aratus-第7部分

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afterwards；　coming　to　a　due　sense　of　his　virtue　when　upon　the　death　of
Demetrius　they　attempted　to　recover　their　liberty；　called　him　to　their
assistance；　although　at　that　time　another　person　was　general　of　the
Achaeans；　and　he　himself　had　long　kept　his　bed　with　a　sickness；　yet
rather　than　fail　the　city　in　a　time　of　need；　he　was　carried　thither　in
a　litter；　and　helped　to　persuade　Diogenes　the　governor　to　deliver　up
the　Piraeus；　Munychia；　Salamis；　and　Sunium　to　the　Athenians　in
consideration　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　talents；　of　which　Aratus
himself　contributed　twenty　to　the　city。　Upon　this；　the　Aeginetans
and　the　Hermionians　immediately　joined　the　Achaeans；　and　the
greatest　part　of　Arcadia　entered　their　confederacy；　and　the
Macedonians　being　occupied　with　various　wars　upon　their　own　confines
and　with　their　neighbours；　the　Achaean　power；　the　Aetolians　also　being
in　alliance　with　them；　rose　to　great　height。
　　But　Aratus；　still　bent　on　effecting　his　old　project；　and　impatient
that　tyranny　should　maintain　itself　in　so　near　a　city　as　Argos；　sent
to　Aristomachus　to　persuade　him　to　restore　liberty　to　that　city；　and
to　associate　it　to　the　Achaeans；　and　that；　following　Lydiades's
example；　he　should　rather　choose　to　be　the　general　of　a　great
nation；　with　esteem　and　honour；　than　the　tyrant　of　one　city；　with
continual　hatred　and　danger。　Aristomachus　slighted　not　the　message；
but　desired　Aratus　to　send　him　fifty　talents；　with　which　he　might
pay　off　the　soldiers。　In　the　meantime；　whilst　the　money　was　providing；
Lydiades；　being　then　general；　and　extremely　ambitious　that　this
advantage　might　seem　to　be　of　his　procuring　for　the　Achaeans；
accused　Aratus　to　Aristomachus；　as　one　that　bore　an　irreconcilable
hatred　to　the　tyrants；　and；　persuading　him　to　commit　the　affair　to　his
management；　he　presented　him　to　the　Achaeans。　But　there　the　Achaean
council　gave　a　manifest　proof　of　the　great　credit　Aratus　had　with　them
and　the　good…will　they　bore　him。　For　when　he；　in　anger；　spoke
against　Aristomachus's　being　admitted　into　the　association；　they
rejected　the　proposal；　but　when　he　was　afterwards　pacified　and　came
himself　and　spoke　in　its　favour；　they　voted　everything　cheerfully
and　readily；　and　decreed　that　the　Argives　and　Phliasians　should　be
incorporated　into　their　commonwealth；　and　the　next　year　they　chose
Aristomachus　general。　He；　being　in　good　credit　with　the　Achaeans；
was　very　desirous　to　invade　Laconia；　and　for　that　purpose　sent　for
Aratus　from　Athens。　Aratus　wrote　to　him　to　dissuade　him　as　far　as　he
could　from　that　expedition；　being　very　unwilling　the　Achaeans　should
be　engaged　in　a　quarrel　with　Cleomenes；　who　was　a　daring　man；　and
making　extraordinary　advances　to　power。　But　Aristomachus　resolving
to　go　on；　he　obeyed　and　served　in　person；　on　which　occasion　he
hindered　Aristomachus　from　fighting　a　battle　when　Cleomenes　came
upon　them　at　Pallantium；　and　for　this　act　was　accused　by　Lydiades；
and；　coming　to　an　open　conflict　with　him　in　a　contest　for　the　office
of　general；　he　carried　it　by　the　show　of　hands；　and　was　chosen　general
the　twelfth　time。
　　This　year；　being　routed　by　Cleomenes；　near　the　Lycaeum；　he　fled；
and；　wandering　out　of　the　way　in　the　night；　was　believed　to　be
slain；　and　once　more　it　was　confidently　reported　so　throughout　all
Greece。　He；　however；　having　escaped　this　danger　and　rallied　his
