demetrius-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DEMETRIUS
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　337？…283　B。C。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Plutarch

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　John　Dryden




　　INGENIOUS　men　have　long　observed　a　resemblance　between　the　arts　and　the　bodily　senses。　And　they　were　first　led　to　do　so；　I　think；　by　noticing　the　way　in　which；　both　in　the　arts　and　with　our　senses；　we　examine　opposites。　Judgment　once　obtained；　the　use　to　which　we　put　it　differs　in　the　two　cases。　Our　senses　are　not　meant　to　pick　out　black　rather　than　white；　to　prefer　sweet　to　bitter；　or　soft　and　yielding　to　hard　and　resisting　objects；　all　they　have　to　do　is　to　receive　impressions　as　they　occur；　and　report　to　the　understanding　the　impressions　as　received。　The　arts；　on　the　other　hand；　which　reason　institutes　expressly　to　choose　and　obtain　some　suitable；　and　to　refuse　and　get　rid　of　some　unsuitable　object；　have　their　proper　concern　in　the　consideration　of　the　former；　though；　in　a　casual　and　contingent　way；　they　must　also；　for　the　very　rejection　of　them；　pay　attention　to　the　latter。　Medicine；　to　produce　health；　has　to　examine　disease；　and　music；　to　create　harmony；　must　investigate　discord；　and　the　supreme　arts；　of　temperance；　of　justice；　and　of　wisdom；　as　they　are　acts　of　judgment　and　selection；　exercised　not　on　good　and　just　and　expedient　only；　but　also　on　wicked；　unjust；　and　inexpedient　objects；　do　not　give　their　commendations　to　the　mere　innocence　whose　boast　is　its　inexperience　of　evil；　and　whose　truer　name　is；　by　their　award；　simpleness　and　ignorance　of　what　all　men　who　live　aright　should　know。　The　ancient　Spartans；　at　their　festivals；　used　to　force　their　Helots　to　swallow　large　quantities　of　raw　wine；　and　then　expose　them　at　the　public　tables；　to　let　the　young　men　see　what　it　is　to　be　drunk。　And；　though　I　do　not　think　it　consistent　with　humanity　or　with　civil　justice　to　correct　one　man's　morals　by　corrupting　those　of　another；　yet　we　may；　I　think；　avail　ourselves　of　the　cases　of　those　who　have　fallen　into　indiscretions；　and　have；　in　high　stations；　made　themselves　conspicuous　for　misconduct；　and　I　shall　not　do　ill　to　introduce　a　pair　or　two　of　such　examples　among　these　biographies；　not；　assuredly；　to　amuse　and　divert　my　readers；　or　give　variety　to　my　theme；　but　as　Ismenias；　the　Theban；　used　to　show　his　scholars　good　and　bad　performers　on　the　flute；　and　to　tell　them；　〃You　should　play　like　this　man；〃　and；　〃You　should　not　play　like　that；〃　and　as　Antigenidas　used　to　say；　Young　people　would　take　greater　pleasure　in　hearing　good　playing；　if　first　they　were　set　to　hear　bad；　so；　in　the　same　manner；　it　seems　to　me　likely　enough　that　we　shall　be　all　the　more　zealous　and　more　emulous　to　read；　observe；　and　imitate　the　better　lives；　if　we　are　not　left　in　ignorance　of　the　blameworthy　and　the　bad。　　　For　this　reason；　the　following　book　contains　the　lives　of　Demetrius　Poliorcetes　and　Antonius　the　Triumvir；　two　persons　who　have　abundantly　justified　the　words　of　Plato；　that　great　natures　produce　great　vices　as　well　as　virtues。　Both　alike　were　amorous　and　intemperate；　warlike　and　munificent；　sumptuous　in　their　way　of　living　and　overbearing　in　their　manners。　And　the　likeness　of　their　fortunes　carried　out　the　resemblance　in　their　characters。　Not　only　were　their　lives　each　a　series　of　great　successes　and　great　disasters；　mighty　acquisitions　and　tremendous　losses　of　power；　sudden　overthrows　followed　by　unexpected　recoveries；　but　they　died；　also；　Demetrius　in　actual　captivity　to　his　enemies　and　Antony　on　the　verge　of　it。　　　Antigonus　had　by　his　wife；　Stratonice；　the　daughter　of　Corrhaeus；　two　sons；　the　one　of　whom；　after　the　name　of　his　uncle；　he　called　Demetrius；　the　other　had　that　of　his　grandfather　Philip；　and　died　young。　This　is　the　most　general　account；　although　some　have　related　that　Demetrius　was　not　the　son　of　Antigonus；　but　of　his　brother；　and　that　his　own　father　dying　young；　and　his　mother　being　afterwards　married　to　Antigonus；　he　was　accounted　to　be　his　son。　　　Demetrius　had　not　the　height　of　his　father　Antigonus；　though　he　was　a　tall　man。　But　his　countenance　was　one　of　such　singular　beauty　and　expression　that　no　painter　or　sculptor　ever　produced　a　good　likeness　of　him。　It　combined　grace　and　strength；　dignity　with　boyish　bloom；　and；　in　the　midst　of　youthful　heat　and　passion；　what　was　hardest　of　all　to　represent　was　a　certain　heroic　look　and　air　of　kingly　greatness。　Nor　did　his　character　belie　his　looks；　as　no　one　was　better　able　to　render　himself　both　loved　and　feared。　