Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/413

 ARATUS. 405 But Aratus, as soon as he understood that he was com- mg, and was got as far as Lerna with his troops, fear- ing 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 any thing, he should receive hostages. Upon which Cleomenes, saying this was mere mockery and affront, went away, sending a letter to the Achteans 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 declai'e war against the Acheeans, and in the mean time missed very narrowly of taking Sicyon by treachery. Turning off at a little distance, he attacked and took PeUene, which the Achaean general abandoned, and not long after took also Pheneus and Penteleum. Then immediately the Ai'gives voluntarily joined with him, and the Phliasians received a garrison, and in short nothing among all their new acquisitions held firm to the Achoeans. Aratus was encompassed on every side with clamor and confusion ; he saw the whole of Peloponnesus shaking around him, and the cities everywhere set in revolt by men desirous of innovations. For indeed no place remained quiet or satisfied with the present condition ; even amongst the Sicyonians and Co- rinthians 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 condign 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