that lay secure, as having defended itself in more dangerous times, and having now Antigonus near at hand in Ægium. The town he won; but after he was entered, all that were fit to bear arms rose hastily against him, and, though they could not drive him out, yet saved the multitude, to whom they gave a port free for their escape. He sent after the citizens, offering their town and goods to them again, if they would be of his party. But they bravely refused his offer; wherefore he sacked and ruined it, carrying with him to Sparta a great booty that he found therein. These news astonished the Achæans at Egium, who thereupon brake up their parliament. Antigonus sent hastily for his Macedonians out of their wintering places; but they were so long in coming, that Cleomenes was safely gone home. Therefore he returned them back to their lodgings, and went himself to Argos, there to pass the rest of his unlucky winter, somewhat further from the eyes of the grieved Achæans. When he had lain a while at Argos, Cleomenes was at the gates with no great number of men, yet with more than Antigonus had then about him. The Argives, perceiving that their country would be spoiled, if Antigonus did not issue into the field, were very earnest with him to go forth and fight. But he was wiser than to be moved with their clamours; and suffered them to see their villages burnt, to bid him resign his office of protector unto some that were more valiant, and to satisfy their passions with foolish words, rather than he would be overcome in fight, and thereby lose more honour than could easily be repaired. By this, Cleomenes had his desire in weakening the reputation of his enemy; though he thereby added neither followers nor other strength unto Lacedæmon.

Afterwards, when the season was more fit for war, Antigonus gathered together all his troops, meaning to requite these bravados of his enemy with the conquest of Sparta. Cleomenes on the other side laboured to keep the war from his own gates, and therefore entered upon the country of Argos, where he made such havoc as drew Antigonus thither from his intended invasion of Laconia. Many great RALEGH, VOL. IV.

affronts the Macedonian was fain to endure in coasting the Spartan king, that ranging over the country of the Argives, Phliasians, and Orchomenians, drave a garrison of his out of Oligyrtis, and did sacrifice, as it were, before his face, in the suburbs of Argos, without the temple of Juno, that was shut up, sending unto him in scorn to borrow the keys. These were light things, yet served to dishearten the Achæan side, and to fill the enemy with courage, which was no matter of light importance. Therefore he concluded to lay apart all other regard of things abroad, and to put all to hazard, by setting up his rest without more delay upon Sparta itself. He had in his army eight and twenty thousand foot and twelve hundred horse, collected out of sundry nations, as Macedonians, Illyrians, Gauls, Epirots, Boeotians, Acarnanians, and others, together with the Achæans and their friends of Peloponnesus. Cleomenes had of all sorts twenty thousand, with which he lay at Selasia, fortifying slightly the other passages into Laconia, through which the Macedonians were not likely to seek entrance. Antigonus coming to Selasia, found his enemy so strongly encamped upon and between the hills of Eva and Olympus, that he was constrained to spend much time there before he could advance any one foot; neither lay it in his power to come hastily to blows, which he greatly desired, without the hazard of his whole army in assailing their well-defenced camp. But at length, (as it happens when men are weary both of their hopes and fears,) both kings being resolved to make an end one way or other, Antigonus attempted with his Illyrians to force that part which lay on the hill Eva; but his Illyrians were so ill seconded by the Achæan foot, that the Spartan horse and light-armed foot, encamped in the strait valley between those hills, issuing forth, fell upon their skirts, and not only disordered them, but were like to have endangered all the rest. If Cleomenes himself had stood in that part of the battle, he would have made great use of such a fair beginning: but Euclidas his brother, a more valiant than skilful soldier, commanded in that wing; who neither followed his advan

tage, nor took such benefit as the ground afforded whereon he lay. Philopomen the Arcadian of Megalopolis, who afterwards proved a famous captain, served then on horse, as a private young man, among the Achæans. He seeing that all was like to go to rout, if their Illyrians were driven to fall back upon the army following them, persuaded the captains of the Achæan horse to break upon the Spartan mercenaries. But they would not, partly despising his youth and want of charge; partly, for that Antigonus had given order that they should keep their places until they received a sign from him, which was not as yet. Philopomen, perceiving them to be more orderly than well advised, entreated some of his own countrymen to follow him, gave a charge upon the Spartans, and forced them, not only to leave the Illyrians, but seek how to save themselves. Being so far advanced, he found the place, which the Illyrians had attempted, like enough to be won through the unskilfulness of him that held it. Wherefore he alighted, and persuaded the men at arms his companions to do the like; the folly of Euclidas being manifest, who kept the top of the hill, and stirred not to hinder those that ascended, but waited for them in a plain, where they might fight upon even terms. So he recovered the hill-top, where, though he was sore hurt, yet he made good the place that he had gotten, until the whole army came up to him, by which the Lacedæmonians were beaten from it with great slaughter of them in their descent. This overthrow and death of Euclidas made Cleomenes lose the day; who, fighting bravely on the other side upon Olympus against Antigonus himself, was like to have been surrounded and lost, if he had not withdrawn himself with an extraordinary speed. In this battle ended the glory of Lacedæmon, which, as a light ready to go out, had, with a great but not long blaze, shined more brightly of late than in many ages past.

