2023年7月27日发(作者：)

命运的尖矛 —— 阿提斯之死

由于吕底亚国王克洛伊斯的骄傲，上帝对他进行了惩罚，夺走了他心爱的儿子阿提斯。

标签： history herodotus

1.34 梭伦离开后，上帝给了克洛伊斯一个大大的报复，可能是因为他太自以为是，认为他是天下最幸福的人。首先他做了一个梦，在梦里他见到了将要发生在他儿子身上的厄运。当时克利萨斯有两个儿子，其中一个有缺陷，是个聋哑人，而另外一个则在所有方面都远远超过了其他所有的同龄伙伴，他的名字叫阿提斯。在梦里克洛伊斯见到阿提斯被铁矛的矛尖刺中。当他从睡眠醒来，独自回想起梦里的景象，不由得为此感到恐惧；于是他急忙为他的儿子娶了妻子；他的儿子一直希望能带领吕底亚人的军队作战，但克洛伊斯现在再也不给他任何机会去做这种事情。而且他还把宫里的标枪和长矛等武器都收到自己的内卧房中，以免挂在外面，可能会落在他的儿子身上。

1.35 在他张罗儿子的婚姻期间，有一名出身于弗里吉亚王室家庭的男子来到萨第斯。此人交了厄运并且杀了人。他来到克洛伊斯的宫里，按照当地的常见习俗，请求清洗自己的罪恶；克洛伊斯给他做了清洗。吕底亚人之间的清洗方式和希腊人使用的方式几乎是相同的。当克洛伊斯按照习俗这样做了之后，他开始询问这个人的姓名与来历。他说：“你是谁？你从弗里吉亚的什么地方来到我的家里？你杀死的是哪个人？”那人回答说：“国王陛下，我是戈迪阿斯的儿子，弥达斯的孙子，我的名字叫阿德拉斯托斯; 我失手杀死了我自己的兄弟，所以被父亲驱逐出家门，剥夺了财产，因此才来到这里。” 克洛伊斯对他这样说：“真是巧合，你是我们的朋友的后人，你现在是来到了朋友之间。只要你待在我们这里，我们就不会对你要求什么。而你自己应该对身上的厄运看得越轻越好，因为这样对你才有好处。”于是，他就留在了克洛伊斯身边。 1.36 在此期间，米西亚的奥林巴斯山上出现了一头可怕的大野猪。它常常从山上下来，糟蹋米西亚人的田地，虽然米西亚人经常去抓它，但他们非但伤害不了它，反而每次都是自己被它伤害到。所以后来米西亚人派信使来对克洛伊斯说：“国王陛下，我们的土地上有一只可怕的大野猪，它毁坏我们的田地，而我们虽然渴望要捉到它，却一直无法做到：因此现在我们请求您派出您的儿子，并挑选出一些年轻人，带着猎狗，帮我们把它从我们的地里消灭掉。”他们提出如此的请求之后，克洛伊斯头脑里想起梦里的预言，于是对他们这样说道：“关于我的儿子，在这个事情上不要再提到他，因为我不会派他跟你们去。他现在还是新婚，要操心婚姻的事情。但我会挑选一些吕底亚人，并派我所有的猎犬跟你们走，我会命令那些去的人尽最大努力杀掉你们土地上的那头野兽。”

1.37 他作出这样的答复后，米西亚人对此很满意，但这时克洛伊斯的儿子走了进来。他听到了米西亚人的请求，也听到克洛伊斯说他不会派自己去。这个年轻人对他父亲说：“我的父王，过去的时候，我们总是承担最公平和最崇高的那部分义务，不断地外出征战与狩猎，因此获得良好的声誉。但现在，尽管你并没有从我身上看到任何懦弱或胆怯的表现，你却禁止我再去这么做。我还有什么脸面再往返于都城的集市上？人们会觉得我是什么样的一个人呢？我的新婚妻子又会觉得我是什么样的一个人呢？她会觉得自己嫁给了一个什么样的丈夫呢？因此，要么请让我去打猎，要么请用道理说服我，让我知道您现在对我做的这些事情对我更有好处。”

1.38 克洛伊斯这样回答道：“我的儿子，我这么做，不是因为我在你身上发现了任何怯懦或其他无礼的事情，而是因为我做了一个梦，它说你会早夭，死于铁矛的矛尖。就是因为这个，我才催促你结婚，并且拒绝派遣你去处理打猎这件事情。正是因为爱护你，因此我才想尽我所有可能的手段，把你从厄运下挽救回来，至少在我的有生之年不要见到它。因为你实际上就是我唯一的儿子。至于另外那个，因为他听觉上的缺陷，我不把他当做儿子看待。”

