Cleomenes In Alexandria
While engaged in effecting the destruction of Magas
note
and Berenice, his anxiety at the possible failure
of his attempt, especially through the courageous
character of Berenice, had forced him to flatter
the courtiers, and give them all hopes of advantage in case
his intrigue succeeded. It was at this juncture that, observing
Cleomenes to stand in need of the king's help, and to be
possessed of a clear understanding and a genuine grasp of the
situation, he admitted him to a knowledge of his design, holding out to him hopes of great advantage. And when
Cleomenes saw that Sosibius was in a state of great anxiety,
and above all afraid of the foreign soldiers and mercenaries,
he bade him not be alarmed; and undertook that the
foreign soldiers should do him no harm, but should
rather be of assistance to him. And on Sosibius expressing surprise rather than conviction at this promise, he
said, "Don't you see that there are three thousand
foreign soldiers here from the Peloponnese, and a thousand
from Crete? I have only to nod to these men, and every
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man of them will at once do what I want. With these
all ready to hand, whom do you fear? Surely not mere
Syrians and Carians." Sosibius was much pleased at the
remark at the time, and doubly encouraged in his intrigue
against Berenice; but ever afterwards, when observing the
indifference of the king, he repeated it to himself, and put
before his eyes the boldness of Cleomenes, and the goodwill
of the foreign contingent towards him.
