the history-第163章

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an　who　was　not　only　his　brother's　wife；　but　was　likewise　wholly　guiltless　of　what　had　happened…　the　more　especially　as　he　knew　well　enough　with　what　intent　Amestris　had　preferred　her　request。　　　　　At　length；　however；　wearied　by　her　importunity；　and　constrained　moreover　by　the　law　of　the　feast；　which　required　that　no　one　who　asked　a　boon　that　day　at　the　king's　board　should　be　denied　his　request；　he　yielded；　but　with　a　very　ill　will；　and　gave　the　woman　into　her　power。　Having　so　done；　and　told　Amestris　she　might　deal　with　her　as　she　chose；　the　king　called　his　brother　into　his　presence；　and　said…　　　　　〃Masistes；　thou　art　my　brother；　the　son　of　my　father　Darius；　and；　what　is　more；　thou　art　a　good　man。　I　pray　thee；　live　no　longer　with　the　wife　whom　thou　now　hast。　Behold；　I　will　give　thee　instead　my　own　daughter　in　marriage；　take　her　to　live　with　thee。　But　part　first　with　the　wife　thou　now　hast…　I　like　not　that　thou　keep　to　her。〃　　　　　To　this　Masistes；　greatly　astonished；　answered…　　　　　〃My　lord　and　master；　how　strange　a　speech　hast　thou　uttered！　Thou　biddest　me　put　away　my　wife；　who　has　borne　me　three　goodly　youths；　and　daughters　besides；　whereof　thou　hast　taken　one　and　espoused　her　to　a　son　of　thine　own…　thou　biddest　me　put　away　this　wife；　notwithstanding　that　she　pleases　me　greatly；　and　marry　a　daughter　of　thine！　In　truth；　O　king！　that　I　am　accounted　worthy　to　wed　thy　daughter；　is　an　honour　which　I　mightily　esteem；　but　yet　to　do　as　thou　sayest　am　I　in　no　wise　willing。　I　pray　thee；　use　not　force　to　compel　me　to　yield　to　thy　prayer。　Be　sure　thy　daughter　will　find　a　husband　to　the　full　as　worthy　as　myself。　Suffer　me　then　to　live　on　with　my　own　wife。〃　　　　　Thus　did　Masistes　answer；　and　Xerxes；　in　wrath；　replied…　〃I　will　tell　thee；　Masistes；　what　thou　hast　gained　by　these　words。　I　will　not　give　thee　my　daughter；　nor　shalt　thou　live　any　longer　with　thy　own　wife。　So　mayest　thou　learn；　in　time　to　come；　to　take　what　is　offered　thee。〃　Masistes；　when　he　heard　this；　withdrew；　only　saying…　〃Master　thou　hast　not　yet　taken　my　life。〃　　　　　While　these　things　were　passing　between　Xerxes　and　his　brother　Masistes；　Amestris　sent　for　the　spearmen　of　the　royal　bodyguard；　and　caused　the　wife　of　Masistes　to　be　mutilated　in　a　horrible　fashion。　Her　two　breasts；　her　nose；　ears；　and　lips　were　cut　off　and　thrown　to　the　dogs；　her　tongue　was　torn　out　by　the　roots；　and　thus　disfigured　she　was　sent　back　to　her　home。　　　　　Masistes；　who　knew　nothing　of　what　had　happened；　but　was　fearful　that　some　calamity　had　befallen　him；　ran　hastily　to　his　house。　There；　finding　his　wife　so　savagely　used；　he　forthwith　took　counsel　with　his　sons；　and；　accompanied　by　them　and　certain　others　also；　set　forth　on　his　way　to　Bactria；　intending　to　stir　up　revolt　in　that　province；　and　hoping　to　do　great　hurt　to　Xerxes：　all　which；　I　believe；　he　would　have　accomplished；　if　he　had　once　reached　the　Bactrian　and　Sacan　people；　for　he　was　greatly　beloved　by　them　both；　and　was　moreover　satrap　of　Bactria。　But　Xerxes；　hearing　of　his　designs；　sent　an　armed　force　upon　his　track；　and　slew　him　while　he　was　still　upon　the　road；　with　his　sons　and　his　whole　army。　