　to　be　distempered　and　unsettled；　changing　from　one　tyrant　to
another；　until；　Cleon　being　slain；　Timoclides　and　Clinias；　men　of
the　most　repute　and　power　amongst　the　citizens；　were　chosen　to　the
magistracy。　And　the　commonwealth　now　seeming　to　be　in　a　pretty　settled
condition；　Timoclides　died；　and　Abantidas；　the　son　of　Paseas；　to
possess　himself　of　the　tyranny；　killed　Clinias；　and；　of　his　kindred
and　friends；　slew　some　and　banished　others。　He　sought　also　to　kill　his
son　Aratus；　whom　he　left　behind　him；　being　but　seven　years　old。　This
boy　in　the　general　disorder　getting　out　of　the　house　with　those　that
fled；　and　wandering　about　the　city　helpless　and　in　great　fear；　by
chance　got　undiscovered　into　the　house　of　a　woman　who　was
Abantidas's　sister；　but　married　to　Prophantus；　the　brother　of　Clinias；
her　name　being　Soso。　She；　being　of　a　generous　temper；　and　believing
the　boy　had　by　some　supernatural　guidance　fled　to　her　for　shelter；　hid
him　in　the　house；　and　at　night　sent　him　away　to　Argos。
　　Aratus；　being　thus　delivered　and　secured　from　this　danger；　conceived
from　the　first　and　ever　after　nourished　a　vehement　and　burning
hatred　against　tyrants；　which　strengthened　with　his　years。　Being
therefore　bred　up　amongst　his　father's　acquaintance　and　friends　at
Argos　with　a　liberal　education；　and　perceiving　his　body　to　promise
good　health　and　stature；　he　addicted　himself　to　the　exercises　of　the
palaestra；　to　that　degree　that　he　competed　in　the　five　games；　and
gained　some　crowns；　and　indeed　in　his　statues　one　may　observe　a
certain　kind　of　athletic　cast；　and　the　sagacity　and　majesty　of　his
countenance　does　not　dissemble　his　full　diet　and　the　use　of　the　hoe。
Whence　it　came　to　pass　that　he　less　studied　eloquence　than　perhaps
became　a　statesman；　and　yet　he　was　more　accomplished　in　speaking
than　many　believe；　judging　by　the　commentaries　which　he　left　behind
him；　written　carelessly　and；　by　the　way；　as　fast　as　he　could　do　it；
and　in　such　words　as　first　came　to　his　mind。
　　In　the　course　of　time；　Dinias　and　Aristoteles　the　logician　killed
Abantidas；　who　used　to　be　present　in　the　market…place　at　their
discussions；　and　to　make　one　in　them；　till　they　taking　the　occasion；
insensibly　accustomed　him　to　the　practice；　and　so　had　opportunity　to
contrive　and　execute　a　plot　against　him。　After　him　Paseas；　the
father　of　Abantidas；　taking　upon　him　the　government；　was
assassinated　by　Nicocles；　who　himself　set　up　for　tyrant。　Of　him　it
is　related　that　he　was　strikingly　like　Periander；　the　son　of　Cypselus；
just　as　it　is　said　that　Orontes　the　Persian　bore　a　great　resemblance
to　Alcmaeon；　the　son　of　Amphiaraus；　and　that　Lacedaemonian　youth；　whom
Myrsilus　relates　to　have　been　trodden　to　pieces　by　the　crowd　of
those　that　came　to　see　him　upon　that　report；　to　Hector。
　　This　Nicocles　governed　four　months；　in　which；　after　he　had　done
all　kinds　of　mischief　to　the　city；　he　very　nearly　let　it　fall　into　the
hands　of　the　Aetolians。　By　this　time　Aratus；　being　grown　a　youth；
was　in　much　esteem；　both　for　his　noble　birth；　and　his　spirit　and
disposition；　which；　while　neither　insignificant　nor　wanting　in　energy；
were　solid；　and　tempered　with　a　steadiness　of　judgment　beyond　his
years。　For　which　reason　the　exiles　had　their　eyes　most　upon　him；　nor
did　Nicocles　less　observe　his　motions；　but　secretly　spied　and
watched　him；　not　out　of　apprehension　of　any　such　considerable　or
utterly　audacious　attempt；　but　suspecting　he　held　correspondence
with　the　kings；　who　were　his　father's　friends　and　acquaintance。　And；
indeed；　Aratus　first　attempted　this　way；　but　finding　that　Antigonus；
who　had　promised　fair；　neglected　him　and　delayed　the　time；　and　that
his　hopes　from　Egypt　and　Ptolemy　were　long　to　wait　for；　he
determined　to　cut　off　the　tyrant　by　himself。
　　And　first　he　broke　his　mind　to　Aristomachus　and　Ecdelus；　the　one
an　exile　of　Sicyon；　the　other；　Ecdelus；　an　Arcadian　of　Megalopolis；
a　philosopher；　and　a　man　of　action；　having　been　the　familiar　friend　of
Arcesilaus　the　Academic　at　Athens。　These　readily　consenting；　he
communicated　with　the　other　exiles；　whereof　some　few；　being　ashamed　to
seem　to　despair　of　success；　engaged　in　the　design；　but　most　of　them
endeavoured　to　divert　him　from　his　purpose；　as　one　that　for　want　of
experience　was　too　rash　and　daring。
　　Whilst　he　was　consulting　to　seize　upon　some　post　in　Sicyonia；　from
whence　he　might　make　war　upon　the　tyrant；　there　came　to　Argos　a
certain　Sicyonian；　newly　escaped　out　of　prison；　brother　to　Xenocles；
one　of　the　exiles；　who；　being　by　him　presented　to　Aratus；　informed　him
