aratus-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


into　his　camp；　not　so　much　because　he　was　overpressed　by　those　with
whom　he　was　engaged；　as　out　of　mistrust　of　success　and　through　a　panic
fear。　But　when　the　other　wing；　returning　from　the　pursuit；　showed
themselves　extremely　vexed；　that　though　they　had　put　the　enemy　to
flight　and　killed　many　more　of　his　men　than　they　had　lost；　yet　those
that　were　in　a　manner　conquered　should　erect　a　trophy　as　conquerors；
being　much　ashamed　he　resolved　to　fight　them　again　about　the　trophy；
and　the　next　day　but　one　drew　up　his　army　to　give　them　battle。　But；
perceiving　that　they　were　reinforced　with　fresh　troops；　and　came　on
with　better　courage　than　before；　he　durst　not　hazard　a　fight；　but
retired　and　sent　to　request　a　truce　to　bury　his　dead。　However；　by
his　dexterity　in　dealing　personally　with　men　and　managing　political
affairs；　and　by　his　general　favour；　he　excused　and　obliterated　this
fault；　and　brought　in　Cleonae　to　the　Achaean　association；　and
celebrated　the　Nemean　games　at　Cleonae；　as　the　proper　and　more　ancient
place　for　them。　The　games　were　also　celebrated　by　the　Argives　at　the
same　time；　which　gave　the　first　occasion　to　the　violation　of　the
privilege　of　safe　conduct　and　immunity　always　granted　to　those　that
came　to　compete　for　the　prizes；　the　Achaeans　at　that　time　selling　as
enemies　all　those　they　caught　going　through　their　country　after
joining　in　the　games　at　Argos。　So　vehement　and　implacable　a　hater
was　he　of　the　tyrants。
　　Not　long　after；　having　notice　that　Aristippus　had　a　design　upon
Cleonae；　but　was　afraid　of　him；　because　he　then　was　staying　in
Corinth；　he　assembled　an　army　by　public　proclamation；　and　commanding
them　to　take　along　with　them　provisions　for　several　days；　he　marched
to　Cenchreae；　hoping　by　this　stratagem　to　entice　Aristippus　to　fall
upon　Cleonae；　when　he　supposed　him　far　enough　off。　And　so　it　happened；
for　he　immediately　brought　his　forces　against　it　from　Argos。　But
Aratus；　returning　from　Cenchreae　to　Corinth　in　the　dusk　of　the
evening；　and　setting　posts　of　his　troops　in　all　the　roads；　led　on
the　Achaeans；　who　followed　in　such　good　order　and　with　so　much　speed
and　alacrity；　that　they　were　undiscovered　by　Aristippus；　not　only
whilst　upon　their　march；　but　even　when　they　got；　still　in　the　night；
into　Cleonae；　and　drew　up　in　order　of　battle。　As　soon　as　it　was
morning；　the　gates　being　opened　and　the　trumpets　sounding；　he　fell
upon　the　enemy　with　great　cries　and　fury；　routed　them　at　once；　and
kept　close　in　pursuit；　following　the　course　which　he　most　imagined
Aristippus　would　choose；　there　being　many　turns　that　might　be　taken。
And　so　the　chase　lasted　as　far　as　Mycenae；　where　the　tyrant　was
slain　by　a　certain　Cretan　called　Tragiscus；　as　Dinias　reports。　Of
the　common　soldiers；　there　fell　above　fifteen　hundred。　Yet　though
Aratus　had　obtained　so　great　a　victory　and　that　too　without　the　loss
of　a　man；　he　could　not　make　himself　master　of　Argos；　nor　set　it　at
liberty；　because　Agias　and　the　younger　Aristomachus　got　into　the
town　with　some　of　the　king's　forces；　and　seized　upon　the　government。
However；　by　this　exploit　he　spoiled　the　scoffs　and　jests　of　those　that
flattered　the　tyrants；　and　in　their　raillery　would　say　that　the
Achaean　general　was　usually　troubled　with　a　looseness　when　he　was　to
fight　a　battle；　that　the　sound　of　a　trumpet　struck　him　with　a
drowsiness　and　a　giddiness；　and　that　when　he　had　drawn　up　his　army　and
given　the　word；　he　used　to　ask　his　lieutenants　and　officers　whether
there　was　any　further　need　of　his　presence　now　the　die　was　cast；　and
then　went　aloof；　to　await　the　result　at　a　distance。　For　indeed　these
stories　were　so　generally　listened　to；　that；　when　the　philosophers
disputed　whether　to　have　one's　heart　beat　and　to　change　colour　upon
any　apparent　danger　be　an　argument　of　fear；　or　rather　of　some
distemperature　and　chilliness　of　bodily　constitution；　Aratus　was
always　quoted　as　a　good　general　who　was　always　thus　affected　in　time
of　battle。
　　Having　thus　despatched　Aristippus；　he　advised　with　himself　how　to
overthrow　Lydiades；　the　Megalopolitan；　who　held　usurped　power　over　his
