CRASSUS.docx
- 文档编号:24136925
- 上传时间:2023-05-24
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:51
- 大小:48.43KB
CRASSUS.docx
《CRASSUS.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《CRASSUS.docx(51页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
CRASSUS
75AD
CRASSUS
115?
-53B.C.
byPlutarch
translatedbyJohnDryden
MARCUSCRASSUS,whosefatherhadbornetheofficeofacensor,and
receivedthehonourofatriumph,waseducatedinalittlehouse
togetherwithhistwobrothers,whobothmarriedintheirparents'
lifetime;theykeptbutonetableamongstthem;allwhich,perhaps,
wasnottheleastreasonofhisowntemperanceandmoderationindiet.
Oneofhisbrothersdying,hemarriedhiswidow,bywhomhehadhis
children;neitherwasthereintheserespectsanyoftheRomanswho
livedamoreorderlylifethanhedid,thoughlaterinlifehewas
suspectedtohavebeentoofamiliarwithoneofthevestalvirgins,
namedLicinia,whowas,nevertheless,acquitted,uponanimpeachment
broughtagainstherbyonePlotinus.Liciniastoodpossessedofa
beautifulpropertyinthesuburbs,whichCrassusdesiringto
purchaseatalowprice,forthisreasonwasfrequentinhis
attentionstoher,whichgaveoccasiontothescandal,andhis
avarice,sotosay,servingtoclearhimofthecrime,hewas
acquitted.Nordidheleavetheladytillhehadgottheestate.
PeoplewerewonttosaythatthemanyvirtuesofCrassuswere
darkenedbytheoneviceofavarice,andindeedheseemedtohaveno
otherbutthat;foritbeingthemostpredominant,obscuredothers
towhichhewasinclined.Theargumentsinproofofhisavaricewere
thevastnessofhisestate,andthemannerofraisingit;for
whereasatfirsthewasnotworthabovethreehundredtalents,yet,
thoughinthecourseofhispoliticallifehededicatedthetenthof
allhehadtoHercules,andfeastedthepeople,andgavetoevery
citizencornenoughtoservehimthreemonths,uponcastinguphis
accounts,beforehewentuponhisParthianexpedition,hefoundhis
possessionstoamounttoseventhousandonehundredtalents;mostof
which,ifwemayscandalhimwithatruth,hegotbyfireand
rapine,makinghisadvantagesofthepubliccalamities.ForwhenSylla
seizedthecity,andexposedtosalethegoodsofthosethathehad
causedtobeslain,accountingthembootyandspoils,and,indeed,
callingthemsotoo,andwasdesirousofmakingasmany,andas
eminentmenashecould,partakersinthecrime,Crassusneverwasthe
manthatrefusedtoaccept,orgivemoneyforthem.Moreover,
observinghowextremelysubjectthecitywastofireandfalling
downofhouses,byreasonoftheirheightandtheirstandingsonear
together,heboughtslavesthatwerebuildersandarchitects,andwhen
hehadcollectedthesetothenumberofmorethanfivehundred,he
madeithispracticetobuyhousesthatwereonfire,andthoseinthe
neighbourhood,which,intheimmediatedangeranduncertaintythe
proprietorswerewillingtopartwithforlittleornothing,sothat
thegreatestpartofRome,atonetimeorother,cameintohis
hands.Yetforallhehadsomanyworkmen,heneverbuiltanythingbut
hisownhouse,andusedtosaythatthosethatwereaddictedto
buildingwouldundothemselvessoonenoughwithoutthehelpofother
enemies.Andthoughhehadmanysilvermines,andmuchvaluable
land,andlabourerstoworkinit,yetallthiswasnothingin
comparisonofhisslaves,suchanumberandvarietydidhepossess
ofexcellentreaders,amanuenses,silversmiths,stewardsand
table-waiters,whoseinstructionhealwaysattendedtohimself,
superintendinginpersons,whiletheylearned,andteachingthem
himself,accountingitthemaindutyofamastertolookoverthe
servantsthatare,indeed,thelivingtoolsofhousekeeping;andin
this,indeed,hewasintheright,inthinking,thatis,asheusedto
say,thatservantsoughttolookafterallotherthings,andthe
masterafterthem.Foreconomy,whichinthingsinanimateisbut
money-making,whenexercisedovermenbecomespolicy.Butitwas
surelyamistakenjudgment,whenhesaidnomanwastobeaccounted
richthatcouldnotmaintainanarmyathisowncostandcharges,
forwar,asArchidamuswellobserved,isnotfedatafixedallowance,
sothatthereisnosayingwhatwealthsufficesforit,and
certainlyitwasoneveryfarremovedfromthatofMarius;forwhenhe
haddistributedfourteenacresoflandaman,andunderstoodthatsome
desiredmore,"Godforbid,"saidhe,"thatanyRomanshouldthinkthat
toolittlewhichisenoughtokeephimaliveandwell."