that　that　part　of　the　wall　over　which　he　escaped　was；　inside；　almost
level　with　the　ground；　adjoining　a　rocky　and　elevated　place；　and
that　from　the　outside　it　might　be　scaled　with　ladders。　Aratus；　hearing
this；　despatches　away　Xenocles　with　two　of　his　own　servants；　Seuthas
and　Technon；　to　view　the　wall；　resolving；　if　possible；　secretly　and
with　one　risk　to　hazard　all　on　a　single　trial；　rather　than　carry　on
a　contest　as　a　private　man　against　a　tyrant　by　long　war　and　open
force。　Xenocles；　therefore；　with　his　companions；　returning；　having
taken　the　height　of　the　wall；　and　declaring　the　place　not　to　be
impossible　or　indeed　difficult　to　get　over；　but　that　it　was　not　easy
to　approach　it　undiscovered　by　reason　of　some　small　but　uncommonly
savage　and　noisy　dogs　belonging　to　a　gardener　hard　by；　he
immediately　undertook　the　business。
　　Now　the　preparation　of　arms　gave　no　jealousy；　because　robberies
and　petty　forays　were　at　that　time　common　everywhere　between　one　set
of　people　and　another；　and　for　the　ladders；　Euphranor；　the
machine…maker；　made　them　openly；　his　trade　rendering　him
unsuspected；　though　one　of　the　exiles。　As　for　men；　each　of　his　friends
in　Argos　furnished　him　with　ten　apiece　out　of　those　few　they　had；
and　he　armed　thirty　of　his　own　servants；　and　hired　some　few　soldiers
of　Xenophilus；　the　chief　of　the　robber　captains；　to　whom　it　was
given　out　that　they　were　to　march　into　the　territory　of　Sicyon　to
seize　the　king's　stud；　most　of　them　were　sent　before；　in　small
parties；　to　the　tower　of　Polygnotus；　with　orders　to　wait　there；
Caphisias　also　was　despatched　beforehand　lightly　armed；　with　four
others；　who　were；　as　soon　as　it　was　dark；　to　come　to　the　gardener's
house；　pretending　to　be　travellers；　and　procuring　their　lodging　there；
to　shut　up　him　and　his　dogs；　for　there　was　no　other　way　to　getting
past。　And　for　the　ladders；　they　had　been　made　to　take　in　pieces；　and
were　put　into　chests；　and　sent　before；　hidden　upon　wagons。　In　the
meantime；　some　of　the　spies　of　Nicocles　appearing　in　Argos；　and
being　said　to　go　privately　about　watching　Aratus；　he　came　early　in　the
morning　into　the　market…place；　showing　himself　openly　and　conversing
with　his　friends；　then　he　anointed　himself　in　the　exercise　ground；
and；　taking　with　him　thence　some　of　the　young　men　that　used　to　drink
and　spend　their　time　with　him；　he　went　home；　and　presently　after
several　of　his　servants　were　seen　about　the　market…place；　one　carrying
garlands；　another　buying　flambeaux；　and　a　third　speaking　to　the
women　that　used　to　sing　and　play　at　banquets；　all　of　which　things
the　spies　observing　were　deceived；　and　said；　laughing　to　one
another。　〃Certainly　nothing　can　be　more　timorous　than　a　tyrant；　if
Nicocles；　being　master　of　so　great　a　city　and　so　numerous　a　force；
stands　in　fear　of　a　youth　that　spends　what　he　has　to　subsist　upon　in
his　banishment　in　pleasures　and　day…debauches；〃　and；　being　thus
imposed　upon；　they　returned　home。
　　But　Aratus；　departing　immediately　after　his　morning　meal；　and　coming
to　his　soldiers　at　Polygnotus's　tower；　led　them　to　Nemea；　where　he
disclosed　to　most　of　them；　for　the　first　time；　his　true　design；　making
them　large　promises　and　fair　speeches；　and　marched　towards　the　city；
giving　for　the　word　Apollo　victorious；　proportioning　his　march　to
the　motion　of　the　moon；　so　as　to　have　the　benefit　of　her　light　upon
the　way；　and　to　be　in　the　garden；　which　was　close　to　the　wall；　just　as
she　was　setting。　Here　Caphisias　to　him；　who　had　not　secured　the
dogs；　which　had　run　away　before　he　could　catch　them；　but　had　only　made
sure　of　the　gardener。　Upon　which　most　of　the　company　being　out　of
heart　and　desiring　to　retreat；　Aratus　encouraged　them　to　go　on；
promising　to　retire　in　case　the　dogs　were　too　troublesome；　at　the　same
time　sending　forward　those　that　carried　the　ladders；　conducted　by
Ecdelus　and　Mnasitheus；　he　followed　them　himself　leisurely；　the　dogs
already　barking　very　loud　and　following　the　steps　of　Ecdelus　and　his
companion。　However；　they　got　to　the　wall；　and　reared　the　ladders
with　safety。　But　as　the　foremost　men　were　mounting　them；　the　captain
of　the　watch　that　was　to　be　relieved　by　the　morning　guard　passed　on
his　way　with　the　bell；　and　there　were　many　lights；　and　a　noise　of
people　coming　up。　Hearing　which；　they　clapt　themselves　close　to　the
ladders；　and　so　were　unobserved；　but　as　the　other　watch　also　was
coming　up　to　meet　this；　they　were　in　extreme　danger　of　being
discovered。　But　when　this　also　went　by　without　observing　them；
im