country。　This　person　was　naturally　of　a　generous　temper；　and　not
insensible　of　true　honour；　and　had　been　led　into　this　wickedness；
not　by　the　ordinary　motives　of　other　tyrants；　licentiousness　and
rapacity；　but　being　young；　and　stimulated　with　the　desire　of　glory；　he
had　let　his　mind　be　unwarily　prepossessed　with　the　vain　and　false
applauses　given　to　tyranny；　as　some　happy　and　glorious　thing。　But　he
no　sooner　seized　the　government；　than　he　grew　weary　of　the　pomp　and
burden　of　it。　And　at　once　emulating　the　tranquillity　and　fearing　the
policy　of　Aratus；　he　took　the　best　resolutions；　first；　to　free　himself
from　hatred　and　fear；　from　soldiers　and　guards；　and；　secondly；　to　be
the　public　benefactor　of　his　country。　And　sending　for　Aratus；　he
resigned　the　government；　and　incorporated　his　city　into　the　Achaean
community。　The　Achaeans；　applauding　this　generous　action；　chose　him
their　general；　upon　which；　desiring　to　outdo　Aratus　in　glory；
amongst　many　other　uncalled…for　things；　he　declared　war　against　the
Lacedaemonians；　which　Aratus　opposing　was　thought　to　do　it　out　of
envy；　and　Lydiades　was　the　second　time　chosen　general；　though　Aratus
acted　openly　against　him；　and　laboured　to　have　the　office　conferred
upon　another。　For　Aratus　himself　had　the　command　every　other　year；
as　has　been　said。　Lydiades；　however；　succeeded　so　well　in　his
pretensions；　that　he　was　thrice　chosen　general；　governing　alternately；
as　did　Aratus；　but　at　last；　declaring　himself　his　professed　enemy；　and
accusing　him　frequently　to　the　Achaeans；　he　was　rejected；　and　fell
into　contempt；　people　now　seeing　that　it　was　a　contest　between　a
counterfeit　and　a　true；　unadulterated　virtue；　and；　as　Aesop　tells　us
that　the　cuckoo　once；　asking　the　little　birds　why　they　flew　away
from　her；　was　answered；　because　they　feared　she　would　one　day　prove
a　hawk；　so　Lydiades's　former　tyranny　still　cast　a　doubt　upon　the
reality　of　his　change。
　　But　Aratus　gained　new　honour　in　the　Aetolian　war。　For　the　Achaeans
resolving　to　fall　upon　the　Aetolians　on　the　Megarian　confines；　and
Agis　also；　the　Lacedaemonian　king；　who　came　to　their　assistance　with
an　army；　encouraging　them　to　fight；　Aratus　opposed　this　determination。
And　patiently　enduring　many　reproaches；　many　scoffs　and　jeerings　at
his　soft　and　cowardly　temper；　he　would　not；　for　any　appearance　of
disgrace；　abandon　what　he　judged　to　be　true　common　advantage；　and
suffered　the　enemy　to　pass　over　Geranea　into　Peloponnesus　without　a
battle。　But　when；　after　they　passed　by；　news　came　that　they　had
suddenly　captured　Pellene；　he　was　no　longer　the　same　man；　nor　would　he
hear　of　any　delay；　or　wait　to　draw　together　his　whole　force；　but
marched　towards　the　enemy；　with　such　as　he　had　about　him；　to　fall　upon
them；　as　they　were　indeed　now　much　less　formidable　through　the
intemperances　and　disorders　committed　in　their　success。　For　as　soon　as
they　entered　the　city；　the　common　soldiers　dispersed　and　went　hither
and　thither　into　the　houses；　quarrelling　and　fighting　with　one　another
about　the　plunder；　and　the　officers　and　commanders　were　running
about　after　the　wives　and　daughters　of　the　Pellenians；　on　whose
heads　they　put　their　own　helmets；　to　mark　each　man　his　prize；　and
prevent　another　from　seizing　it。　And　in　this　posture　were　they　when
news　came　that　Aratus　was　ready　to　fall　upon　them。　And　in　the　midst　of
the　consternation　likely　to　ensue　in　the　confusion　they　were　in　before
all　of　them　heard　of　the　danger；　the　outmost　of　them；　engaging　at
the　gates　and　in　the　suburbs　with　the　Achaeans；　were　already　beaten
and　put　to　flight；　and　as　they　came　headlong　back；　filled　with　their
panic　those　who　were　collecting　and　advancing　to　their　assistance。
　　In　this　confusion；　one　of　the　captives；　daughter　of　Epigethes；　a
citizen　of　repute；　being　extremely　handsome　and　tall；　happened　to　be
sitting　in　the　temple　of　Diana；　placed　there　by　the　commander　of　the
band　of　chosen　men；　who　had　taken　her　and　put　his　crested　helmet
upon　her。　She；　hearing　the　noise；　and　running　out　to　see　what　was
the　matter；　stood　in　the　temple　gates；　looking　down　from　above　upon
those　that　fought；　having　the