Strength and Weakness of Aratus
This being the time, according to their laws, for the
note
meeting of the Achaean federal assembly, the
members arrived at Aegium. When the assembly
met, the deputies from Patrae and Pharae made
a formal statement of the injuries inflicted upon
their territories during the passage of the Aetolians: an embassy from Messenia also appeared, begging for their assistance
on the ground that the treatment from which they were suffering was unjust and in defiance of treaty. When these
statements were heard, great indignation was felt at the wrongs of
Patrae and Pharae, and great sympathy for the misfortunes of
the Messenians. But it was regarded as especially outrageous
that the Aetolians should have ventured to enter Achaia with
an army, contrary to treaty, without obtaining or even asking
for permission from any one to pass through the country.
Roused to indignation by all these considerations, the assembly voted to give assistance to the Messenians: that the
Strategus should summon a general levy of the Achaean
arms: and that whatever was decided by this levy, when it met,
should be done. Now Timoxenus, the existing Strategus, was
just on the point of quitting office, and felt besides small confidence in the Achaeans, because martial exercise had been
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allowed to fall into neglect among them; he therefore shrank
from undertaking the expedition, or from even summoning
the popular levy. note The fact was that, after the expulsion
of Cleomenes, King of Sparta, the Peloponnesians, weary of the wars that had taken
place, and trusting to the peaceful arrangement that had
been come to, neglected all warlike preparations. Aratus,
however, indignant and incensed at the audacity of the
Aetolians, was not inclined to take things so calmly,
for he had in fact a grudge of long standing against these
people. Wherefore he was for instantly summoning the
Achaeans to an armed levy, and was all eagerness to attack
the Aetolians. note Eventually he took over from
Timoxenus the seal of the league, five days
before the proper time, and wrote to the various
cities summoning a meeting in arms of all those
who were of the military age, at Megalopolis.
But the peculiar character of this man, I think, makes it
proper for me to give a brief preliminary sketch of him.
