Pausanias Analysis

Cleomenes, the son of Leonidas, who was himself the son of Cleonymus, when he had succeeded to the kingship at Sparta, began to imitate Pausanias, desiring tyranny and dissatisfied with the established laws. But being naturally more impetuous and less concerned with preserving his own life than Pausanias, he swiftly effected all his plans through sheer boldness and daring. Having killed with poison Eurydamidas, the king of the other royal line, while the latter was still a boy, through the agency of the ephors, he transferred the kingship to his brother, Epicleidas. Next, after overthrowing the power of the Council, he set up in its place officials whom he termed “Patronomoi” (Guardians of the Fathers’ laws). Aspiring then to greater things and to a leadership over the Greeks, he attacked first the Achaeans, expecting that, once victorious, he would have allies and especially desiring that they should not hinder his designs.

Joining battle near Dyme, which is situated beyond Patrae, with Aratus again commanding the Achaeans, he (Cleomenes) was victorious in the engagement. This forced Aratus, who became fearful for both the Achaeans and his own city of Sicyon, to call upon Antigonus for aid. However, as Cleomenes soon broke the truce he had arranged with Antigonus, openly violating his word and committing other outrages, and causing the people of Megalopolis to be driven from their homes, Antigonus crossed into the Peloponnese. Then the Achaeans confronted Cleomenes in battle around Sellasia. After the victory of the Achaeans, Sellasia was made captive, and Sparta itself fell. Consequently, Antigonus and the Achaeans restored to the Lacedaemonians their ancestral form of government.

Of Leonidas’ sons, Epicleidas died in the battle. Cleomenes fled to Egypt, and although he initially received honor from Ptolemy, he was subsequently imprisoned after being accused of conspiring with Egyptians against the king. He escaped from prison and stirred up unrest among the Alexandrians, but ultimately, when recaptured, he took his own life. The Spartans, relieved to be rid of Cleomenes, no longer desired kingship; instead, the political order they established thereafter endures among them even to this day. Antigonus remained steadfastly favorable toward Aratus, treating him generously as a benefactor and one who had actively shared in his successes.

Philip, after taking possession of power— for Aratus did not commend him, seeing he governed harshly towards those he ruled, and even restrained Philip from doing some actions he was already set upon— on this account slew Aratus by administering poison without any forewarning. Aratus was carried from Aegium— for in that place fate overtook him— to Sicyon, where they buried him, and the place is still known as the Arateion hero-shrine. Philip acted similarly also toward the Athenians Eurycleides and Micon, rhetors regarded favorably by the people, whom he likewise killed by poison.

Indeed, the murderous drug was also destined to bring misfortune upon Philip himself. For Perseus, the younger of Philip's sons, destroyed Philip's other son Demetrius with poison, and this act caused their father such grief that it became a reason for his own death. I have cited these things, mindful of Hesiod's divinely inspired words, that whoever plots evil against another man turns it first upon himself.

Beyond the hero-shrine of Aratus there is an altar dedicated to Poseidon Isthmius, as well as (shrines of) Zeus Meilichios and Artemis called Patroia ("Ancestral"), neither of which has been fashioned with any artistic skill. Zeus Meilichios is represented by a pyramid, while Artemis takes the form of a column. Here also stands their council chamber and a stoa called Cleistheneios, named after Cleisthenes who built it. Cleisthenes erected it from the spoils taken when he fought alongside the Amphictyons in the war against Cirrha. In the marketplace, in the open air, there is a bronze statue of Zeus, a work by Lysippos, and beside him stands a gilded Artemis.

Nearby is a sanctuary of Apollo Lycius, already fallen into ruin and scarcely worth seeing. It is said that when wolves continually attacked their flocks, so much that there was no longer any profit from them, the god pointed out a place where lay a certain dry log, and instructed them to place before the beasts some of the bark from this wood, along with meat. Immediately upon tasting it the bark destroyed the wolves. This piece of wood lay in the sanctuary of Lycius; but even the interpreters of Sicyon were unable to determine from what kind of tree it came.

Next to this are bronze statues set up in succession: they say that these represent the daughters of Proetus, though the inscription upon them refers to other women. Here is also a bronze Heracles, made by Lysippos of Sikyon, and close by stands Hermes Agoraios.