Such　is　the　tale　of　King　Xerxes'　love　and　of　the　death　of　his　brother　Masistes。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Greeks；　who　had　left　Mycale；　and　sailed　for　the　Hellespont；　were　forced　by　contrary　winds　to　anchor　near　Lectum；　from　which　place　they　afterwards　sailed　on　to　Abydos。　On　arriving　here；　they　discovered　that　the　bridges；　which　they　had　thought　to　find　standing；　and　which　had　been　the　chief　cause　of　their　proceeding　to　the　Hellespont；　were　already　broken　up　and　destroyed。　Upon　this　discovery；　Leotychides；　and　the　Peloponnesians　under　him；　were　anxious　to　sail　back　to　Greece；　but　the　Athenians；　with　Xanthippus　their　captain；　thought　good　to　remain；　and　resolved　to　make　an　attempt　upon　the　Chersonese。　So；　while　the　Peloponnesians　sailed　away　to　their　homes；　the　Athenians　crossed　over　from　Abydos　to　the　Chersonese；　and　there　laid　siege　to　Sestos。　　　　　Now；　as　Sestos　was　the　strongest　fortress　in　all　that　region；　the　rumour　had　no　sooner　gone　forth　that　the　Greeks　were　arrived　at　the　Hellespont；　than　great　numbers　flocked　thither　from　all　the　towns　in　the　neighbourhood。　Among　the　rest　there　came　a　certain　Oeobazus；　a　Persian；　from　the　city　of　Cardia；　where　he　had　laid　up　the　shore…cables　which　had　been　used　in　the　construction　of　the　bridges。　The　town　was　guarded　by　its　own　Aeolian　inhabitants；　but　contained　also　some　Persians；　and　a　great　multitude　of　their　allies。　　　　　The　whole　district　was　under　the　rule　of　Artayctes；　one　of　the　king's　satraps；　who　was　a　Persian；　but　a　wicked　and　cruel　man。　At　the　time　when　Xerxes　was　marching　against　Athens；　he　had　craftily　possessed　himself　of　the　treasures　belonging　to　Protesilaus　the　son　of　Iphiclus；　which　were　at　Elaesus　in　the　Chersonese。　For　at　this　place　is　the　tomb　of　Protesilaus；　surrounded　by　a　sacred　precinct；　and　here　there　was　great　store　of　wealth；　vases　of　gold　and　silver；　works　in　brass；　garments；　and　other　offerings；　all　which　Artayctes　made　his　prey；　having　got　the　king's　consent　by　thus　cunningly　addressing　him…　　　　　〃Master；　there　is　in　this　region　the　house　of　a　Greek；　who；　when　he　attacked　thy　territory；　met　his　due　reward；　and　perished。　Give　me　his　house；　I　pray　thee；　that　hereafter　men　may　fear　to　carry　arms　against　thy　land。〃　　　　　By　these　words　he　easily　persuaded　Xerxes　to　give　him　the　man's　house；　for　there　was　no　suspicion　of　his　design　in　the　king's　mind。　And　he　could　say　in　a　certain　sense　that　Protesilaus　had　borne　arms　against　the　land　of　the　king；　because　the　Persians　consider　all　Asia　to　belong　to　them；　and　to　their　king　for　the　time　being。　So　when　Xerxes　allowed　his　request；　he　brought　all　the　treasures　from　Elaesus　to　Sestos；　and　made　the　sacred　land　into　cornfields　and　pasture　land；　nay；　more；　whenever　he　paid　a　visit　to　Elaesus；　he　polluted　the　shrine　itself　by　vile　uses。　It　was　this　Artayctes　who　was　now　besieged　by　the　Athenians…　and　he　was　but　ill　prepared　for　defence；　since　the　Greeks　had　fallen　upon　him　quite　unawares；　nor　had　he　in　the　least　expected　their　coming。　　　　　