CHAPTER II.
The doors of the supper-room now flew open. Two lovely, fair-hairedboys, holding myrtle-wreaths, stood on each side of the entrance, andin the middle of the room was a large, low, brilliantly polished table,surrounded by inviting purple cushions.
[It was most probably usual for each guest to have his own little table; but we read even in Homer of large tables on which the meals were served up. In the time of Homer people sat at table, but the recumbent position became universal in later times.]
Rich nosegays adorned this table, and on it were placed large jointsof roast meat, glasses and dishes of various shapes filled with dates,figs, pomegranates, melons and grapes, little silver beehives containinghoney, and plates of embossed copper, on which lay delicate cheesefrom the island of Trinakria. In the midst was a silver table-ornament,something similar to an altar, from which arose fragrant clouds ofincense.
At the extreme end of the table stood the glittering silver cup in whichthe wine was to be mixed.
[The Greeks were not accustomed to drink unmingled wine. Zaleukus forbade to all citizens the pure juice of the grape under penalty of death, and Solon under very severe penalties, unless required as medicine. The usual mixture was composed of three-fifths water to two-fifths wine.]
This was of beautiful AEginetan workmanship, its crooked handlesrepresenting two giants, who appeared ready to sink under the weight ofthe bowl which they sustained.
Like the altar, it was enwreathed with flowers, and a garland of rosesor myrtle had been twined around the goblet of each guest.
The entire floor was strewed with rose-leaves, and the room lighted bymany lamps which were hung against the smooth, white, stucco walls.
No sooner were the guests reclining on their cushions, than thefair-haired boys reappeared, wound garlands of ivy and myrtle around theheads and shoulders of the revellers, and washed their feet in silverbasins. The Sybarite, though already scented with all the perfumes ofArabia, would not rest until he was completely enveloped in roses andmyrtle, and continued to occupy the two boys even after the carver hadremoved the first joints from the table in order to cut them up; butas soon as the first course, tunny-fish with mustard-sauce, had beenserved, he forgot all subordinate matters, and became absorbed in theenjoyment of the delicious viands.
Rhodopis, seated on a chair at the head of the table, near thewine-bowl, not only led the conversation, but gave directions to theslaves in waiting.
[The women took their meals sitting. The Greeks, like the Egyptians, had chairs with backs and arms. The form of the solia or throne has become familiar to us from the discoveries at Pompeii and the representations of many gods and distinguished persons. It had a high, almost straight back, and supports for the arms.]
She gazed on her cheerful guests with a kind of pride, and seemed to bedevoting her attention to each exclusively, now asking the Delphianhow he had succeeded in his mission, then the Sybarite whether he wascontent with the performances of her cook, and then listening eagerlyto Ibykus, as he told how the Athenian, Phrynichus, had introduced thereligious dramas of Thespis of Ikaria into common life, and was nowrepresenting entire histories from the past by means of choruses,recitative and answer.
Then she turned to the Spartan, remarking, that to him alone of all herguests, instead of an apology for the simplicity of the meal, she feltshe owed one for its luxury. The next time he came, her slave Knakias,who, as an escaped Helot, boasted that he could cook a deliciousblood-soup (here the Sybarite shuddered), should prepare him a trueLacedaemonian repast.
When the guests had eaten sufficiently they again washed their hands;the plates and dishes were removed, the floor cleansed, and wine andwater poured into the bowl.
[The Symposium began after the real meal. Not till that was over did the guests usually adorn themselves with wreaths, wash their hands with Smegma or Smema (a kind of soap) and begin to drink.]
At last, when Rhodopis had convinced herself that the right moment wascome, she turned to Phanes, who was engaged in a discussion with theMilesians, and thus addressed him:
"Noble friend, we have restrained our impatience so long that it mustsurely now be your duty to tell us what evil chance is threatening tosnatch you from Egypt and from our circle. You may be able to leave usand this country with a light heart, for the gods are wont to blessyou Ionians with that precious gift from your very birth, but we shallremember you long and sadly. I know of no worse loss than that of afriend tried through years, indeed some of us have lived too long on theNile not to have imbibed a little of the constant, unchanging Egyptiantemperament. You smile, and yet I feel sure that long as you havedesired to revisit your dear Hellas, you will not be able to leave usquite without regret. Ah, you admit this? Well, I knew I had not beendeceived. But now tell us why you are obliged to leave Egypt, that wemay consider whether it may not be possible to get the king's decreereversed, and so keep you with us."