Cleomenes fled unto Sparta, where he had no desire to stay, finding only two hundred left of six thousand Spartans that he had led unto this battle, and most of his hired soldiers dead, or gone away. So he persuaded his people to

yield themselves unto Antigonus, and promising to do all that should at any time lie in his own power for their good, he hasted away to the sea-side, (where he had shipping long before provided against all that might happen,) and embarked himself for Egypt. He was lovingly entertained by Ptolomy Euergetes, who undertook to restore him to his kingdom, and perhaps meant no less, as being much delighted with his gallant behaviour and qualities. In the mean season he had a pension allowed him of four and twenty talents yearly. But this Ptolomy died, and his son Ptolomy Philopater succeeded him; a vicious young prince, wholly governed by lewd women and base men, unmindful of all virtue, and hating any in whom it was found. When therefore Cleomenes was desirous to return into Greece, whither the troubles in Peloponnesus did seem to invite him, Ptolomy and his minions would neither give him aid, nor yet dared to dismiss him (as he desired) to try his own friends in Greece, because he was too well acquainted with the weakness of Egypt; nor well knew how to detain him against his will. At length they devised matter against him, and made him prisoner. The last act of him was, that with thirty of his countrymen he undertook a desperate enterprise, breaking out of the prison, and provoking the Alexandrians to rebel, and seek their liberty. In which attempt he slew some enemies of his that he met, and, having walked up and down the streets without resistance, (no man offering to take his part, or, which is very strange, to fight against him on the king's behalf,) he and his companions agreed together to be ministers of their own death. Upon his dead body Ptolomy was bold to shew his indignation, and slew his mother and children, that had been sent thither as hostages, together with the wives of his adherents, as many as were there, attending upon the old queen. Such was the end of Cleomenes, a generous prince, but son of Leonidas, who had caused Agis, with his mother and grandmother, to come to such a bloody end as now befell his own wife, son, and grandchildren.

After the victory at Sellasia, Antigonus without resist

ance entered Sparta; whereinto never the force of any enemy before him could make way. He kindly entreated the citizens, and left them to their own laws and government, tarrying there no longer than two or three days; after which he hastened out of Peloponnesus, and never returned. The cause of his speedy departure was, an advertisement that he received out of Macedon, how the Illyrians overran and destroyed the country. Had these news come a little sooner, or had Cleomenes either deferred the fight a few days longer, or at least wise tarried a few days after the fight in Sparta, the kingdom of Lacedæmon would have stood, and perhaps have extended itself over all Greece: but God had otherwise determined.

Antigonus fought a great battle with the Illyrians, and overcame them. Yet therein he caught his bane; not by any wound, but by overstraining his voice, wherewith he brake a vein, that bled inwardly, and in short space finished his life, who was troubled before with a consumption of the lungs. His kingdom descended unto Philip the son of Demetrius, being then a boy; as also about the same time it was, that Antiochus, surnamed (I know not why) the Great, and Ptolomy Philopater began to reign in Asia and Egypt, boys all. Of these, Ptolomy, though old enough to love harlots when he first was king, yet continued a boy all the seventeen years of his reign. The unripe age of Philip and Antiochus bred such intestine inconvenience to their kingdoms, as is usual in the minority of princes; but their elder years brought them acquainted with the Romans, upon which occasion, when it comes, we shall more seasonably speak of them and of their kingdoms more at large.

SECT. VII.

How the Illyrians infested the coast of Greece, and how they were subdued by the Romans.

WHILST things thus passed in Greece, and whilst the Carthaginians were busy in their conquest of Spain, the Romans had found themselves work among the Sardinians and Corsicans, that were easily subdued at first, and easily