Crassus,however,wasveryeagertobehospitabletostrangers;he
keptopenhouse,andtohisfriendshewouldlendmoneywithout
interest,butcalleditinpreciselyatthetime;sothathiskindness
wasoftenthoughtworsethanthepayingtheinterestwouldhave
been.Hisentertainmentswere,forthemostpart,plainand
citizen-like,thecompanygeneralandpopular;goodtasteandkindness
madethempleasanterthansumptuositywouldhavedone.Asforlearning
hechieflycaredforrhetoric,andwhatwouldbeserviceablewith
largenumbers;hebecameoneofthebestspeakersatRome,andby
hispainsandindustryoutdidthebestnaturalorators.Forthere
wasnotrialhowmeanandcontemptiblesoeverthathecameto
unprepared;nay,severaltimesheundertookandconcludedacausewhen
PompeyandCaesarandCicerorefusedtostandup,uponwhichaccount
particularlyhegottheloveofthepeople,wholookeduponhimasa
diligentandcarefulman,readytohelpandsuccourhisfellow
citizens.Besides,thepeoplewerepleasedwithhiscourteousand
unpretendingsalutationsandgreetings,forhenevermetanycitizen
howeverhumbleandlow,buthereturnedhimhissalutebyname.Hewas
lookeduponasamanwell-readinhistory,andprettywellversedin
Aristotle'sphilosophy,inwhichoneAlexanderinstructedhim,aman
whoseintercoursewithCrassusgaveasufficientproofofhisgood
natureandgentledisposition;foritishardtosaywhetherhewas
poorerwhenheenteredintohisservice,orwhilehecontinuedin
it;forbeinghisonlyfriendthatusedtoaccompanyhimwhen
travelling,heusedtoreceivefromhimacloakforthejourney,and
whenhecamehomehaditdemandedfromhimagain;poor,patient
sufferer,wheneventhephilosophyheprofesseddidnotlookupon
povertyasathingindifferent.Butofthishereafter.
WhenCinnaandMariusgotthepowerintheirhandsitwassoon
perceivedthattheyhadnotcomebackforanygoodtheyintendedto
theircountry,buttoeffecttheruinandutterdestructionofthe
nobility.Andasmanyastheycouldlaytheirhandsontheyslew,
amongstwhomwereCrassus'sfatherandbrother;hehimself,beingvery
young,forthemomentescapedthedanger;butunderstandingthathe
waseverywaybesetandhuntedafterbythetyrants,takingwithhim
threefriendsandtenservants,withallpossiblespeedhefledinto
Spain,havingformerlybeenthereandsecuredagreatnumberof
friends,whilehisfatherwaspraetorofthatcountry.Butfindingall
peopleinaconsternation,andtremblingatthecrueltyofMarius,
asifhewasalreadystandingovertheminperson,hedurstnot
discoverhimselftoanybody,buthidhimselfinalargecavewhichwas
bytheseashore,andbelongedtoVibiusPacianus,towhomhesent
oneofhisservantstosoundhim,hisprovisions,also,beginningto
fail.Vibiuswaswellpleasedathisescape,andinquiringtheplace
ofhisabodeandthenumberofhiscompanions,hewentnottohim
himself,butcommandedhisstewardtoprovideeverydayagood
meal'smeat,andcarryitandleaveitnearsucharock,andtoreturn
withouttakinganyfurthernoticeorbeinginquisitive,promising
himhislibertyifhedidashecommandedandthathewouldkillhim
ifheintermeddled.Thecaveisnotfarfromthesea;asmalland
insignificantlookingopeninginthecliffsconductsyouin;when
youareentered,awonderfullyhighroofspreadsaboveyou,and
largechambersopenoutonebeyondanother,nordoesitlackeither
waterorlight,foraverypleasantandwholesomespringrunsatthe
footofthecliffs,andnaturalchinks,inthemostadvantageous
place,letinthelightalldaylong,andthethicknessoftherock
makestheairwithinpureandclear,allthewetandmoisturebeing
carriedoffintothespring.
WhileCrassusremainedhere,thestewardbroughtthemwhatwas
necessary,butneversawthem,norknewanythingofthematter,though
theywithinsaw,andexpectedhimatthecustomarytimes.Neither
wastheirentertainmentsuchasjusttokeepthemalive,butgiven
theminabundanceandfortheirenjoyment;forPacianusresolvedto
treathimwithallimaginablekindness,andconsideringthathewas
ayoungman,thoughtitwelltogratifyalittlehisyouthful
inclinations;fortogivejustwhatisneedfulseemsrathertocome
fromnecessitythanfromaheartyfriendship.Oncetakingwithhimtwo
femaleservants,heshowedthemtheplaceandbadethemgoin
boldly,whomwhenCrassusandhisfriendssaw,theywereafraidof
beingbetrayedanddemandedwhattheywere,andwhattheywould
have.They,accordingastheywereinstructed,answered,theycame
towaitupontheirmaster,whowashidinthatcave.AndsoCrassus
perceivingitwasapieceofpleasantryandofgood-willonthepart
ofVibius,tooktheminandkeptthemtherewithhimaslongashe
stayed,andemployedthemtogiveinformationtoVibiusofwhatthey
wanted,andhowtheywere.Fenestellasayshesawoneofthem,then
veryold,andoftenheardherspeakofthetimeandrepeatthestory
withpleasure.
AfterCrassushadlainconcealedthereeightmonths,onhearingthat
Cinnawasdead,heappearedabroad,andagreatnumberofpeople
flockingtohim,outofwhomheselectedabodyoftwothousandfive
hundred,hevisitedmanycities,and,assomewrite,sackedMalaca,
whichhehimself,however,alwaysdenie
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- CRASSUS