Phanes smiled bitterly, and replied: "Many thanks, Rhodopis, for theseflattering words, and for the kind intention either to grieve over mydeparture, or if possible, to prevent it. A hundred new faces will soonhelp you to forget mine, for long as you have lived on the Nile, you arestill a Greek from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, andmay thank the gods that you have remained so. I am a great friend ofconstancy too, but quite as great an enemy of folly, and is thereone among you who would not call it folly to fret over what cannot beundone? I cannot call the Egyptian constancy a virtue, it is a delusion.The men who treasure their dead for thousands of years, and would ratherlose their last loaf than allow a single bone belonging to one of theirancestors to be taken from them, are not constant, they are foolish. Canit possibly make me happy to see my friends sad? Certainly not! You mustnot imitate the Egyptians, who, when they lose a friend, spend monthsin daily-repeated lamentations over him. On the contrary, if you willsometimes think of the distant, I ought to say, of the departed, friend,(for as long as I live I shall never be permitted to tread Egyptianground again), let it be with smiling faces; do not cry, 'Ah! why wasPhanes forced to leave us?' but rather, 'Let us be merry, as Phanes usedto be when he made one of our circle!' In this way you must celebrate mydeparture, as Simonides enjoined when he sang:
"If we would only be more truly wise, We should not waste on death our tears and sighs, Nor stand and mourn o'er cold and lifeless clay More than one day.
For Death, alas! we have no lack of time; But Life is gone, when scarcely at its prime, And is e'en, when not overfill'd with care But short and bare!"
"If we are not to weep for the dead, how much less ought we to grievefor absent friends! the former have left us for ever, but to the latterwe say at parting, 'Farewell, until we meet again'"
Here the Sybarite, who had been gradually becoming more and moreimpatient, could not keep silent any longer, and called out in the mostwoe begone tone: "Will you never begin your story, you malicious fellow?I cannot drink a single drop till you leave off talking about death. Ifeel cold already, and I am always ill, if I only think of, nay, if Ionly hear the subject mentioned, that this life cannot last forever."The whole company burst into a laugh, and Phanes began to tell hisstory:
"You know that at Sais I always live in the new palace; but at Memphis,as commander of the Greek body-guard which must accompany the kingeverywhere, a lodging was assigned me in the left wing of the oldpalace.
"Since Psamtik the First, Sais has always been the royal residence,and the other palaces have in consequence become somewhat neglected. Mydwelling was really splendidly situated, and beautifully furnished; itwould have been first-rate, if, from the first moment of my entrance, afearful annoyance had not made its appearance.
"In the day-time, when I was seldom at home, my rooms were all thatcould be wished, but at night it was impossible to sleep for thetremendous noise made by thousands of rats and mice under the oldfloors, and couches, and behind the hangings
.
"Even in the first night an impudent mouse ran over my face.
"I was quite at a loss what to do, till an Egyptian soldier sold me twolarge cats, and these, in the course of many weeks, procured me somerest from my tormentors.
"Now, you are probably all aware that one of the charming laws of thismost eccentric nation, (whose culture and wisdom, you, my Milesianfriends, cannot sufficiently praise), declares the cat to be a sacredanimal. Divine honors are paid to these fortunate quadrupeds as well asto many other animals, and he who kills a cat is punished with the sameseverity as the murderer of a human being."
Till now Rhodopis had been smiling, but when she perceived that Phanes'banishment had to do with his contempt for the sacred animals, her facebecame more serious. She knew how many victims, how many human lives,had already been sacrificed to this Egyptian superstition, and how, onlya short time before, the king Amasis himself had endeavored in vain torescue an unfortunate Samian, who had killed a cat, from the vengeanceof the enraged populace.
[The cat was probably the most sacred of all the animals worshipped by the Egyptians. Herod tells that when a house was on fire the Egyptians never thought of extinguishing the fire until their cats were all saved, and that when a cat died, they shaved their heads in sign of mourning. Whoever killed one of these animals, whether intentionally or by accident, suffered the penalty, of death, without any chance of mercy. Diod. (I. 81.) himself witnessed the murder of a Roman citizen who had killed a cat, by the Egyptian people; and this in spite of the authorities, who in fear of the powerful Romans, endeavored to prevent the deed. The bodies of the cats were carefully embalmed and buried, and their mummies are to be found in every museum. The embalmed cat, carefully wrapped in linen bandages, is oftener to be met with than any other of the many animals thus preserved by the Egyptians. In spite of the great care bestowed on cats, there can have been no lack of mice in Egypt. In one nomos or province the shrew-mouse was sacred, and a satirical, obscene papyrus in Turin shows us a war between the cats and mice; the Papyrus Ebers contains poisons for mice. We ourselves possess a shrew-mouse exquisitely wrought in bronze.]
"Everything was going well," continued the officer, "when we leftMemphis two years ago.
"I confided my pair of cats to the care of one of the Egyptian servantsat the palace, feeling sure that these enemies of the rats would keepmy dwelling clear for the future; indeed I began to feel a certainveneration for my deliverers from the plague of mice.
"Last year Amasis fell ill before the court could adjourn to Memphis,and we remained at Sais.
"At last, about six week ago, we set out for the city of the Pyramids. Ibetook me to my old quarters; not the shadow of a mouse's tail was to beseen there, but instead, they swarmed with another race of animals notone whit dearer to me than their predecessors. The pair of cats had,during my two years' absence, increased twelve-fold. I tried all in mypower to dislodge this burdensome brood of all ages and colors, butin vain; every night my sleep was disturbed by horrible choruses offour-footed animals, and feline war-cries and songs.
"Every year, at the period of the Bubastis festival, all superfluouscats may be brought to the temple of the cat-headed goddess Pacht, wherethey are fed and cared for, or, as I believe, when they multiply toofast, quietly put out of the way. These priests are knaves!
