Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/396

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388 ARATUS. them^ in the long line by which they advanced, appear more in number to the enemy than they were ; and the echo of the night multiplied their shouts. In short, fall- ing on with the rest, they made the enemy give way, and were masters of the castle and garrison, day now begin- ning to be bright, and the rising sun shining out upon their success. By this time, also, the rest of his army came Tip to Aratus from Sicyon, the Corinthians joyfully re- ceiving them at the gates and helping them to secure the king's party. And now, having put all things into a safe posture, he came down from the castle to the theatre, an infinite number of people crowding thither to see him and to hear what he would say to the Corinthians. Therefore drawing up the Achoeans on each side of the stage-pas- sages, he came forward himself upon the stage, with his corslet still on, and his face showing the effects of all his hard work and want of sleep, so that his natural exultar tion and joyfulness of mind were overborne by the weari- ness of his body. The people, as soon as he came forth, breaking out into great applauses and congratulations, he took his sjiear in his right hand, and, resting his body upon it with his knee a little bent, stood a good while in that posture, silently receiving their shouts and acclama- tions, while they extolled his valor and wondered at his fortune ; which being over, standing up, he began an oration in the name of the Achaeans, suitable to the late action, persuading the Corinthians to associate themselves to the Achceans, and withal delivered up to them the keys of their gates, which had never been in their power since the time of king Philip. Of the captains of Anti- gonus, he dismissed Archelaus, whom he had taken pris- oner, and Theophrastus, who refused to quit his post, he put to death. As for Persaeus, when he saw the castle was lost, he had got away to Cenchrese, where, some time