aratus-第9节

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the　crowd；　and　speaking　without　discomposure　to　the　Corinthians　that
he　met；　commanding　them　to　go　to　Apollo's　temple；　and　being　now；
before　they　were　aware；　got　near　to　the　citadel；　he　leaped　upon　his
horse；　and　commanding　Cleopater；　the　governor　of　the　garrison；　to　have
a　special　care　of　his　charge；　he　galloped　to　Sicyon；　followed　by
thirty　of　his　soldiers；　the　rest　leaving　him　and　shifting　for
themselves。　And　not　long　after；　it　being　known　that　he　was　fled；　the
Corinthians　pursued　him；　but　not　overtaking　him；　they　immediately　sent
for　Cleomenes　and　delivered　up　the　city　to　him；　who；　however；
thought　nothing　they　could　give　was　so　great　a　gain；　as　was　the　loss
of　their　having　let　Aratus　get　away。　Nevertheless；　being
strengthened　by　the　accession　of　the　people　of　the　Acte；　as　it　is
called；　who　put　their　towns　into　his　hands；　he　proceeded　to　carry　a
palisade　and　lines　of　circumvallation　around　the　Acro…Corinthus。
　　But　Aratus　being　arrived　at　Sicyon；　the　body　of　the　Achaeans　there
flocked　to　him；　and；　in　an　assembly　there　held；　he　was　chosen
general　with　absolute　power；　and　he　took　about　him　a　guard　of　his
own　citizens；　it　being　now　three…and…thirty　years　since　he　first
took　a　part　in　public　affairs　among　the　Achaeans；　having　in　that
time　been　the　chief　man　in　credit　and　power　of　all　Greece；　but　he
was　now　deserted　on　all　hands；　helpless　and　overpowered；　drifting
about　amidst　the　waves　and　danger　on　the　shattered　hulk　of　his
native　city。　For　the　Aetolians；　whom　he　applied　to；　declined　to　assist
him　in　his　distress；　and　the　Athenians　who　were　well　affected　to　him
were　diverted　from　lending　him　any　succour　by　the　authority　of
Euclides　and　Micion。　Now　whereas　he　had　a　house　and　property　in
Corinth；　Cleomenes　meddled　not　with　it；　nor　suffered　anybody　else　to
do　so；　but　calling　for　his　friends　and　agents；　he　bade　them　hold
themselves　responsible　to　Aratus　for　everything；　as　to　him　they
would　have　to　render　their　account；　and　privately　he　sent　to　him
Tripylus；　and　afterwards　Megistonus；　his　own　stepfather；　to　offer　him；
besides　several　other　things；　a　yearly　pension　of　twelve　talents；
which　was　twice　as　much　as　Ptolemy　allowed　him；　for　he　gave　him　six；
and　all　that　he　demanded　was　to　be　declared　commander　of　the　Achaeans；
and　together　with　them　to　have　the　keeping　of　the　citadel　of
Corinth。　To　which　Aratus　returning　answer　that　affairs　were　not　so
properly　in　his　power　as　he　was　in　the　power　of　them；　Cleomenes；
believing　this　a　mere　evasion；　immediately　entered　the　country　of
Sicyon；　destroying　all　with　fire　and　sword；　and　besieged　the　city
three　months；　whilst　Aratus　held　firm；　and　was　in　dispute　with　himself
whether　he　should　call　in　Antigonus　upon　condition　of　delivering　up
the　citadel　of　Corinth　to　him；　for　he　would　not　lend　him　assistance
upon　any　other　terms。
　　In　the　meantime　the　Achaeans　assembled　at　Aegium；　and　called　for
Aratus；　but　it　was　very　hazardous　for　him　to　pass　thither；　while
Cleomenes　was　encamped　before　Sicyon；　besides；　the　citizens
endeavoured　to　stop　him　by　their　entreaties；　protesting　that　they
would　not　suffer　him　to　expose　himself　to　so　evident　danger；　the　enemy
being　so　near；　the　women；　also；　and　children　hung　about　him；　weeping
and　embracing　him　as　their　common　father　and　defender。　But　he；
having　comforted　and　encouraged　them　as　well　as　he　could；　got　on
horseback；　and　being　accompanied　with　ten　of　his　friends　and　his
son；　then　a　youth；　got　away　to　the　seaside；　and　finding　vessels
there　waiting　off　the　shore；　went　on　board　of　them　and　sailed　to
Aegium　to　the　assembly；　in　which　it　was　decreed　that　Antigonus
should　be　called　in　to　their　aid；　and　should　have　the　Acro…Corinthus
delivered　to　him。　Aratus　also　sent　his　son　to　him　with　the　other
hostages。　The　Corinthians；　extremely　angry　at　this　proceeding；　now
plundered　his　property；　and　gave　his　house　as　a　present　to　Cleomenes。
　　Antigonus　being　now　near　at　hand　with　his　army；　consisting　of　twenty
thousand　Macedonian　foot　and　one　thousand　three　hundred　horse；　Aratus；
with　the　members　of　council；　went　to　meet　him　by　sea；　and　got；
unobserved　by　the　enemy；　to　Pegae；　having　no　great　confidence　either
in　Antigonus　or　the　Macedonians。　For　he　was　very　sensible　that　his　own
greatness　had　been　made　out　of　the　losses　he　had　caused　them；　and　that
the　first　great　principle　of　his　public　conduct　had　been　hostility
to　the　former　Antigonus。　But　perceiving　the　necessity　that　was　now
upon　him；　and　the　pressure　of　the　time；　that　lord　and　master　of
those　we　call　rulers；　to　be　inexorable；　he　resolved　to　put　all　to