"Unfortunately the journey to the said temple" did not occur during thetime of our stay in Memphis; however, as I really could not toleratethis army of tormentors any longer, I determined at least to get ridof two families of healthy kittens with which their mothers had justpresented me. My old slave Mus, from his very name a natural enemy ofcats, was told to kill the little creatures, put them into a sack, andthrow them into the Nile.
"This murder was necessary, as the mewing of the kittens would otherwisehave betrayed the contents of the sack to the palace-warders. In thetwilight poor Muss betook himself to the Nile through the grove ofHathor, with his perilous burden. But alas! the Egyptian attendant whowas in the habit of feeding my cats, had noticed that two families ofkittens were missing, and had seen through our whole plan.
"My slave took his way composedly through the great avenue of Sphinxes,and by the temple of Ptah, holding the little bag concealed underhis mantle. Already in the sacred grove he noticed that he was beingfollowed, but on seeing that the men behind him stopped before thetemple of Ptah and entered into conversation with the priests, he feltperfectly reassured and went on.
"He had already reached the bank of the Nile, when he heard voicescalling him and a number of people running towards him in haste; at thesame moment a stone whistled close by his head.
"Mus at once perceived the danger which was threatening him. Summoningall his strength he rushed down to the Nile, flung the bag in, and thenwith a beating heart, but as he imagined without the slightest evidenceof guilt, remained standing on the shore. A few moments later he wassurrounded by at least a hundred priests.
"Even the high-priest of Ptah, my old enemy Ptahotep, had not disdainedto follow the pursuers in person.
"Many of the latter, and amongst them the perfidious palace-servant,rushed at once into the Nile, and there, to our confusion, found thebag with its twelve little corpses, hanging entirely uninjured among thePapyrus-reeds and bean-tendrils. The cotton coffin was opened beforethe eyes of the high-priest, a troop of lower priests, and at least athousand of the inhabitants of Memphis, who had hurried to the spot,and when the miserable contents were disclosed, there arose such fearfulhowls of anguish, and such horrible cries of mingled lamentation andrevenge, that I heard them even in the palace.
"The furious multitude, in their wild rage, fell on my poor servant,threw him down, trampled on him and would have killed him, had notthe all-powerful high-priest-designing to involve me, as author of thecrime, in the same ruin--commanded them to cease and take the wretchedmalefactor to prison.
"Half an hour later I was in prison too.
"My old Mus took all the guilt of the crime on himself, until at last,by means of the bastinado, the high-priest forced him to confess thatI had ordered the killing of the kittens, and that he, as a faithfulservant, had not dared to disobey.
"The supreme court of justice, whose decisions the king himself has nopower to reverse, is composed of priests from Memphis, Heliopolis andThebes: you can therefore easily believe that they had no scruple inpronouncing sentence of death on poor Mus and my own unworthy Greekself. The slave was pronounced guilty of two capital offences: first,of the murder of the sacred animals, and secondly, of a twelve-foldpollution of the Nile through dead bodies. I was condemned as originatorof this, (as they termed it) four-and-twenty-fold crime.
[According to the Egyptian law, the man who was cognizant of a crime was held equally culpable with the perpetrator.]
"Mus was executed on the same day. May the earth rest lightly on him!I shall never think of him again as my slave, but as a friend andbenefactor! My sentence of death was read aloud in the presence ofhis dead body, and I was already preparing for a long journey into thenether world, when the king sent and commanded a reprieve.
[This court of justice, which may be compared with the Areopagus at Athens, and the Gerusia at Sparta, (Diod. I, 75.), was composed of 30 judges taken from the priestly caste, (10 from Heliopolis, 10 from Memphis, 10 from Thebes). The most eminent from among their number was chosen by them as president. All complaints and defences had to be presented in writing, that the judges might in no way be influenced by word or gesture. This tribunal was independent, even of the king's authority. Much information concerning the administration of justice has been obtained from the Papyrus Abbott, known by the name of the 'Papyrus judiciaire'. Particulars and an account of their literature may be found in Ebers "Durch Gosen zum Sinai," p. 534 and following.]
"I was taken back to prison. One of my guards, an Arcadian Taxiarch,told me that all the officers of the guard and many of the soldiers,(altogether four t
housand men) had threatened to send in theirresignation, unless I, their commander, were pardoned.
"As it was beginning to grow dusk I was taken to the king.
"He received me graciously, confirmed the Taxiarch's statement withhis own mouth, and said how grieved he should be to lose a commander sogenerally beloved. I must confess that I owe Amasis no grudge for hisconduct to me, on the contrary I pity him. You should have heard how he,the powerful king, complained that he could never act according to hisown wishes, that even in his most private affairs he was crossed andcompromised by the priests and their influence.
[See the parallel in the history of 2000 years later in the reigns of Henry III. and IV. confronting the Jesuit influence, finally culminating in assassination. D.W.]
"Had it only depended on himself, he could easily have pardoned thetransgression of a law, which I, as a foreigner, could not be expectedto understand, and might (though unjustly) esteem as a foolishsuperstition. But for the sake of the priests he dare not leave meunpunished. The lightest penalty he could inflict must be banishmentfrom Egypt.