For　as　he　was　the　most　easy　and　agreeable　of　companions；　and　the　most　luxurious　and　delicate　of　princes　in　his　drinking　and　banqueting　and　daily　pleasures；　so　in　action　there　was　never　any　one　that　showed　a　more　vehement　persistence；　or　a　more　passionate　energy。　Bacchus；　skilled　in　the　conduct　of　war；　and　after　war　in　giving　peace　its　pleasures　and　joys；　seems　to　have　been　his　pattern　among　the　gods。　　　He　was　wonderfully　fond　of　his　father　Antigonus；　and　the　tenderness　he　had　for　his　mother　led　him；　for　her　sake；　to　redouble　attentions；　which　it　was　evident　were　not　so　much　owing　to　fear　or　duty　as　to　the　more　powerful　motives　of　inclination。　It　is　reported　that；　returning　one　day　from　hunting；　he　went　immediately　into　the　apartment　of　Antigonus；　who　was　conversing　with　some　ambassadors；　and　after　stepping　up　and　kissing　his　father；　he　sat　down　by　him；　just　as　he　was；　still　holding　in　his　hand　the　javelins　which　he　had　brought　with　him。　Whereupon　Antigonus；　who　had　just　dismissed　the　ambassadors　with　their　answer；　called　out　in　a　loud　voice　to　them；　as　they　were　going；　〃Mention；　also；　that　this　is　the　way　in　which　we　two　live　together；〃　as　if　to　imply　to　them　that　it　was　no　slender　mark　of　the　power　and　security　of　his　government　that　there　was　so　perfect　good　understanding　between　himself　and　his　son。　Such　an　unsociable；　solitary　thing　is　power；　and　so　much　of　jealousy　and　distrust　in　it；　that　the　first　and　greatest　of　the　successors　of　Alexander　could　make　it　a　thing　of　glory　in　that　he　was　not　so　afraid　of　his　son　as　to　forbid　his　standing　beside　him　with　a　weapon　in　his　hand。　And；　in　fact；　among　all　the　successors　of　Alexander；　that　of　Antigonus　was　the　only　house　which；　for　many　descents；　was　exempted　from　crime　of　this　kind；　or　to　state　it　exactly；　Philip　was　the　only　one　of　this　family　who　was　guilty　of　a　son's　death。　All　the　other　families；　we　may　fairly　say；　afforded　frequent　examples　of　fathers　who　brought　their　children；　husbands　their　wives；　children　their　mothers；　to　untimely　ends；　and　that　brothers　should　put　brothers　to　death　was　assumed；　like　the　postulate　of　mathematicians　as　the　common　and　recognized　royal　first　principle　of　safety。　　　Let　us　here　record　an　example　in　the　early　life　of　Demetrius；　showing　his　natural　humane　and　kindly　disposition。　It　was　an　adventure　which　passed　betwixt　him　and　Mithridates；　the　son　of　Ariobarzanes；　who　was　about　the　same　age　with　Demetrius；　and　lived　with　him；　in　attendance　on　Antigonus；　and　although　nothing　was　said　or　could　be　said　to　his　reproach；　he　fell　under　suspicion；　in　consequence　of　a　dream　which　Antigonus　had。　Antigonus　thought　himself　in　a　fair　and　spacious　field；　where　he　sowed　golden　seed；　and　saw　presently　a　golden　crop　come　up；　of　which；　however；　looking　presently　again；　he　saw　nothing　remain　but　the　stubble；　without　the　ears。　And　as　he　stood　by　in　anger　and　vexation；　he　heard　some　voices　saying　Mithridates　had　cut　the　golden　harvest　and　carried　it　off　into　Pontus。　Antigonus；　much　discomposed　with　his　dream；　first　bound　his　son；　by　an　oath　not　to　speak；　and　then　related　it　to　him；　adding　that　he　had　resolved；　in　consequence；　to　lose　no　time　in　ridding　himself　of　Mithridates；　and　making　away　with　him。　Demetrius　was　extremely　distressed；　and　when　the　young　man　came；　as　usual；　to　pass　his　time　with　him；　to　keep　his　oath　he　forbore　from　saying　a　word；　but；　drawing　him　aside　little　by　little　from　the　company；　as　soon　as　they　were　by　themselves；　without　opening　his　lips；　with　the　point　of　his　javelin　he　traced　before　him　the　words　〃Fly；　Mithridates。〃　Mithridates　took　the　hint；　and　fled　by　night　into　Cappadocia；　where　Antigonus's　dream　about　him　was　quickly　brought　to　its　due　fulfillment；　for　he　got　possession　of　a　large　and　fertile　territory；　and　from　him　descended　the　line　of　the　kings　of　Pontus；　which；　in　the　eighth　generation；　was　reduced　by　the　Romans。　This　may　serve　for　a　specimen　of　the　early　goodness　and　love　of　justice　that　was　part　of　Demetrius's　natural　character。　　　But　as　in　the　elements　of　the　world；　Empedocles　tells　us；　out　of　liking　and　dislike；　there　springs　up　contention　and　warfare；　and　all　the　more；　the　closer　the　contact；　or　the　nearer　the　approach　of　the　objects；　even　so　the　perpetual　hostilities　among　the　successors　of　Alexander　were　aggravated　and　inflamed；　in　particular　cases；　by　juxtaposition　of　interests　and　of　territories；　as；　for　example；　in　the　case　of　Antigonus　and　Ptolemy。　News　came　to　Antigonus　that　Ptolemy　had　crossed　from　Cyprus　and　invaded　Syria；　and　was　ravaging　the　country　and　reducing　the　cities。　Remaining；　therefore；　himself　in　Phrygia；　he　sent　Demetrius；　now　twenty…two　years　old；　to　make　his　first　essay　as　sole　commander　in　an　important　charge。　He；　whose　youthful　heat　outran　his　experien