1.39 他儿子回答道：“我的父王，您做了那样的梦之后，对我照顾有加，这当然情有可原。但请听我对您解释您对梦境的含意没有理解到的地方。您的梦里说我要命丧铁矛的矛尖，可是野猪哪里有手？它又怎能拿起铁矛？您对此有什么好害怕的呢？如果梦告诉你，我应该丧命于獠牙，或任何其他类似的东西，那你做出的安排无疑将是正确的。但是它说的却是„矛尖‟。既然我们不是要去和人作战，请您同意让我去吧。”

1.40 克洛伊斯回答说：“我的儿子，你对我梦境的判断，的确部分地说服了我。因此，既然被你说服，我就改变我的决定，同意你去打猎吧。”

1.41 这样说完之后，克洛伊斯召来弗里吉亚人阿德拉斯托斯。他来了之后，克洛伊斯这样对他吩咐道：“阿德拉斯托斯，当你厄运临头时（我并没有为此惩罚你），我洗清了你的罪责，并且把你收留在我家，提供你的所有开销。既然你接受了我的善意，那么现在到了你报答我的时候。因为我儿子要去打猎，我请求你作为他的保护人，不要让任何盗匪在路上伤害到你们。而你也可以到那里用自己的行动博得名声。你本来可以从你父辈那里继承下来这样的名声，你完全有能力做到这一点。”

1.42 阿德拉斯托斯回答说：“国王陛下，正是因为如此，我本不应该去参与这样的比赛勇气的活动。因为第一，像我这样一个已遭受巨大不幸的人，不应该再去与风华正茂的人为伍；其次，我本人也没有这样做的愿望。出于各种原因，我都应该让自己远离此事。但是现在，既然您催促我去，而我也理应满足您的请求（因为我有义务报答您的好意），我准备这样做：您既然把儿子交给我保护，我就会尽自己所能保证他的安全，让他毫发无损地返回家里。请您放心。”

1.43 当他用这样的话回答了克洛伊斯之后，他们就安排好人员和猎狗，动身出发了。他们来到奥林巴斯山跟踪野猪的踪迹。找到它之后，他们围成一个圆圈把它包围之后，并向它投掷长矛。此时，那个犯了杀人罪并被洗脱了罪名的外来客人阿德拉斯托斯，也向那头野猪扔出了手里的标枪，但是没有击中它，却刺中了克洛伊斯的儿子。于是应验了梦里所说的他被矛尖击中的预言。有一个人跑回去向克洛伊斯报告事情的经过。回到萨第斯之后，他告诉了克洛伊斯关于狩猎的情形，以及他儿子的命运。克洛伊斯为了儿子的死亡而深感不安，并且心中充满悲伤的怨气，因为杀死了他儿子的，正是那个曾犯下杀人罪，却被他自己洗脱了罪恶的男人。沉浸在巨大不幸之中的他，向宙斯这个洗罪之神发出恳求，向他讲述自己从客人那里受到的打击，而且他还把宙斯称为护佑央告之神和保护友谊之神，向他发出恳求。他之所以把宙斯作为护佑央告之神来恳求，是因为当他接受那个凶手的央告，把他作为客人接纳到自家中时，他实际是在接济杀害自己儿子的人；而把他作为保护友谊之神来恳求，是因为他出于相信他的友谊而把凶手作为保 护人派去，却没想到那是他最坏的敌人。

1.45 后来吕底亚人带着尸体回来了，那个杀人者走在最后面。他站在尸体之前，把自己交给克洛伊斯发落。他伸出自己的双手，恳求国王把自己当场杀死。他说起自己以前的厄运，并说他现在又毁掉了清洗他罪恶的人，他自己的生命已不再值得活下去了。尽管克洛伊斯本人承受着如此之大的厄运，但他听到这些话之后，却可怜起阿德拉斯托斯来。克洛伊斯对他说：“客人，我已经从你那里得到了应有的满足，因为我看到你谴责你自己，并且愿意受死。但这个厄运不是你单独造成的，它只不过是借用了你的手，而你并不是故意要那么做。因为天上的某些神灵早已告诉我说这事将会 发生。”于是克洛伊斯按照相应的规矩安葬了自己的儿子。当人们在坟墓周围沉默下来之后，阿德拉斯托斯——戈迪阿斯的儿子，弥达斯的孙子，以前他杀死了自己兄弟，现在又杀死了为自己洗脱罪恶之人的儿子——发现自己是他认识的所有人里面最不幸的一个，于是他就在坟墓前自杀身亡了。

