aratus-第9章

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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　both　hands；　not　sparing　even　their　marriages　and　wives。
Hereupon　Cleomenes　sent　a　herald　to　declare　war　against　the
Achaeans；　and　in　the　meantime　missed　very　narrowly　of　taking　Sicyon　by
treachery。　Turning　off　at　a　little　distance；　he　attacked　and　took
Pellene　which　the　Achaean　general　abandoned；　and　not　long　after　took
also　Pheneus　and　Penteleum。　Then　immediately　the　Argives　voluntarily
joined　with　him；　and　the　Philiasians　received　a　garrison；　and　in　short
nothing　among　all　their　new　acquisitions　held　firm　to　the　Achaeans。
Aratus　was　encompassed　on　every　side　with　clamour　and　confusion；　he
saw　the　whole　of　Peloponnesus　shaking　hands　around　him；　and　the　cities
everywhere　set　in　revolt　by　men　desirous　of　innovations。
　　Indeed　no　place　remained　quiet　or　satisfied　with　the　present
condition；　even　amongst　the　Sicyonians　and　Corinthians　themselves；
many　were　well　known　to　have　had　private　conferences　with　Cleomenes；
who　long　since；　out　of　desire　to　make　themselves　masters　of　their
several　cities；　had　been　discontented　with　the　present　order　of
things。　Aratus；　having　absolute　power　given　him　to　bring　these　to
consign　punishment；　executed　as　many　of　them　as　he　could　find　at
Sicyon；　but　going　about　to　find　them　out　and　punish　them　at　Corinth
also；　he　irritated　the　people；　already　unsound　in　feeling　and　weary　of
the　Achaean　government。　So　collecting　tumultuously　in　the　temple　of
Apollo；　they　sent　for　Aratus；　having　determined　to　take　or　kill　him
before　they　broke　out　into　open　revolt。　He　came　accordingly；　leading
his　horse　in　his　hand；　as　if　he　suspected　nothing。　Then　several
leaping　up　and　accusing　and　reproaching　him；　with　mild　words　and　a
settled　countenance　he　bade　them　sit　down；　and　not　stand　crying　out
upon　him　in　a　disorderly　manner；　desiring　also；　that　those　that　were
about　the　door　might　be　let　in；　and　saying　so；　he　stepped　out　quietly；
as　if　he　would　give　his　horse　to　somebody。　Clearing　himself　thus　of
the　crowd；　and　speaking　without　discomposure　to　the　Corinthians　that
he　met；　commanding　them　to　go　to　Apollo's　temple；　and　bei