アゲシラオスとパルナバゾスの会談 (HG. 4. 1. 29～39)

Abstract

In Hel. 4.1. 29-39 Xenophon depicts the conference between the Spartan king Agesi-laos and the Persian satrap Pharnabazos. An attempt is here made to demonstrate the purpose of this lengthy narrative, and to show how elaborately Xenophon arranged historical facts in order to attain his purpose. The conference is fixed, according to 4.1. 29, at the suggestion of Apollophanes of Cyzicus. But Plu. Ages. 12.1 tells us that the Cyzician suggestion resulted from the request of Pharnabazos, about which Xenophon is silent. Plutarch must be credible if one calls to mind that Apollophanes was an old xenos of the Persian, while his friendship with Agesilaos had just begun. The reason for Xenophon's silence may be to cover over the failure of Agesilaos, who, though in an advantageous position, could not win Pharnabazos to the Spartan side. Just before the conference Pharnabazos recognizes the Spartan simplicity, the virtue which--he perhaps remembers--in olden times a Persian traditon, too, but one which the present Persians make light of (Xen. Cyr. 8.8. 3-27) ; also he immediately, in spite of the carpet prepared for him, sits directly on the ground as the Spartans do : this shows not only his noble character as a Persian satrap but also his respect for the old tradition of simplicity and fortitude as a commander. Therefore Xenophon's ηοχυνθη is much convincing than Plutarch's αίδεσθείς because of the straightforward expression of Pharnabazos' shame-feeling. Pharnabazos 1a) recounts his contributions to the Spartans so far, sometimes in defiance of his own life, 2a) blames their ingratitude, which gives to his logic a strong condemnatory tone as might be expected of its simple structure, and reduces them to a dead silence, Agesilaos 1b) refutes with a famous phrase "to do good to friends, harm to enemies" so as to justify their deeds, adding that παντα ηναγκασμεθα τα εκεινου πολεμια νομίζειν. The imperfect tense of this shows that in future the situation could change (Plu. Ages. 12. 6, present!) ; which is a preparation for 2b), his exhortation of Pharnabazos toward defection from the Persian King. In 2b) he tries to attract the Persian by appealing to territorial ambition as well as material desire. The description in HG is more probable and more realistic than that in Plu. Ages. (12.7), where Agesilaos seems to be coercive and menacing when he forces Pharnabazos to the choice of staying as a slave of the King, or allying himself with the Spartans to be guarded by them. Pharnabazos refuses Agesilaos' proposal in HG as well as in Plu. Ages. In HG he says he will fight his best for the King so long as the King entrusts him with full power--to respond to the expectation of his master under any circumstances, this he himself calls philotimia. This Persian norm of behaviour is in a marked contrast to the Greek ideal of "freedom" which realisation makes up the kernel of Agesilaos' discourse in 2b). Here is clearly seen an encounter between Greek and Persian values, which seems to be the main purpose of Xenophon's description of the scene. Pharnabazos declares himself to be acting naturally on the Persian principle, on which Agesilaos bestows high praise, accepting Pharnabazos' challenge politely and mildly : this acceptance, omitted in Plu. Ages., brings the description of the conference between the two commanders in the field to a close completion. These examinations of the reality and the vividness of the account affirm the estimation of HG by Porphyrios (Jakoby, FGH, 115F21) and hint at Xenophon's own presence at the conference, or at least, at the direct derivation of the information from Agesilaos himself.