THE EMPIRE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT 67 sufficiently strong to offer prolonged resistance to the armies which one or other of the rivals could bring into the field. Now, however, there appear certain leagues of minor Achaean and states which begin to show the value of federa- Aetoiian tions whose members have no rivalry among them- Lea & ues - selves for supremacy, but have common patriotic objects. The first of these was the Achaean League of twelve cities, in what we may call the northern province of the Peloponnesus. It was of old standing, but had never attempted to take an active part in Greek politics. The League had been suppressed for a time, but began a new career of activity under the guidance of Aratus of Sicyon. It liberated some cities from the Mace- donian yoke, or rather from that of the despots whom the Macedonians had placed there. As it opened its member- ship to other states, it was joined in a short time by a con- siderable number, though others such as Sparta itself would not join it. By the end of the third century B.C. another League came into prominence, the Aetoiian ; and also there was a temporary revival of the power of Sparta under its King Cleomenes. But still the old trouble went on ; Sparta and the two Leagues were all jealous of each other, and no general unity was ever achieved, especially after member- ship began to be forced upon states who were unwilling to join. But between 218 B.C. and 202 B.C. Rome was engaged in her great struggle with Carthage, known as the second Punic War. Before it was terminated, she was already being forced into contact with Greece and Macedon, whose further history becomes a part of the story of the expansion of the Roman Empire.
