The Story of Greece and Rome for boys and girls
- Автор: Macgregor Mary
- Год: 1914
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Зарубежная литература для детей
Электронная книга - «The Story of Greece and Rome for boys and girls». Краткое содержание книги:
The Story of Greece: Told to Boys and Girls от Mary Macgregor
The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told to Boys and Girls от Mary Esther Miller MacGregor
Already the long day had tried them sorely, and the knock filled them with foreboding.
When the door was opened their hearts beat quicker, for there stood a soldier who bade Charon come to the banqueting hall without delay.
Had Charon betrayed them? The exiles looked uncertainly one at the other. Then they grew ashamed of their distrust and bade their host hasten to Archias to allay his suspicions, if indeed they had been aroused.
Charon was brave and true and he knew that the lives of the seven men were in his hand. He hoped that they trusted him, yet he wished to dispel any doubt that they might have. So he hastened to the nursery of his little son, and carrying the child to Pelopidas, he placed him in his arms, saying, ‘If you find me a traitor, treat the boy as an enemy without any mercy.’
But the exiles protested, and truly, that they trusted him well and needed no such hostage, while Pelopidas bade him take the child back to his nurse.
Then Charon, staying only to ask the help of the gods, hastened to the banqueting hall.
Archias and his secretary were awaiting him, and Archias said, ‘I have heard, Charon, that there are some men just come lurking into the town. We fear lest they have come to stir up the citizens.’
‘Who are they? Where are they hidden?’ asked Charon. For he wished to find out how much Archias knew.
But Archias knew nothing. It was but a rumour that had reached him.
‘Do not disturb yourself because of a rumour,’ said Charon, who had now no fear of discovery. ‘There are many tales told in the market-place. But I will find out if there is truth in what you have heard.’
Archias was glad to leave the matter to Charon, for he was impatient to go back to the feast. So Charon hastened back to his house to tell Pelopidas and his comrades that their fears were needless, for Archias suspected nothing.
But although Charon did not know it, a letter was at that moment being placed in the hands of Archias that might easily have ruined both him and the conspirators. For it told Archias the whole plot, as well as the names of those who were to take part in it.
The letter had been sent from Athens, and as the messenger handed it to the Spartan governor, he said, ‘The writer of this desired that it might be read at once; it is on urgent business.’
But Archias could think of nothing that night save the banquet and the beautiful Theban women, who should now soon arrive.
Thrusting the letter unopened under the cushion on which his head rested, Archias cried, a smile upon his face, ‘Urgent business to-morrow.’ And these words were ever after used as a proverb by the Greeks.
The conspirators had now reached the hall. Their beautiful dresses were wide and loose, for beneath their splendour they wore armour. On their heads were garlands of pine and fir, so that their faces might not be seen.
Archias and his guests clapped their hands gleefully. Here at last were the beautiful Theban women whose presence Phyllidas had promised should grace the banquet.
But in a moment the conspirators had torn off their disguise. Archias and Philippus were slain almost before they had time to realise their danger, while the guests who had rushed to their aid were also put to death.
Pelopidas and his comrades then hastened to the house of Leontiades. But he heard them knocking at the door, and when they rushed into his room a few seconds later, he met them with his sword drawn, and slew the first man who entered.
A terrible struggle then took place between Leontiades and Pelopidas, but at length the traitor was wounded to death.
The conspirators then ran to the prison, ordered the gates to be opened, and the prisoners to be set free and armed, for their only crime had been loyalty to their city.
As day began to dawn, troops from Athens poured into the city to help the Thebans. The Spartans fought fiercely, but after a few days the garrison was forced to surrender, and once again Thebes was free.
The grateful citizens then assembled in the market-place, where the priests crowned Pelopidas and Charon, while the people appointed them governors of the city.
CHAPTER LXXXII
THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA
Thebes had always been a dull, unambitious, little town, but now her ambition awoke. She was not content only to be free, she wished to become the most important town in Bœotia.
And there was one of her citizens who was so great a soldier and so wise a statesman, that he was able to do for Thebes more than she dreamed. Epaminondas not only made Thebes the chief city in Bœotia, but several years later, he conquered the Spartans, and so made her the most important town in Greece.
Pelopidas, too, fought for the glory of his country. He became the captain of a band of three hundred young Thebans, who had sworn to defend their city with their lives.
These three hundred soldiers, more strictly trained than other youths, were named the Sacred Band, because each member was a friend to the other. As they had sworn to defend their city so they had promised to stand by one another unto death.
After many victories, of which you will read, the Sacred Band fell on the battlefield. Even their conqueror, as he looked upon them shed tears, saying, ‘Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered anything that was base!’
For two years after Thebes won back her freedom, Sparta never ceased to try to wrench it from her. But at the end of two years she was forced to leave the Thebans alone, for all her soldiers were needed to fight against the Athenians, who had once more declared war against their ancient foe.
While the Spartans and the Athenians waged war one against the other Epaminondas was not idle, for he subdued the Bœotian cities which had dared to help Sparta while Thebes was in her power.
Pelopidas, too, won a great victory in 375 B.C. against the Spartans at Orchomenus. He had with him only the Sacred Band and a small company of cavalry when he found himself unawares facing a large Spartan army.
‘We are fallen into the midst of the enemy,’ cried one of the Band. ‘Why so, more than they into the midst of us?’ said Pelopidas.
The rare confidence of their captain inspired the Band to fight even more valiantly than usual, and to win a great victory over the large army of the Spartans.
This victory encouraged the Thebans so much that in the following year they succeeded in banishing the Spartans from Bœotia.
Thebes was now at the head of the Bœotian Confederacy, just as Sparta was ruler of the Laconian Confederacy. Four years later, in 371 B.C., the Greek States met to arrange terms of peace among themselves.
It was agreed that each city should be treated as independent. But when Agesilaus, king of Sparta, rose to take the oath, he took it not alone for his own city, but for the cities that belonged to her allies as well.
Epaminondas sprang to his feet to remonstrate, saying that if Agesilaus was allowed to take the oath for the allied cities, he too must be permitted to take it for all the cities of Bœotia.
The Spartan king, angry with the bold demand of the Theban, taunted him with taking away the liberty of the Bœotian cities.
‘And what do you do with the liberty of the cities of Laconia?’ retorted Epaminondas.
Agesilaus was astonished at what he considered the insolence of the Theban. In a rage he snatched up the treaty of peace, struck out the name of Thebes, crying that if the Thebans wished war they should have it. The other cities signed the treaty, so Sparta and Thebes were left to settle their quarrel alone.
Epaminondas hastened back to Thebes, where he was at once chosen general of the Theban army.
Without delay he set out to secure a pass by which he thought the Spartans would attempt to enter Bœotia.
But the Spartans, led by Cleombrotus, one of their kings, did not try to enter by the pass. Finding a narrow mountain track, they succeeded in eluding Epaminondas, and marching within eight miles of Thebes.