Antigonus Doson at the Isthmus
Meanwhile, on the strength of the dismay caused by
note
his successes, Cleomenes was making an unopposed progress through the cities, winning
some by persuasion and others by threats. In
this way he got possession of Caphyae, Pellene,
Pheneus, Argos, Phlius, Cleonae, Epidaurus, Hermione,
Troezen, and last of all Corinth, while he personally commanded
a siege of Sicyon. But this in reality relieved the Achaeans
from a very grave difficulty. For the Corinthians by ordering
-- 147 --
Aratus, as Strategus of the league, and the Achaeans to
evacuate the town, and by sending messages to Cleomenes
inviting his presence, gave the Achaeans a ground of action
and a reasonable pretext for moving. Aratus was quick to
take advantage of this; and, as the Achaeans were in actual
possession of the Acrocorinthus, he made his peace with the
royal family of Macedonia by offering it to Antigonus; and
at the same time gave thus a sufficient guarantee for friendship
in the future, and further secured Antigonus a base of
operations for the war with Sparta.
Upon learning of this compact between the league and note
Antigonus, Cleomenes raised the siege of
Sicyon and pitched his camp near the Isthmus;
and, having thrown up a line of fortification
uniting the Acrocorinthus with the mountain called the
"Ass's Back," began from this time to expect with confidence
the empire of the Peloponnese. But Antigonus had made his
preparations long in advance, in accordance with the suggestion
of Aratus, and was only waiting for the right moment to act. note
And now the news which he received convinced him that the entrance of Cleomenes
into Thessaly, at the head of an army, was only
a question of a very few days: he accordingly despatched
envoys to Aratus and the league to conclude the terms
of the treaty note and marched to the Isthmus with his army
by way of Euboea. He took this route because the Aetolians,
after trying other expedients for preventing Antigonus bringing
this aid, now forbade his marching south of Thermopylae with
an army, threatening that, if he did, they would offer armed
opposition to his passage.