The death of Atys, son of Croesus'

34. After Solon had departed, a great retribution from God came uponCroesus, probably because he

judged himself to be the happiest of allmen. First there came and stood by him a dream, which showed to

him thetruth of the evils that were about to come to pass in respect of hisson. Now Croesus had two sons,

of whom one was deficient, seeing that hewas deaf and dumb, while the other far surpassed his

companions of thesame age in all things: and the name of this last was Atys. As regardsthis Atys then, the

dream signified to Croesus that he should lose him bythe blow of an iron spear-point: 35 and when he

rose up from sleep andconsidered the matter with himself, he was struck with fear on accountof the

dream; and first he took for his son a wife; and whereas his sonhad been wont to lead the armies of the

Lydians, he now no longer senthim forth anywhere on any such business; and the javelins and lances

andall such things which men use for fighting he conveyed out of the men'sapartments and piled them up

in the inner bed-chambers, for fear lestsomething hanging up might fall down upon his son.

35. Then while he wasengaged about the marriage of his son, there came to Sardis a man undera

misfortune and with hands not clean, a Phrygian by birth and of theroyal house. This man came to the

house of Croesus, and according to the customs which prevail in that land made request that he might

havecleansing; and Croesus gave him cleansing: now the manner of cleansing among the Lydians is the

same almost as that which the Hellenes use. Sowhen Croesus had done that which was customary, he

asked of him whence he came and who he was, saying as follows: "Man, who art thou, and from what

region of Phrygia didst thou come to sit upon my hearth? And whom of men or women didst thou slay?"

And he replied: "O king, I am the son of Gordias, the son of Midas, and I am called Adrastos; and I slew

my own brother against my will, and therefore am I here, having been driven forth by my father and

deprived of all that I had." And Croesus answeredthus: "Thou art, as it chances, the offshoot of men who

are our friendsand thou hast come to friends, among whom thou shalt want of nothing solong as thou shalt remain in our land: and thou wilt find it most forthy profit to bear this misfortune as lightly as may

be." So he had hisabode with Croesus. 36

36. During this time there was produced in the Mysian Olympos a boar ofmonstrous size. This, coming

down from the mountain aforesaid, ravagedthe fields of the Mysians, and although the Mysians went out

against itoften, yet they could do it no hurt, but rather received hurt themselvesfrom it; so at length

messengers came from the Mysians to Croesus andsaid: "O king, there has appeared in our land a boar of

monstrous size,which lays waste our fields; and we, desiring eagerly to take it, arenot able: now therefore

we ask of thee to send with us thy son and alsoa chosen band of young men with dogs, that we may

destroy it out of ourland." Thus they made request, and Croesus calling to mind the words ofthe dream

spoke to them as follows: "As touching my son, make no furthermention of him in this matter; for I will

not send him with you, seeingthat he is newly married and is concerned now with the affairs of

hismarriage: but I will send with you chosen men of the Lydians and thewhole number of my hunting dogs,

and I will give command to those whogo, to be as zealous as may be in helping you to destroy the wild

beastout of your land."

37. Thus he made reply, and while the Mysians were being contented withthis answer, there came in also

the son of Croesus, having heard of therequest made by the Mysians: and when Croesus said that he

would not sendhis son with them, the young man spoke as follows: "My father, in timespast the fairest

and most noble part was allotted to us, to go outcontinually to wars and to the chase and so have good

repute; butnow thou hast debarred me from both of these, although thou hast notobserved in me any

cowardly or faint-hearted spirit. And now with whatface must I appear when I go to and from the

market-place of the city?What kind of a man shall I be esteemed by the citizens, and what kind ofa man

shall I be esteemed by my newly-married wife? With what kind of ahusband will she think that she is

mated? Therefore either let me go tothe hunt, or persuade me by reason that these things are better for

medone as now they are."

38. And Croesus made answer thus: "My son, notbecause I have observed in thee any spirit of cowardice

or any otherungracious thing, do I act thus; but a vision of a dream came and stoodby me in my sleep and

told me that thou shouldest be short-lived, andthat thou shouldest perish by a spear-point of iron. With

thought ofthis vision therefore I both urged on this marriage for thee, and Irefuse now to send thee upon

the matter which is being taken in hand,having a care of thee that I may steal thee from thy fate at least

forthe period of my own life, if by any means possible for me to do so. Forthou art, as it chances, my only

son: the other I do not reckon as one,seeing that he is deficient in hearing."

