Inclusion of Non-traditional Material

(Hellenica 2.3.56)

These, then, dragged Theramenes away through the marketplace,2 and he was crying out in a loud voice about all that he was suffering. When Satyrus told him he would be sorry if he did not remain silent, Theramenes replied, ‘And if I do keep quiet, won’t I also be sorry?’ And when he was compelled to die and was drinking the hemlock, they say that he threw the dregs as if he were playing kottabos and remarked, ‘Let this be for the fair Critias.’3 Now I am not unaware that these remarks are unworthy of account;4 but I think the man admirable because with death near at hand he lost neither his wits nor his wit.

Events Worthy of Remembrance

(Hellenica 4.8.1)

The war on land, then, was fought in this way.5 I shall now narrate events that occurred by sea and against the cities on the coast, events that took place at the same time as the war on land. I shall write up those actions that were most worthy of remembrance, and I shall omit those not worthy of account.6”

Contemplating Teleutias’ Accomplishments

(Hellenica 5.1.3–4)

After this, the new admiral Hierax arrived from the Lacedaemonians and took over the fleet.7 Teleutias sailed home with the most splendid good fortune: as he was making his way to the sea, not a single soldier failed to shake his hand. One even put a garland on his head, another a fillet. Others, who arrived too late to see him off (for he had already departed) threw garlands into the sea, praying that he would be attended by many blessings. Now I know that in recounting these matters I am narrating no expense, danger or contrivance that is worthy of record;8 but by God, I think it’s worth someone’s while to contemplate what it was that Teleutias could possibly have done to make those under his command so disposed towards him. For this is a deed of the man’s that is more worthy of account than many expenditures or dangers.9

Including the Actions of Small Cities no less than Great

(Hellenica 7.2.1)

… the people of Phlius were especially hard pressed, and were short of necessities; even so they remained firm in their alliance with the Lacedaemonians.10 Now if one of the great cities has done something noble, all the historians commemorate it; but it seems to me that if some city which is small has done many noble deeds, that is even more worthy of being made known.

Conclusion of the Hellenica

(Hellenica 7.5.27)

Let it be written by me, then, up to this point. Events after this may perhaps be the concern of another.

《Agesilaus传》阅读选段：

I. I know how difficult it is to write an appreciation of Agesilaus that shall be worthy of his virtue and glory. Nevertheless, the attempt must be made. For it would not be seemly that so good a man, just because of his perfection, should receive no tributes of praise, however inadequate.

Now concerning his high birth what greater and 2 nobler could be said than this, that even to-day the line of his descent from Heracles1 is traced through the roll of his ancestors, and those no simple citizens, but kings and sons of kings? Nor are they open to3the reproach that though they were kings, they ruled over a petty state. On the contrary, as their family is honoured above all in their fatherland, so is their state glorious above all in Greece; thus they are not first in the second rank, but leaders in a community of leaders. On one account his fatherland4 and his family are worthy to be praised together, for never at any time has the state been moved by jealousy of their pre-eminence to attempt the overthrow of their government, and never at any time have the kings striven to obtain greater powers than were conferred on them originally at their succession to the throne. For this reason, while no other government—democracy, oligachy, despotism or kingdom—can lay claim to an unbroken existence, this kingdom alone stands fast continually.

However, there are not wanting signs that even5 before his reign began Agesilaus was deemed worthy to be king. For on the death of King Agis there was a struggle for the throne between Leotychidas, as the son of Agis, and Agesilaus, as the son of Archidamus. The state decided in favour of Agesilaus, judging him to be the more eligible in point of birth and character alike. Surely to have been pronounced worthy of the highest privilege by the best men in the mightiest state is proof sufficient of his virtue, at least before he began to reign.

I will now give an account of the achievements 6 of his reign, for I believe that his deeds will throw the clearest light on his qualities.

《居鲁士的教育》

1. The thought once occurred to us how many Preface; the instability of governmentrepublics have been overthrown by people who preferred to live under any form of government other than a republican, and again, how many monarchies and how many oligarchies in times past have been abolished by the people. We reflected, moreover, how many of those individuals who have aspired to absolute power have either been deposed once for all and that right quickly; or if they have continued in power, no matter for how short a time, they are objects of wonder as having proved to be wise and happy men. Then, too, we had observed, we thought, that even in private homes some people who had rather more than the usual number of servants and some also who had only a very few were nevertheless, though nominally masters, quite unable to assert their authority over even those few.

2. And in addition to this, we reflected that Animals more tractable than mencowherds are the rulers of their cattle, that grooms are the rulers of their horses, and that all who are called herdsmen might properly be regarded as the rulers of the animals over which they are placed in charge. Now we noticed, as we thought, that all these herds obeyed their keepers more readily than men obey their rulers. For the herds go wherever their keeper directs them and graze in those places to which he leads them and keep out of those from which he excludes them. They allow their keeper, moreover, to enjoy, just as he will, the profits that accrue from them. And then again, we have never known of a herd conspiring against its keeper, either to refuse obedience to him or to deny him the privilege of enjoying the profits that accrue. At the same time, herds are more intractable to strangers than to their rulers and those who derive profit from them. Men, however, conspire against none sooner than against those whom they see attempting to rule over them.

3. Thus, as we meditated on this analogy, we were inclined to conclude that for man, as he is constituted, it is easier to rule over any and all other creatures than to rule over men. But when we reflected that Cyrus a king of menthere was one Cyrus, the Persian, who reduced to obedience a vast number of men and cities and nations, we were then compelled to change our opinion and decide that to rule men might be a task neither impossible nor even difficult, if one should only go about it in an intelligent manner. At all events, we know that people obeyed Cyrus willingly, although some of them were distant from him a journey of many days, and others of many months; others, although they had never seen him, and still others who knew well that they never should see him. Nevertheless they were all willing to be his subjects.