"He concluded his complaint with these words: 'You little know whatconcessions I must make to the priests in order to obtain your pardon.Why, our supreme court of justice is independent even of me, its king!'
"And thus I received my dismissal, after having taken a solemn oath toleave Memphis that very day, and Egypt, at latest, in three weeks.
"At the palace-gate I met Psamtik, the crown-prince. He has long been myenemy, on account of some vexatious matters which I cannot divulge, (youknow them, Rhodopis). I was going to offer him my parting salutation,but he turned his back upon me, saying: Once more you have escapedpunishment, Athenian; but you cannot elude my vengeance. Whithersoeveryou may go, I shall be able to find you!'--'That remains to be proved,'I answered, and putting myself and my possessions on board a boat, cameto Naukratis. Here, by good fortune, I met my old friend Aristomachus ofSparta, who, as he was formerly in command of the Cyprian troops, willmost likely be nominated my successor. I should rejoice to know thatsuch a first-rate man was going to take my place, if I did not at thesame time fear that his eminent services will make my own poor effortsseem even more insignificant than they really were."
But here he was interrupted by Aristomachus, who called out: "Praiseenough, friend Phanes! Spartan tongues are stiff; but if you shouldever stand in need of my help, I will give you an answer in deeds, whichshall strike the right nail on the head."
Rhodopis smiled her approval, and giving her hand to each, said:"Unfortunately, the only conclusion to be drawn from your story, my poorPhanes, is that you cannot possibly remain any longer in this country. Iwill not blame you for your thoughtlessness, though you might have knownthat you were exposing yourself to great danger for a mere trifle.The really wise and brave man never undertakes a hazardous enterprise,unless the possible advantage and disadvantage that may accrue to himfrom it can be reckoned at least as equal. Recklessness is quite asfoolish, but not so blamable as cowardice, for though both do the man aninjury, the latter alone can dishonor him.
"Your thoughtlessness, this time, has very nearly cost your life, a lifedear to many, and which you ought to save for a nobler end. We cannotattempt to keep you here; we should thereby only injure ourselveswithout benefitting you. This noble Spartan must now take your place ashead and representative of the Greek nation at the Egyptian court, mustendeavor to protect us against the encroachment of the priests, and toretain for us the royal favor. I take your hand, Aristomachus, andwill not let it go till you have promised that you will protect, to theutmost of your power, every Greek, however humble, (as Phanes did beforeyou), from the insolence of the Egyptians, and will sooner resign youroffice than allow the smallest wrong done to a Hellene to go unpunished.We are but a few thousands among millions of enemies, but throughcourage we are great, and unity must keep us strong. Hitherto the Greeksin Egypt have lived like brothers; each has been ready to offer himselffor the good of all, and all for each, and it is just this unity thathas made us, and must keep us, powerful.
"Oh! could we but bestow this precious gift on our mother-country andher colonies! would the tribes of our native land but forget theirDorian, Ionian or AEolian descent, and, contenting themselves with theone name of Hellenes, live as the children of one family, as the sheepof one flock,--then indeed we should be strong against the whole world,and Hellas would be recognized by all nations as the Queen of theEarth!"
[This longing desire for unity was by no means foreign to the Greeks, though we seldom hear it expressed. Aristotle, for example, says VII. 7.: "Were the Hellenes united into one state, they could command all the barbarous nations."]
A fire glowed in the eyes of the grey-haired woman as she uttered thesewords; and the Spartan, grasping her hand impetuously and stamping onthe floor with his wooden leg, cried: "By Zeus, I will not let a hairof their heads be hurt; but thou, Rhodopis, thou art worthy to have beenborn a Spartan woman."
"Or an Athenian," cried Phanes.
"An Ionian," said the Milesians, and the sculptor: "A daughter of theSamian Geomori--"
"But I am more, far more, than all these," cried the enthusiastic woman."I am a Hellene!"
The whole company, even to the Jew and the Syrian, were carried away bythe intense feeling of the moment; the Sybarite alone remainedunmoved, and, with his mouth so full as to render the words almostunintelligible, said:
"You deserve to be a Sybarite too, Rhodopis, for your roast beef is thebest I have tasted since I left Italy, and your Anthylla wine' relishesalmost as well as Vesuvian or Chian!"
Every one laughed, except the Spartan, who darted a look of indignationand contempt at the epicure.
In this moment a deep voice, hitherto unknown to us, shouted suddenlythrough the window, "A glad greeting to you, my friends!"
"A glad greeting," echoed the chorus of revellers, questioning andguessing who this late arrival might prove to be.
They had not long to wait, for even before the Sybarite had had timecarefully to test and swallow another mouthful of wine, the speaker,Kallias, the son of Phaenippus of Athens, was already standing by theside of Rhodopis. He was a tall thin man of over sixty, with a head ofthat oval form which gives the impression of refinement and intellect.One of the richest among the Athenian exiles, he had twice bought thepossessions of Pisistratus from the state, and twice been obliged tosurrender them, on the tyrant's return to power. Looking round with hisclear keen eyes on this circle of acquaintances, he exchanged friendlygreetings with all, and exclaimed:
"If you do not set a high value on my appearance among you this evening,I shall think that gratitude has entirely disappeared from the earth."
