aratus-第7节

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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　helmet　upon　her　head；　in　which　posture
she　seemed　to　the　citizens　to　be　something　more　than　human；　and　struck
fear　and　dread　into　the　enemy；　who　believed　it　to　be　a　divine
apparition；　so　that　they　lost　all　courage　to　defend　themselves。　But
the　Pellenians　tell　us　that　the　image　of　Diana　stands　usually
untouched；　and　when　the　priestess　happens　at　any　time　to　remove　it
to　some　other　place；　nobody　dares　look　upon　it；　but　all　turn　their
faces　from　it；　for　not　only　is　the　sight　of　it　terrible　and　hurtful　to
mankind；　but　it　makes　even　the　trees；　by　which　it　happens　to　be
carried；　become　barren　and　cast　fruit。　This　image；　therefore；　they
say；　the　priestess　produced　at　that　time；　and　holding　it　directly　in
the　faces　of　the　Aetolians；　made　them　lose　their　reason　and
judgment。　But　Aratus　mentions　no　such　thing　in　his　commentaries；　but
saying　that　having　put　to　flight　the　Aetolians；　and　falling　in
pell…mell　with　them　into　the　city；　he　drove　them　out　by　main　force；
and　killed　seven　hundred　of　them。　And　the　action　was　extolled　as　one
of　the　most　famous　exploits；　and　Timanthes　the　painter　made　a
picture　of　the　battle；　giving　by　his　composition　a　most　lively
representation　of　it。
　　But　many　great　nations　and　potentates　combining　against　the
Achaeans；　Aratus　immediately　for　friendly　arrangements　with　the
Aetolians；　and；　making　use　of　the　assistance　of　Pantaleon；　the　most
powerful　man　amongst　them；　he　not　only　made　a　peace；　but　an　alliance
between　them　and　the　Achaeans。　But　being　desirous　to　free　the
Athenians；　he　got　into　disgrace　and　ill…repute　among　the　Achaeans；
because；　notwithstanding　the　truce　and　suspension　of　arms　made　between
them　and　the　Macedonians；　he　had　attempted　to　take　the　Piraeus。　He
denies　this　fact　in　his　commentaries；　and　lays　the　blame　on　Erginus；
by　whose　assistance　he　took　Acro…Corinthus；　alleging　that　he　upon
his　own　private　account　attacked　the　Piraeus；　and　his　ladders
happening　to　break；　being　hotly　pursued；　he　called　out　upon　Aratus；　as
if　present；　by　which　means　deceiving　the　enemy　he　got　safely　off。　This
excuse；　however；　sounds　very　improbable；　for　it　is　not　in　any　way
likely　that　Erginus；　a　private　man　and　a　Syrian　stranger；　should
conceive　in　his　mind　so　great　an　attempt；　without　Aratus　at　his
back；　to　tell　him　how　and　when　to　make　it；　and　to　supply　him　with
the　means。　Nor　was　it　twice　or　thrice；　but　very　often；　that；　like　an
obstinate　lover；　he　repeated　his　attempts　on　the　Piraeus；　and　was　so
far　from　being　discouraged　by　his　disappointments；　that　his　missing
his　hopes　but　narrowly　was　an　incentive　to　him　to　proceed　the　more
boldly　in　a　new　trial。　One　time　amongst　the　rest；　in　making　his　escape
through　the　Thrasian　plain；　he　put　his　leg　out　of　joint；　and　was
forced　to　submit　to　many　operations　with　the　knife　before　he　was
cured；　so　that　for　a　long　time　he　was　carried　in　a　litter　to　the　wars。
　　And　when　Antigonus　was　dead；　and　Demetrius　succeeded　him　in　the
kingdom；　he　was　more　bent　than　ever　upon　Athens；　and　in　general
quite　despised　the　Macedonians。　And　so；　being　overthrown　in　battle
near　Phylacia　by　Bithys；　Demetrius's　general；　and　there　being　a　very
strong　report　that　he　was　either　taken　or　slain；　Diogenes；　the
governor　of　the　Piraeus；　sent　letters　to　Corinth；　commanding　the
Achaeans　to　quit　that　city；　seeing　Aratus　was　dead。　When　these　letters
came　to　Corinth；　Aratus　happened　to　be　there　in　person；　so　that
Diogenes's　messengers　being　sufficiently　mocked　and　derided；　were
forced　to　return　to　their　master。　King　Demetrius　himself　also　sent　a
ship；　wherein　Aratus　was　to　be　brought　to　him　in　chains。　And　the
Athenians；　exceeding　all　possible　fickleness　of　flattery　to　the
Macedonians；　crowned　themselves　with　garlands　upon　the　first　news　of
his　death。　And　so　in　anger　he　went　at　once　and　invaded　Attica；　and
penetrated　as　far　as　the　Academy；　but　then　suffering　himself　to　be
pacified　he　did　no　further　act　of　hostility。　And　the　Athenians
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；　h