Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.4, 1865).djvu/490

 482 CLEOMENES. tions against Cleomenes, the extirpation of wealth and reformation of poverty, he basely subjected himself, to- gether with Achrea, to the diadem and purple, to the im- perious commands of the Macedonians and their satraps. That he might not seem to be under Cleomenes, he offered sacrifices, called Antigonea, in honor of Antigonus, and sang pteans himself, with a garland on his head, to the praise of a wasted, consumptive Macedonian. I write this not out of any design to disgrace Aratus, for in many things he showed himself a true lover of Greece, and a great man, but out of pity to the weakness of human nature, which, in characters like this, so worthy and in so many ways disposed to virtue, cannot maintain its honors unblemished by some envious fault. The AcliEeans meeting again in assembly at Argos, and Cleomenes having come from Tegea, there were great hopes that all differences would be composed. But Aratus, Antigonus and he having already agreed upon the chief articles of their league, fearing that Cleomenes would carry all before him, and either win or force the multi- tude to comply with his demands, proposed, that having three hundred hostages put into his hands, he should come alone into the town, or bring his army to the place of exercise, called the Cyllarabium,* outside the city, and treat there. Cleomenes, hearing this, said, that he was unjustly dealt with ; for they ought to have told him so plainly at first, and not now he was come even to their doors, show their jealousy, and deny him admission. And writing a letter to the Achasans about the same subject, the greatest part of which was an accusation of Aratus, while Aratus, on ribis, Cylarabis, or Cylarabes, see called from a shield that was hung the life of Pyrrhus, Vol. II., p. 44. up there as an ensign, is mentioned The Aspis, also, the Shield, one of in the same place.
 * For the gymnasium of Cylla- the two citadels of the town, so