"We have been expecting you a long time," interrupted one of theMilesians. "You are the first man to bring us news of the Olympicgames!"
"And we could wish no better bearer of such news than the victorof former days?" added Rhodopis. "Take your seat," cried Phanesimpatiently, "and come to the point with your news at once, friendKallias."
"Immediately, fellow-countryman," answered the other. "It is some timeago now since I left Olympia. I embarked at Cenchreae in a fifty-oaredSamian vessel, the best ship that ever was built.
"It does not surprise me that I am the first Greek to arrive inNaukratis. We encountered terrific storms at sea, and could not haveescaped with our lives, if the big-bellied Samian galley, with her Ibisbeak and fish's tail had not been so splendidly timbered and manned.
"How far the other homeward-bound passengers may have been driven outof their course, I cannot tell; we found shelter in the harbor of Samos,and were able to put to sea again after ten days.
"We ran into the mouth of the Nile this morning. I went on board my ownbark at once, and was so favored by Boreas, who at least at the end ofmy voyage, seemed willing to prove that he still felt kindly towards hisold Kallias, that I caught sight of this most friendly of all houses afew moments since. I saw the waving flag, the brightly lighted windows
,and debated within myself whether to enter or not; but Rhodopis, yourfascination proved irresistible, and besides, I was bursting with allmy untold news, longing to share your feast, and to tell you, over theviands and the wine, things that you have not even allowed yourselves todream of."
Kallias settled himself comfortably on one of the cushions, and beforebeginning to tell his news, produced and presented to Rhodopis amagnificent gold bracelet in the form of a serpent's, which he hadbought for a large sum at Samos, in the goldsmith's workshop of the veryTheodorus who was now sitting with him at table.
"This I have brought for you,"' he said, turning to the delightedRhodopis, "but for you, friend Phanes, I have something still better.Guess, who won the four-horse chariot-race?"
"An Athenian?" asked Phanes, and his face glowed with excitement; forthe victory gained by one citizen at the Olympic games belonged to hiswhole people, and the Olympic olive-branch was the greatest honor andhappiness that could fall to the lot, either of a single Hellene, or anentire Greek tribe.
"Rightly guessed, Phanes!" cried the bringer of this joyful news, "Thefirst prize has been carried off by an Athenian; and not only so, yourown cousin Cimon, the son of Kypselos, the brother of that Miltiades,who, nine Olympiads ago, earned us the same honor, is the man who hasconquered this year; and with the same steeds that gained him the prizeat the last games.
[The second triumph won by the steeds of Cimon must have taken place, as Duneker correctly remarks, about the year 528. The same horses won the race for the third time at the next Olympic games, consequently four years later. As token of his gratitude Cimon caused a monument to be erected in their honor in "the hollow way" near Athens. We may here remind our readers that the Greeks made use of the Olympic games to determine the date of each year. They took place every four years. The first was fixed 776 B. C. Each separate year was named the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th of such or such an Olympiad.]
"The fame of the Alkmaeonidae is, verily, darkening more and more beforethe Philaidae. Are not you proud, Phanes? do not you feel joy at theglory of your family?"
In his delight Phanes had risen from his seat, and seemed suddenly tohave increased in stature by a whole head.
With a look of ineffable pride and consciousness of his own position,he gave his hand to the messenger of victory. The latter, embracing hiscountryman, continued:
"Yes, we have a right to feel proud and happy, Phanes; you especially,for no sooner had the judges unanimously awarded the prize to Cimon,than he ordered the heralds to proclaim the tyrant Pisistratus asthe owner of the splendid team, and therefore victor in the race.Pisistratus at once caused it to be announced that your family was freeto return to Athens, and so now, Phanes, the long-wished for hour ofyour return home is awaiting you."
But at these words Phanes turned pale, his look of conscious pridechanged into one of indignation, and he exclaimed:
"At this I am to rejoice, foolish Kallias? rather bid me weep that adescendant of Ajax should be capable of laying his well-won fame thusignominiously at a tyrant's feet! No! I swear by Athene, by Father Zeus,and by Apollo, that I will sooner starve in foreign lands than take onestep homeward, so long as the Pisistratidae hold my country in bondage.When I leave the service of Amasis, I shall be free, free as a bird inthe air; but I would rather be the slave of a peasant in foreign lands,than hold the highest office under Pisistratus. The sovereign power inAthens belongs to us, its nobles; but Cimon by laying his chaplet at thefeet of Pisistratus has acknowledged the tyrants, and branded himself astheir servant. He shall hear that Phanes cares little for the tyrant'sclemency. I choose to remain an exile till my country is free, till hernobles and people govern themselves, and dictate their own laws. Phaneswill never do homage to the oppressor, though all the Philaidae, theAlkmaeonidae, and even the men of your own house, Kallias, the richDaduchi, should fall down at his feet!"
