OCR Text |
Show ai ___ The fife Boakeofthefit pare Ciar.2i§.6. again Antigonus whofe {ubtiltie was fomewhat greaterthan his valour.JAs the induftry and counfaile of Aratas deliuicred his Countryfrom bondage, and: fortified it bythe:4- chaiae league;fo further,by his gteat liberalitie,with the exceeding great coft of 150,talents, "hepacified the inexplicable controuerfies,between'the banifhed Sieyonians,which returned with him,& the other Citizens that had poffeffion ofthefe niens Lands; as alfo with the fame money he drew many others tovaffift himin thofe enterprifes following, that fedoutded to the fingular good ofall Achaia.The mony he obtained ofPtolemy Em ergetes King of Egypt; who partly had a défireto hold fome ftrong »and fure friendthip in Greece, partly wasdelighted with the conuerfation of-avatus himfelfithat made adangerous voyage to him inte Epypt, and fed'his pleafure'in goodly pictures, withthe gift 54 of many. curious peeces,whcrein the workemenof Socyow excelled. The fittt of4ratw his great attempts,wasthe furprize of the Acrocorinthas or Citadell of Corinth ; Which he wanneby night,being thereinto guided by fome thceues that he had hired forthe purpofe, wholiuing in the place; had practifed to rob C4tiganus his treafurie, paffing in and out by a fecret path among therockes. Yet was hefaine'to fight forit,ere he could getit : though indeed Avtzj o#as his Souldiers were rather ouercome by their owne feare, than by "any force of the‘affailants'; as miftrufting leftthe Achaians were more in number,than in truth they were; and hauing loft the aduantages of the place already, vpon which they had prefumed) before they, were aware ofany ehertiie, "Tn thefe kindé ofnight-feruices,ambufhmentsfurprifes,and practices, Aratus was ve- 1g tie cunning aduenturous,and valiant:in openfield, and plainebattaile,. he was astimorous. By thisftrange mixture ofcowardizeatid courage,he miniftred ‘argument ofdif- of the 'Hif/lory ofthe World. 344 The'Acheans hauing obtained{o muchpuiffance andre putation thar Péotemsie Kiagot Egypt was become Patron of théir'Allianceyand¢ intitle of honour) Genetall oftheir forces by Sea and Land;made open' War-vpon Dewmerrins the fon ofAntizonus Gondrak forthe liberty of bens. Itis ftrange and worthy ofnoting;Thar when Crates ivthic quarrell had loft a battaile,the Cérhenians wore Garlands,in figne of ioy, to fatter their good Lords the Atacedonians, that had wontheviGiory. Sach werenowthe achensans become ; in vvhomthe rule wasverified, chat holds trueia generall of the multitude. Ait humiliterferuit, aut /uperbe dominatur. It is either bafe in[eruice, or infoléntin int. mand. Neuerthelefe when Demetrius vvas dead; Aratus performedthat by mony,which 10 hecould not by force; & corrupting theCaptaine ofthe A¢acedonianGartifon puirehafed liberty tothe Arhenians,vvho thenceforth held'good:cotrefpondence with the Athaans louingthem, and {peaking vvell of them, vvhich wasallthat they could doe: but into their Corporation they entred nor, {corning it belikesin regard oftheit own out wore glory. Nowas the Common-wealth ofs Achaia daily increafed within Peloponne]us, byiir- fticeand honeftie: fo didthe e£tolians,in the viter part ofGreetes yea'and within pelo. ponvéfusit {elfe, waxe very powerfull, by fturdinefle ofbody,& rude courage in fighr without help ofany other vertue. They had {toutly defended theinfelues azaintt ars. paterand Craterus ; partly by daring to do & fuffer much; partly by the natural! ftrength 30 & fafthelle of their Country'; but efpecially by the benefit ofthe time; wvhich called a waythefe famous 'Captaines to otherbiifinefle, as hath bin related, They had molefted Caffander,in fauour of Astigonas 8 vvere themfelues zs much plagti¢d by him, & bythe Acarmanians,a little, buta ftout Nation, thattookehis parti: Afterwatds they hadtodo putation, to Philofophers and others | Whethera'valiant man (‘as he was efteciedjand in fome cafes approued )might looke pale‘and tremble;when hebeganbatraile;and whether the vertne of Fortitude were dinerfified,' by the flindiy natures'of men,& ina mam Net confinedvnro federal forts ofation. In refoluing which doubtsit may be faidjthat With Demetriusthe fon ofthe firft Antigonws, & more orleffe, withall the Kings of#44~ all vertie is perfected in men by exercife,whereiti they are trained by' occafion: though valour, feeing they had noregard of honefty otfriendthip ;meafutingall things by their a naturallinclination ftandethin need oflittle practice: whereas the defect hercofmult be fupplied with muchinftruction, vfe, gdod {ucceffezand otherhelpe, yet hardly fhall 6 prow abfolute in gerierallSich Was Aratusin mattet' of Warre. In fincere affection to is Countriche vvas vitreprotieable, ‘and fo'acknowledged: as his following actions cellos {ucceéding him. Theylikewife held often War vvith the.4car wanians, Athamanians, Epirats,8 many Cities in Peloposne/us : fotharthey vvere hardned with perpetualltrauaile ; feldome putting oftheir Armour. Buttheir hardineffe ill deferued the namieof own infolent wils,& thinking/all people bafe-minded, that were not as fierce‘and outs 3° ragious as themfelues. 