39. The young man made answerthus: "It may well be forgiven in thee, O my father, that thou

shouldesthave a care of me after having seen such a vision; but that which thoudost not understand, and

in which the meaning of the dream has escapedthee, it is right that I should expound to thee. Thou sayest

the dreamdeclared that I should end my life by means of a spear-point of iron:but what hands has a boar,

or what spear-point of iron, of which thouart afraid? If the dream had told thee that I should end my life

by atusk, or any other thing which resembles that, it would be right forthee doubtless to do as thou art

doing; but it said 'by a spear-point.'Since therefore our fight will not be with men, let me now go."

s made answer: "My son, thou dost partly prevail with me bydeclaring thy judgment about the

dream; therefore, having been prevailedupon by thee, I change my resolution and allow thee to go to the

chase." 41. Having thus said Croesus went to summon Adrastos the Phrygian; andwhen he came, he addressed

him thus: "Adrastos, when thou wast struckwith a grievous misfortune (with which I reproach thee not), I

cleansedthee, and I have received thee into my house supplying all thy therefore, since having

first received kindness from me thou artbound to requite me with kindness, I ask of thee to be the

protector ofmy son who goes forth to the chase, lest any evil robbers come uponyou by the way to do you

harm; and besides this thou too oughtest to gowhere thou mayest become famous by thy deeds, for it

belongs to theeas an inheritance from thy fathers so to do, and moreover thou haststrength for it."

42. Adrastos made answer: "O king, but for this Ishould not have been going to any such contest of valour;

for first itis not fitting that one who is suffering such a great misfortune asmine should seek the company

of his fellows who are in prosperity, andsecondly I have no desire for it; and for many reasons I should

havekept myself away. But now, since thou art urgent with me, and I ought togratify thee (for I am bound

to requite thee with kindness), I am readyto do this: expect therefore that thy son, whom thou

commandest me toprotect, will return home to thee unhurt, so far as his protector mayavail to keep him

safe."

43. When he had made answer to Croesus in wordslike these, they afterwards set forth provided with

chosen young men andwith dogs. And when they were come to Mount Olympos, they tracked theanimal;

and having found it and taken their stand round in a circle,they were hurling against it their spears. Then

the guest, he who had been cleansed of manslaughter, whose name was Adrastos, hurling a spear at it

missed the boar and struck the son of Croesus. So he being struck by the spear-point fulfilled the saying of

the dream. And one ran to report to Croesus that which had come to pass, and having come to Sardis he

signified to him of the combat and of the fate of his son. And Croesus was very greatly disturbed by the

death of his son, and was much the more moved to complaining by this, namely that his son was slain by

the man whom he had himself cleansed of manslaughter. And being grievously troubled by the misfortune

he called upon Zeus the Cleanser,protesting to him that which he had suffered from his guest, and he

called moreover upon the Protector of Suppliants 37 and the Guardian of Friendship, 38 naming still the

same god, and calling upon him as the Protector of Suppliants because when he received the guest into

his house he had been fostering ignorantly the slayer of his son, and as the Guardian of Friendship

because having sent him as a protector he had found him the worst of foes.

45. After this the Lydians came bearingthe corpse, and behind it followed the slayer: and he taking his

standbefore the corpse delivered himself up to Croesus, holding forth hishands and bidding the king slay

him over the corpse, speaking of hisformer misfortune and saying that in addition to this he had now

beenthe destroyer of the man who had cleansed him of it; and that life forhim was no more worth living.

But Croesus hearing this pitied Adrastos,although he was himself suffering so great an evil of his own, and

saidto him: "Guest, I have already received from thee all the satisfactionthat is due, seeing that thou dost

condemn thyself to suffer death; andnot thou alone art the cause of this evil, except in so far as thou

wertthe instrument of it against thine own will, but some one, as I suppose,of the gods, who also long ago

signified to me that which was about tobe." So Croesus buried his son as was fitting: but Adrastos the son

ofGordias, the son of Midas, he who had been the slayer of his own brotherand the slayer also of the man

who had cleansed him, when silence cameof all men round about the tomb, recognising that he was more

grievouslyburdened by misfortune than all men of whom he knew, slew himself uponthe grave.