forces；　was　not　content　to　march　off　in　safety；　but　making　a　happy　use
of　the　present　conjuncture；　when　nobody　dreamed　of　any　such　thing；
he　fell　suddenly　upon　the　Mantineans；　allies　of　Cleomenes；　and；　taking
the　city；　put　a　garrison　into　it；　and　made　the　stranger　inhabitants
free　of　the　city；　procuring；　by　this　means；　those　advantages　for　the
beaten　Achaeans；　which　being　conquerors；　they　would　not　easily　have
obtained。　The　Lacedaemonians　again　invading　the　Megalopolitan
territories；　he　marched　to　the　assistance　of　the　city；　but　refused
to　give　Cleomenes；　who　did　all　he　could　to　provoke　him　to　it；
opportunity　of　engaging　him　in　a　battle；　nor　could　be　prevailed　upon
by　the　Megalopolitans；　who　urged　him　to　it　extremely。　For　besides　that
by　nature　he　was　ill…suited　for　set　battles；　he　was　then　much　inferior
in　numbers；　and　was　to　deal　with　a　daring　leader；　still　in　the　heat　of
youth；　while　he　himself；　now　past　the　prime　of　courage　and　come　to　a
chastised　ambition；　felt　it　his　business　to　maintain　by　prudence　the
glory　which　he　had　obtained；　and　the　other　was　only　aspiring　to　by
forwardness　and　daring。
　　So　that　though　the　light…armed　soldiers　had　sallied　out　and　driven
the　Lacedaemonians　as　far　as　their　camp；　and　had　come　even　to　their
tents；　yet　would　not　Aratus　lead　his　men　forward；　but；　posting　himself
in　a　hollow　water…course　in　the　way　thither；　stopped　and　prevented　the
citizens　from　crossing　this。　Lydiades；　extremely　vexed　at　what　was
going　on；　and　loading　Aratus　with　reproaches；　entreated　the　horse
that；　together　with　him；　they　would　second　them　that　had　the　enemy
in　chase；　and　not　let　a　certain　victory　slip　out　of　their　hands；　nor
forsake　him　that　was　going　to　venture　his　life　for　his　country。　And
being　reinforced　with　many　brave　men　that　turned　after　him；　he　charged
the　enemy's　right　wing；　and　routing　it　followed　the　pursuit　without
measure　or　discretion；　letting　his　eagerness　and　hopes　of　glory
tempt　him　on　into　broken　ground；　full　of　planted　fruit…trees　and　cut
up　with　broad　ditches；　where；　being　engaged　by　Cleomenes；　he　fell；
fighting　gallantly　the　noblest　of　battles；　at　the　gate　of　his　country。
The　rest；　flying　back　to　their　main　body　and　troubling　the　ranks　of
the　full…armed　infantry；　put　the　whole　army　to　the　rout。　Aratus　was
extremely　blamed；　being　suspected　to　have　betrayed　Lydiades；　and　was
constrained　by　the　Achaeans；　who　withdrew　in　great　anger；　to　accompany
them　to　Aegium；　where　they　called　a　council；　and　decreed　that　he
should　no　longer　be　furnished　with　money；　nor　have　any　more　soldiers
hired　for　him；　but　that；　if　he　would　make　war；　he　should　pay　them
himself。
　　This　affront　he　resented　so　far　as　to　resolve　to　give　up　the　seal
and　lay　down　the　office　of　general；　but　upon　second　thoughts　he
found　it　best　to　have　patience；　and　presently　marched　with　the
Achaeans　to　Orchomenus　and　fought　a　battle　with　Megistonus；　the
stepfather　of　Cleomenes；　where　he　got　the　victory；　killing　three
hundred　men　and　taking　Megistonus　prisoner。　But　whereas　he　used　to
be　chosen　general　every　other　year；　when　his　turn　came　and　he　was
called　to　take　upon　him　that　charge；　he　declined　it；　and　Timoxenus　was
chosen　in　his　stead。　The　true　cause　of　which　was　not　the　pique　he
was　alleged　to　have　taken　at　the　people；　but　the　ill　circumstances
of　the　Achaean　affairs。　For　Cleomenes　did　not　now　invade　them　gently
and　tenderly　as　hitherto；　as　one　controlled　by　the　civil