2 TheleeArelians had lately made great {poylesin Peloponne/us, and occupied a-good "When Acrocoriathus wastakenand ioytied vatothié Common-wealth ofAchaie, the partofthe Country... They hadinuaded the friends of the Achidins,. taken'and facked Pallene «where although they werefoundly beaten by dratus, yet their defire of gaine madethem makea new voyagethither, astoa Cointty wherein foniewhat was to be 30 didthe Trexenians, and the Epidaurians ? whereby'this new erected State grew fo "eS Gonatas ; who prefledthem fo hardly, that they vvéere'driuento feeke helpe'of the Willtruely teftifie, =~ > 8 , Ategarians revolted foone afterfrom Autigonwi, and entred into thé fame Corporation. powerfull, that it'aduenttired to take Arbewsfrom the Wsacedonians sand Argos do MegeZopols, fromTyrants that heldthem.The enterprifeVpon the Athens vas of noneectie. Forthough 4raras'watted'the Ile ofSalamis, to fhewhisftrengety; and {ent home the Athenian prifoners,Withouttanfome,‘to allure the Citié by thew oflove ; yetthe Athe- 49 ttansftirred neither againft him, nor forhim}4s being tio growne honett flanges tothe Macedowians." Vpon- Argos the aduentire was cartiéd'inore ftrongly. Thewehean came fometimeste the pares ofthe Citiesbut the people Rirred ae soncethey entred it, arid might hatte wonneiit, ifthe Citizens' would Wauelent* any helpeto the recouerle oftheir ownefreedome ; findty timesand with diversenents, cheyfoughe withthe Ty rants, (who. tofe vp one aftct another in ‘Apgos in Spen field; ‘and flue one of them ia battaile ; butall fifficed not! Varill de length ‘Ariflomachas the Tyrant was forert! ‘1 perfwaded, andhired, by dratus, thathe confenredto refigne his Bftate. The like di Xenon the Tyrant of Hermione,and Cleamymius that had Sppretfed the Phiiafians: j Whileft this bufineffe withthe Argineswason foot, Lyfada the Tyrant of wege + $9 polts,was fo well handled by Aratus, that, without comipulfion; "He gane'libertie't ~ Citie,and annexed it to the Councell' of ‘Achaia t whereby ‘he g6t {lich credit, SS was chofen Generall oftheir forces (which was a'yearely Office;and might not - ~y twoyeeres together by one man: ) everyfecond yearefor a cerrainé while, heane/ a t#slucceeded one anotherby turnes. Bat thofe late Tyiants, andrew Citizens or diasand Ariftomachas,werecattied with ptinate paffion from cave ofthe gencrallgoo%s in which courfes they oppofed Cratws, to the preat hurt of Czhidid,as thall appeate inductime. 7 The potten, But they were forced to looke another vvay,by Demetrius the forne of Antigo Acheans which they obtained. ‘The vvar vvhich the' 4chwars madevpon Demetrius, Withont Pe/oponne/us,in 2ttice, thoughit tendedto expelling the Macedons out ofGreece, ; yetthe benefic therofredounded chiefly vntothe e£tolians, at whofe inftance it was fet #° on foor: fortherby vvere the A¢acedonian forces diuérted from them. Neither was this 600dturne vnacknowledged; though vety bafely thee#tolians,giuing thanksin words, deufed howto requite the benefit with fomegreat mifchiefe.. They {awthat the Ache, "Were defirous,to bring all Pedoponne/as into their Alliance & Corporation: of which intent, the Lecedemonians werevery iealous.' Wherefore thele «Aizalians labouredearReftly,to fet the Lacedemonians and Acheans together by the eares: hoping that ifthis mightcometo paffe,they themfelues fhould be called in ro'hel petit skilled not 6a what idejand fo get no fmall fhare,both in bootie and Tertitorit. Neither did they forbeare teCommunicatethis their deuice vato Antigonus ; offering to make him partakerof thei? Raine, whom they knewto be offended with the many ‘leifes , that this Kingdomié had uftained by the Acheans.Ofthis plot Aratus was awate s whotherefére detetinined ta jo uffer many indignities, ratherthan togiuethe Lacedemonizns caufetotake Armes, But thistefolution was taken fomewhattoo late : ahd noralrogerher in his own power to old: He had bin meddling with the Arcadisns, that were dependatits of Laceddmon and thereby had prouoked the!Lacedemonianstolooke aboutthenr; {ceing ‘thatall PelePétinefas.excepting themfelues, the E/cans, anda few Areadsans their friends ( who plfo Weteattempted)was already become Achean. The Citic ofsparta wasin illcafe about thefe times sand fabie& tothe iniurles of any Songer Neighbor.Pyrriw had greatly weakned it; The £rolians entring Latonia wish aa |