With flashing eyes he looked round on the assembly; Kallias tooscrutinized the faces of the guests with conscious pride, as if he wouldsay:
"See, friends, the kind of men produced by my glorious country!"
Taking the hand of Phanes again, he said to him: "The tyrants are ashateful to me as to you, my friend; but I have seen, that, so longas Pisistratus lives, the tyranny cannot be overthrown. His allies,Lygdamis of Naxos and Polykrates of Samos, are powerful; but thegreatest danger for our freedom lies in his own moderation and prudence.During my recent stay in Greece I saw with alarm that the mass of thepeople in Athens love their oppressor like a father. Notwithstandinghis great power, he leaves the commonwealth in the enjoyment of Solon'sconstitution. He adorns the city with the most magnificent buildings.They say that the new temple of Zeus, now being built of glorious marbleby Kallaeschrus, Antistates and Porinus (who must be known to you,Theodorus), will surpass every building that has yet been erected by theHellenes. He understands how to attract poets and artists of all kindsto Athens, he has had the poems of Homer put into writing, and theprophecies of Musaeus collected by Onomakritus. He lays out new streetsand arranges fresh festivals; trade flourishes under his rule, and thepeople find themselves well off, in spite of the many taxes laid uponthem. But what are the people? a vulgar multitude who, like the gnats,fly towards every thing brilliant, and, so long as the taper burns, willcontinue to flutter round it, even though they burn their wings in doingso. Let Pisistratus' torch burn out, Phanes, and I'll swear that thefickle crowd will flock around the returning nobles, the new light, justas they now do around the tyrant.
"Give me your hand once more, you true son of Ajax; for you, my friends,I have still many an interesting piece of news untold.
"The chariot-race, as I have just related, was won by Cimon who gavethe olive-branch to Pisistratus. Four finer horses than his I neversaw. Arkesilaus of Cyrene, Kleosthenes of Epidamnus, Aster of Sybaris,Hekataeus of Miletus and many more had also sent splendid teams. Indeedthe games this time were more than brilliant. All Hellas had sentdeputies. Rhoda of the Ardeates, in distant Iberia, the wealthyTartessus, Sinope in the far East on the shores of Pontus, in short,every tribe that could boast of Hellenic descent was well represented.The Sybarite deputies were of a dazzling beauty; the Spartans, homelyand simple, but handsome as Achilles, tall and strong as Hercules; theAthenians remarkable for their supple limbs and graceful movements,and the men of Crotona were led by Milo, strongest of mortal birth. TheSamian and Milesian deputies vied in splendor and gorgeousness of attirewith those from Corinth and Mitylene: the flower of the Greek youth wasassembled there, and, in the space allotted to spectators, were seated,not only men of every age, class and nation, but many virgins, fair andlovely maidens, who had come to Olympia, more especially from Sparta,in order to encourage the men during the games by their acclamations andapplause. The market was set up beyond the Alphaeus, and there tradersfrom all parts of the world were to be seen; Greeks, Carthaginians,Lydians, Phrygians and shrewd Phoenicians from Palestine settled weightybusiness transactions, or offered their goods to the public from tentsand booths. But how can I possibly describe to you the surging throngsof the populace, the echoing choruses, the smoking festal hecatombs, thebright and variegated costumes, the sumptuousness of the equipages, theclang of the different dialects and the joyful cries of friends meetingagain after years of separation; or the splendid appearance of theenvoys, the crowds of lookers-on and venders of small wares, thebrilliant effect produced by the masses of spectators, who filled tooverflowing the space allotted to them, the eager suspense during theprogress of the games, and the never ending shouts of joy when thevictory was decided; the solemn investiture with the olive-branch,cut with a golden knife by the Elean boy, (whose parents must both beliving), from the sacred tree in the Altis planted so many centuries agoby Hercules himself; or lastly, the prolonged acclamations which,like peals of thunder, resounded in the Stadium, when Milo of Crotonaappeared, bearing on his shoulders the bronze statue of himself cast byDameas, and carried it through the Stadium into the Altis without oncetottering. The
weight of the metal would have crushed a bull to theearth: but borne by Milo it seemed like a child in the arms of itsLacedaemonian nurse.
"The highest honors (after Cimon's) were adjudged to a pair of Spartanbrothers, Lysander and Maro, the sons of Aristomachus. Maro was victorin the foot race, but Lysander presented himself, amidst the shouts ofthe spectators, as the opponent of Milo! Milo the invincible, victorat Pisa, and in the Pythian and Isthmian combats. Milo was taller andstouter than the Spartan, who was formed like Apollo, and seemed fromhis great youth scarcely to have passed from under the hands of theschoolmaster.
"In their naked beauty, glistening with the golden oil, the youthand the man stood opposite to one another, like a panther and a lionpreparing for the combat. Before the onset, the young Lysander raisedhis hands imploringly to the gods, crying: 'For my father, my honor,and the glory of Sparta!' The Crotonian looked down on the youth witha smile of superiority; just as an epicure looks at the shell of thelanguste he is preparing to open.