authorities；　but　having　killed　the　Ephors；　divided　the　lands；　and　made
many　of　the　stranger　residents　free　of　the　city；　he　was　responsible　to
no　one　in　his　government；　and　therefore　fell　in　good　earnest　upon
the　Achaeans；　and　put　forward　his　claim　to　the　supreme　military
command。　Wherefore　Aratus　is　much　blamed；　that　in　a　stormy　and
tempestuous　time；　like　a　cowardly　pilot；　he　should　forsake　the　helm
when　it　was　even　perhaps　his　duty　to　have　insisted；　whether　they　would
or　no；　on　saving　them；　or　if　he　thought　the　Achaean　affairs　desperate；
to　have　yielded　all　up　to　Cleomenes；　and　not　to　have　let
Peloponnesus　fall　once　again　into　barbarism　with　Macedonian　garrisons；
and　Acro…Corinthus　be　occupied　with　Illyric　and　Gaulish　soldiers；　and；
under　the　specious　name　of　confederates；　to　have　made　those　masters　of
the　cities　whom　he　had　held　it　his　business　by　arms　and　by　policy　to
baffle　and　defeat；　and；　in　the　memoirs　he　left　behind　him；　loaded　with
reproaches　and　insults。　And　say　that　Cleomenes　was　arbitrary　and
tyrannical；　yet　was　he　descended　from　the　Heraclidae；　and　Sparta　was
his　country；　the　obscurest　citizens　of　which　deserved　to　be
preferred　to　the　generalship　before　the　best　of　the　Macedonians　by
those　that　had　any　regard　to　the　honour　of　Grecian　birth。　Besides；
Cleomenes　sued　for　that　command　over　the　Achaeans　as　one　that　would
return　the　honour　of　that　title　with　real　kindnesses　to　the　cities；
whereas　Antigonus；　being　declared　absolute　general　by　sea　and　land；
would　not　accept　the　office　unless　Acro…Corinthus　were　by　special
agreement　put　into　his　hands；　following　the　example　of　Aesop's　hunter；
for　he　would　not　get　up　and　ride　the　Achaeans；　who　desired　him　so　to
do；　and　offered　their　backs　to　him　by　embassies　and　popular　decrees；
till；　by　a　garrison　and　hostages；　they　had　allowed　him　to　bit　and
bridle　them。　Aratus　exhausts　all　his　powers　of　speech　to　show　the
necessity　that　was　upon　him。　But　Polybius　writes；　that　long　before
this　and　before　there　was　any　necessity；　apprehending　the　daring
temper　of　Cleomenes；　he　communicated　secretly　with　Antigonus；　and　that
he　had　beforehand　prevailed　with　the　Megalopolitans　to　press　the
Achaeans　to　crave　aid　from　Antigonus。　For　they　were　the　most
harassed　by　the　war；　Cleomenes　continually　plundering　and　ransacking
their　country。　And　so　writes　also　Phylarchus；　who；　unless　seconded
by　the　testimony　of　Polybius；　would　not　be　altogether　credited；　for　he
is　seized　with　enthusiasm　when　he　so　much　as　speaks　a　word　of
Cleomenes；　and　as　if　he　were　pleading；　not　writing　a　history；　goes
on　throughout　defending　the　one　and　accusing　the　other。
　　The　Achaeans；　therefore；　lost　Mantinea；　which　was　recovered　by
Cleomenes；　and　being　beaten　in　a　great　fight　near　Hecatombaeum；　so
general　was　the　consternation；　that　they　immediately　sent　to　Cleomenes
to　desire　him　to　come　to　Argos　and　take　the　command　upon　him。　But
Aratus；　as　soon　as　he　understood　that　he　was　coming；　and　was　got　as
far　as　Lerna　with　his　troops；　fearing　the　result；　sent　ambassadors
to　him；　to　request　him　to　come　accompanied　with　three　hundred　only；　as
to　friends　and　confederates；　and；　if　he　mistrusted　anything；　he　should
receive　hostages。　Upon　which　Cleomenes；　saying　this　was　mere　mockery
and　affront；　went　away；　sending　a　letter　to　the　Achaeans　full　of
reproaches　and　accusation　against　Aratus。　And　Aratus　also　wrote
letters　against　Cleomenes；　and　bitter　revilings　and　railleries　were
current　on