the　venture。　So　soon；　therefore；　as　Antigonus　was　told　that　Aratus　was
coming　up　to　him；　he　saluted　the　rest　of　the　company　after　the
ordinary　manner；　but　him　he　received　at　the　very　first　approach　with
especial　honour；　and　finding　him　afterwards　to　be　both　good　and
wise；　admitted　him　to　his　nearer　familiarity。　For　Aratus　was　not
only　useful　to　him　in　the　management　of　great　affairs；　but
singularly　agreeable　also　as　the　private　companion　of　a　king　in　his
recreations。　And　therefore；　though　Antigonus　was　young；　yet　as　soon　as
he　observed　the　temper　of　the　man　to　be　proper　for　a　prince's
friendship；　he　made　more　use　of　him　than　of　any　other；　not　only　of　the
Achaeans；　but　also　of　the　Macedonians　that　were　about　him。　So　that　the
thing　fell　out　to　him　just　as　the　god　had　foreshown　in　a　sacrifice。
For　it　is　related　that；　as　Aratus　was　not　long　before　offering
sacrifice；　there　were　found　in　the　liver　two　gall…bags　inclosed　in　the
same　caul　of　fat；　whereupon　the　soothsayer　told　him　that　there
should　very　soon　be　the　strictest　friendship　imaginable　between　him
and　his　greatest　and　most　mortal　enemies；　which　prediction　he　at
that　time　slighted；　having　in　general　no　great　faith　in　soothsayings
and　prognostications；　but　depending　most　upon　rational　deliberation。
At　an　after　time；　however；　when；　things　succeeding　well　in　the　war；
Antigonus　made　a　great　feast　at　Corinth；　to　which　he　invited　a　great
number　of　guests；　and　placed　Aratus　next　above　him；　and　presently
calling　for　a　coverlet；　asked　him　if　he　did　not　find　it　cold；　and　on
Aratus's　answering；　〃Yes；　extremely　cold；〃　bade　him　come　nearer；　so
that　when　the　servants　brought　the　coverlet；　they　threw　it　over　them
both；　then　Aratus；　remembering　the　sacrifice；　fell　a　laughing；　and
told　the　king　the　sign　which　had　happened　to　him；　and　the
interpretation　of　it。　But　this　fell　out　a　good　while　after。
　　So　Aratus　and　the　king；　plighting　their　faith　to　each　other　at
Pegae；　immediately　marched　toward　the　enemy；　with　whom　they　had
frequent　engagements　near　the　city；　Cleomenes　maintaining　a　strong
position；　and　the　Corinthians　making　a　very　brisk　defence。　In　the
meantime　Aristoteles　the　Argive；　Aratus's　friend；　sent　privately　to
him　to　let　him　know　that　he　would　cause　Argos　to　revolt；　if　he　would
come　thither　in　person　with　some　soldiers。　Aratus　acquainted
Antigonus；　and　taking　fifteen　hundred　men　with　him；　sailed　in　boats
along　the　shore　as　quickly　as　he　could　from　the　Isthmus　to
Epidaurus。　But　the　Argives　had　not　patience　till　he　could　arrive；　but；
making　a　sudden　insurrection；　fell　upon　Cleomenes's　soldiers；　and
drove　them　into　the　citadel。　Cleomenes　having　news　of　this；　and
fearing　lest；　if　the　enemy　should　possess　themselves　of　Argos；　they
might　cut　off　his　retreat　home；　leaves　the　Acro…Corinthus　and
marches　away　by　night　to　help　his　men。　He　got　thither　first；　and
beat　off　the　enemy；　but　Aratus　appearing　not　long　after；　and　the
king　approaching　with　his　forces；　he　retreated　to　Mantinea；　upon　which
all　the　cities　again　came　over　to　the　Achaeans；　and　Antigonus　took
possession　of　the　Acro…Corinthus。　Aratus；　being　chosen　general　by
the　Argives；　persuaded　them　to　make　a　present　to　Antigonus　of　the
property　of　the　tyrants　and　the　traitors。　As　for　Aristomachus；　after
having　put　him　to　the　rack　in　the　town　of　Cenchreae；　they　drowned
him　in　the　sea；　for　which；　more　than　anything　else；　Aratus　was
reproached；　that　he　could　suffer　a　man　to　be　so　lawlessly　put　to
death；　who　was　no　bad　man；　had　been　one　of　his　long　acquaintance；
and　at　his　persuasion　had　abdicated　his　power　and　annexed　the　city
to　the　Achaeans。
　　And　already　the　blame　of　the　other　things　that　were　done　began　to　be
laid　to　his　account；　as　that　they　so　lightly　gave　up　Corinth　to
Antigonus；　as　if　it　had　been　an　inconsiderable　village；　that　they
had　suffered　him；　after　first　sacking　Orchomenus；　then　to　put　into
it　a　Macedonian　garrison；　that　they　made　a　decree　that　no　letters
nor　embassy　should　be　sent　to　any　other　king　without　the　consent　of
Antigonus；　that　they　were　forced　to　furnish　pay　and　provision　for
the　Macedonian　soldiers；　and　celebrated　sacrifices；　processions；　and
games　in　honour　of　Antigonus；　Aratus's　citizens　setting　the　example
and　receiving　Antigonus；　who　was　lodged　and　entertained　at　Aratus's
house。　All　these　things　they　treated　as　his　fault；　not　knowing　that
having　once　put　the　reins　into　Antigonus's　hands　and　let　himself　be
borne　by　the　impetus　of　regal　power；　he　was　no　longer　master　of
anything　but　one　single　voice；　the　liberty　of　which　it　was　not　so　very
safe　for　him　to　use。　For　it　was　very　plain　that　Aratus　was　much
troubled　at　several　things；　as