"And now the wrestling began. For some time neither could succeed ingrasping the other. The Crotonian threw almost irresistible weight intohis attempts to lay hold of his opponent, but the latter slipped throughthe iron grip like a snake. This struggle to gain a hold lasted long,and the immense multitude watched silently, breathless from excitement.Not a sound was to be heard but the groans of the wrestlers and thesinging of the nightingales in the grove of the Altis. At last, theyouth succeeded, by means of the cleverest trick I ever saw, in claspinghis opponent firmly. For a long time, Milo exerted all his strengthto shake him oft, but in vain, and the sand of the Stadium was freelymoistened by the great drops of sweat, the result of this Herculeanstruggle.
"More and more intense waxed the excitement of the spectators, deeperand deeper the silence, rarer the cries of encouragement, and louderthe groans of the wrestlers. At last Lysander's strength gave way.Immediately a thousand voices burst forth to cheer him on. He rousedhimself and made one last superhuman effort to throw his adversary:but it was too late. Milo had perceived the momentary weakness. Takingadvantage of it, he clasped the youth in a deadly embrace; a full blackstream of blood welled from Lysander's beautiful lips, and he sanklifeless to the earth from the wearied arms of the giant. Democedes, themost celebrated physician of our day, whom you Samians will have knownat the court of Polycrates, hastened to the spot, but no skill could nowavail the happy Lysander,--he was dead.
"Milo was obliged to forego the victor's wreath"; and the fame of thisyouth will long continue to sound through the whole of Greece.
[By the laws of the games the wrestler, whose adversary died, had no right to the prize of victory.]
I myself would rather be the dead Lysander, son of Aristomachus, thanthe living Kallias growing old in inaction away from his country.Greece, represented by her best and bravest, carried the youth to hisgrave, and his statue is to be placed in the Altis by those of Milo ofCrotona and Praxidamas of AEgina". At length the heralds proclaimed thesentence of the judges: 'To Sparta be awarded a victor's wreath for thedead, for the noble Lysander hath been vanquished, not by Milo, but byDeath, and he who could go forth unconquered from a two hours' strugglewith the strongest of all Greeks, hath well deserved the olive-branch.'"
Here Kallias stopped a moment in his narrative. During his animateddescription of these events, so precious to every Greek heart, he hadforgotten his listeners, and, gazing into vacancy, had seen only thefigures of the wrestlers as they rose before his remembrance. Now, onlooking round, he perceived, to his astonishment, that the grey-hairedman with the wooden leg, whom he had already noticed, though withoutrecognizing him, had hidden his face in his hands and was weeping.Rhodopis was standing at his right hand. Phanes at his left, and theother guests were gazing at the Spartan, as if he had been the hero ofKallias's tale. In a moment the quick Athenian perceived that the agedman must stand in some very near relation to one or other of the victorsat Olympia; but when he heard that he was Aristomachus-the father ofthat glorious pair of brothers, whose wondrous forms were constantlyhovering before his eyes like visions sent down from the abodes of thegods, then he too gazed on the sobbing old man with mingled envy andadmiration, and made no effort to restrain the tears which rushed intohis own eyes, usually so clear and keen. In those days men wept, as wellas women, hoping to gain relief from the balm of their own tears. Inwrath, in ecstasy of delight, in every deep inward anguish, we find themighty heroes weeping, while, on the other hand, the Spartan boys wouldsubmit to be scourged at the altar of Artemis Orthia, and would bleedand even die under the lash without uttering a moan, in order to obtainthe praise of the men.
For a time every one remained silent, out of respect to the old man'semotion. But at last the stillness was broken by Joshua the Jew, whobegan thus, in broken Greek:
"Weep thy fill, O man of Sparta! I also have known what it is to losea son. Eleven years have passed since I buried him in the land ofstrangers, by the waters of Babylon, where my people pined in captivity.Had yet one year been added unto the life of the beautiful child, hehad died in his own land, and had been buried in the sepulchres of hisfathers. But Cyrus the Persian (Jehovah bless his posterity!) releasedus from bondage one year too late, and therefore do I weep doubly forthis my son, in that he is buried among the enemies of my people Israel.Can there be an evil greater than to behold our children, who are untous as most precious treasure, go down into the grave before us? And, maythe Lord be gracious unto me, to lose so noble a son, in the dawn of hisearly manhood, just at the moment he had won such brilliant renown, mustindeed be a bitter grief, a grief beyond all others!"
Then the Spartan took away his hands from before his face; he waslooking stern, but smiled through his tears, and answered:
"Phoenician, you err! I weep not for anguish, but for joy, and wouldhave gladly lost my other son, if he could have died like my Lysander."
The Jew, horrified at these, to him, sinful and unnatural words, shookhis head disapprovingly; but the Greeks overwhelmed the old man withcongratulations, deeming him much to be envied. His great happinessmade Aristomachus look younger by many years, and he cried to Rhodopis:"Truly, my friend, your house is for me a house of blessing; for thisis the second gift that the gods have allowed to fall to my lot, sinceI entered it."--"What was the first?" asked Rhodopis. "A propitiousoracle."--"But," cried Phanes, "you have forgotten the third; on thisday the gods have blessed you with the acquaintance of Rhodopis. But,tell me, what is this about the oracle?"--"May I repeat it to ourfriends?" asked the Delphian.