When　it　was　now　late　in　the　autumn；　and　the　siege　still　continued；　the　Athenians　began　to　murmur　that　they　were　kept　abroad　so　long；　and；　seeing　that　they　were　not　able　to　take　the　place；　besought　their　captains　to　lead　them　back　to　their　own　country。　But　the　captains　refused　to　move；　till　either　the　city　had　fallen；　or　the　Athenian　people　ordered　them　to　return　home。　So　the　soldiers　patiently　bore　up　against　their　sufferings。　　　　　Meanwhile　those　within　the　walls　were　reduced　to　the　last　straits；　and　forced　even　to　boil　the　very　thongs　of　their　beds　for　food。　At　last；　when　these　too　failed　them；　Artayctes　and　Oeobazus；　with　the　native　Persians；　fled　away　from　the　place　by　night；　having　let　themselves　down　from　the　wall　at　the　back　of　the　town；　where　the　blockading　force　was　scantiest。　As　soon　as　day　dawned；　they　of　the　Chersonese　made　signals　to　the　Greeks　from　the　walls；　and　let　them　know　what　had　happened；　at　the　same　time　throwing　open　the　gates　of　their　city。　Hereupon；　while　some　of　the　Greeks　entered　the　town；　others；　and　those　the　more　numerous　body；　set　out　in　pursuit　of　the　enemy。　　　　　Oeobazus　fled　into　Thrace；　but　there　the　Apsinthian　Thracians　seized　him；　and　offered　him；　after　their　wonted　fashion；　to　Pleistorus；　one　of　the　gods　of　their　country。　His　companions　they　likewise　put　to　death；　but　in　a　different　manner。　As　for　Artayctes；　and　the　troops　with　him；　who　had　been　the　last　to　leave　the　town；　they　were　overtaken　by　the　Greeks；　not　far　from　Aegospotami；　and　defended　themselves　stoutly　for　a　time；　but　were　at　last　either　killed　or　taken　prisoners。　Those　whom　they　made　prisoners　the　Greeks　bound　with　chains；　and　brought　with　them　to　Sestos。　Artayctes　and　his　son　were　among　the　number。　　　　　Now　the　Chersonesites　relate　that　the　following　prodigy　befell　one　of　the　Greeks　who　guarded　the　captives。　He　was　broiling　upon　a　fire　some　salted　fish；　when　of　a　sudden　they　began　to　leap　and　quiver；　as　if　they　had　been　only　just　caught。　Hereat；　the　rest　of　the　guards　hurried　round　to　look；　and　were　greatly　amazed　at　the　sight。　Artayctes；　however；　beholding　the　prodigy；　called　the　man　to　him；　and　said…　　　　　〃Fear　not；　Athenian　stranger；　because　of　this　marvel。　It　has　not　appeared　on　thy　account；　but　on　mine。　Protesilaus　of　Elaeus　has　sent　it　to　show　me；　that　albeit　he　is　dead　and　embalmed　with　salt；　he　has　power　from　the　gods　to　chastise　his　injurer。　Now　then　I　would　fain　acquit　my　debt　to　him　thus。　For　the　riches　which　I　took　from　his　temple；　I　will　fix　my　fine　at　one　hundred　talents…　while　for　myself　and　this　boy　of　mine；　I　will　give　the　Athenians　two　hundred　talents；　on　condition　that　they　will　spare　our　lives。〃　　　　　Such　were　the　promises　of　Artayctes；　but　they　failed　to　persuade　Xanthippus。　For　the　men　of　Elaeus；　who　wished　to　avenge　Protesilaus；　entreated　that　he　might　be　put　to　death；　and　Xanthippus　himself　was　of　the　same　mind。　So　they　led　Artayctes　to　the　tongue　of　land　where　the　bridges　of　Xerxes　had　been　fixed…　or；　according　to　others；　to　the　knoll　above　the　town　of　Madytus；　and；　having　nailed　him　to　a　board；　they　left　him　hanging　thereupon。　As　for　the　son　of　Artayctes；　him　they　stoned　to　death　before　his　eyes。　　　　　This　done；　th