Lycurgus Returns to Sparta
Just at the beginning of this summer, while Agetas
note
was Strategus of the Aetolians, and when Aratus
had just become Strategus of the Achaean
league,—at which point we broke off in our
history of the Social war, note—Lycurgus of Sparta
returned home from Aetolia. The Ephors had
discovered that the charge on which he had
been banished was false; and had accordingly sent for him
back, and recalled him from exile. He at once began making
an arrangement with Pyrrhias the Aetolian, who happened at
the time to be commander in Elis, for an invasion of Messenia.
Now, when Aratas came into office, he found the
mercenary army of the league in a state of
complete demoralisation, and the cities very
slack to pay the tax for their support, owing to the bad and
spiritless manner in which his predecessor Eperatus had
managed the affairs of the league. note He, however, exhorted
the members of the league to reform, and obtained a decree
dealing with this matter; and then threw himself with energy
into the preparations for the war. The decree passed by
the Achaeans ordered the maintenance of eight thousand
mercenary infantry and five hundred horse, together with three
thousand Achaean infantry and three hundred horse, enrolled
in the usual way; and that of these latter five hundred foot and
fifty horse were to be brazen-shield men from Megalopolis,
and the same number of Argives. It ordered also that
three ships should be manned to cruise off Acte and in the
Argolic gulf, and three off Patrae and Dyme, and in the sea
there.