Aristomachus nodded assent, and Phryxus read aloud a second time theanswer of the Pythia:
"If once the warrior hosts from the snow-topped mountains descending Come to the fields of the stream watering richly the plain, Then shall the lingering boat to the beckoning meadows convey thee Which to the wandering foot peace and a home will afford. When those warriors come from the snow-topped mountains descending Then will the powerful Five grant thee what they long refused."
Scarcely was the last word out of his mouth, when Kallias the Athenian,springing up, cried: "In this house, too, you shall receive from me thefourth gift of the gods. Know that I have kept my rarest news till last:the Persians are coming to Egypt!"
At this every one, except the Sybarite, rushed to his feet, and Kalliasfound it almost impossible to answer their numerous questions. "Gently,gently, friends," he cried at last; "let me tell my story in order, orI shall never finish it at all. It is not an army, as Phanes supposes,that is on its way hither, but a great embassy from Cambyses, thepresent ruler of the most powerful kingdom of Persia. At Samos I heardthat they had already reached Miletus, and in a few days they will behere. Some of the king's own relations, are among the number, the agedCroesus, king of Lydia, too; we shall behold a marvellous splendorand magnificence! Nobody knows the object of their coming, but it issupposed that King Cambyses wishes to conclude an alliance with Amasis;indeed some say the king solicits the hand of Pharaoh's daughter."
"An alliance?" asked Phanes, with an incredulous shrug of the shoulders."Why the Persians are rulers over half the world already. All thegreat Asiatic powers have submitted to their sceptre; Egypt and our ownmother-country, Hellas, are the only two that have been shared by theconqueror."
"You forget India with its wealth of gold, and the great migratorynations of Asia," answered Kallias. "And you forget moreover, thatan empire, composed like Persia of some seventy nations or tribes ofdifferent languages and customs, bears the seeds of discord ever withinitself, and must therefore guard against the chance of foreign attack;lest, while the bulk of the army be absent, single provinces shouldseize the opportunity and revolt from their allegiance. Ask theMilesians how long they would remain quiet if they heard that theiroppressors had been defeated in any battle?"
Theopompus, the Milesian merchant, called out, laughing at the sametime: "If the Persians were to be worsted in one war, they would at oncebe involved in a hundred others, and we should not be the last to riseup against our tyrants in the hour of their weakness!"
"Whatever the intentions of the envoys may be," continued Kallias, "myinformation remains unaltered; they will be here at the latest in threedays."
"And so your oracle will be fulfilled, fortunate Aristomachus!"exclaimed Rhodopis, "for see, the warrior hosts can only be thePersians. When they descend to the shores of the Nile, then the powerfulFive,' your Ephori, will change their decision, and you, the father oftwo Olympian victors, will be recalled to your native land.
[The five Ephori of Sparta were appointed to represent the absent kings during the Messenian war. In later days the nobles made use of the Ephori as a power, which, springing immediately from their own body, they could oppose to the kingly authority. Being the highest magistrates in all judicial and educational matters, and in everything relating to the moral police of the country, the Ephori soon found means to assert their superiority, and on most occasions over that of the kings themselves. Every patrician who was past the age of thirty, had the right to become a candidate yearly for the office. Aristot. Potit, II. and IV. Laert. Diog. I. 68.]
"Fill the goblets again, Knakias. Let us devote this last cup to themanes of the glorious Lysander; and then I advise you to depart, for itis long past midnight, and our pleasure has reached its highest point.The true host puts an end to the banquet when his guests are feelingat their best. Serene and agreeable recollections will soon bring youhither again; whereas there would be little joy in returning to a housewhere the remembrance of hours of weakness, the result of pleasure,would mingle with your future enjoyment." In this her guests agreed,and Ibykus named her a thorough disciple of Pythagoras, in praise of thejoyous, festive evening.
Every one prepared for departure. The Sybarite, who had been drinkingdeeply in order to counteract the very inconvenient amount of feelingexcited by the conversation, rose also, assisted by his slaves, who hadto be called in for this purpose.
While he was being moved from his former comfortable position, hestammered something about a "breach of hospitality;" but, whenRhodopis was about to give him her hand at parting, the wine gained theascendancy and he exclaimed, "By Hercules, Rhodopis, you get rid ofus as if we were troublesome creditors. It is not my custom to leave asupper so long as I can stand, still less to be turned out of doors likea miserable parasite!"
"Hear reason, you immoderate Sybarite," began Rhodopis, endeavoringwith a smile to excuse her proceeding. But these words, in Philoinus'half-intoxicated mood, only increased his irritation; he burst into amocking laugh, and staggering towards the door, shouted: "ImmoderateSybarite, you call me? good! here you have your answer: Shamelessslave! one can still perceive the traces of what you were in your youth.Farewell then, slave of Iadmon and Xanthus, freedwoman of Charaxus!"He had not however finished his sentence, when Aristomachus rushed uponhim, stunned him with a blow of his fist, and carried him off likea child down to the boat in which his slaves were waiting at thegarden-gate.