ing.

Mantinea turned out the Achaians and invited Cleomenes back, and now it
was plain that the real question was whether the Spartan kingdom or the
Achaian League should lead the Peloponnesus--in truth, between Aratus and
Cleomenes. Another victory was gained over the Achaians, a treaty was
made, and they were going to name Cleomenes head of the League, when he
fell ill. He had over-tried his strength by long marches, and chilled
himself by drinking cold water; he broke a blood-vessel, and had to be
carried home in a litter, causing meantime the Achaian prisoners to be
set free, to show that he meant to keep the treaty.

But Aratus, in his jealousy, forgot that the great work of his youth had
been to get free of Macedon, and in order to put down Sparta and
Cleomenes, actually asked the help of Antigonus, king of Macedon, and
brought his hated troops back into the Peloponnesus, promising to welcome
them, if only Cleomenes might be put down.

The brave young king had recovered and taken Argos, and soon after
Corinth drove out the Achaian garrison and gave themselves to him; but
the great Macedonian force under Antigonus himself was advancing, and
Corinth in terror went over to him, the other allies deserted, and
Cleomenes was marching back to Sparta, when a messenger met him at Tegea
with tidings of the death of his beloved wife. He listened steadily,
gave orders for the defence of Tegea, and then, travelling all night,
went home and gave way to an agony of grief, with his mother and two
little children.

He had but 5000 Spartans, and his only hope was in getting aid from
Ptolemy the Benefactor, king of Egypt. This was promised, but only on
condition that he would send as hostages to Egypt his mother and babes.
He was exceedingly grieved, and could not bear to tell his mother; but
she saw his distress, and found out the cause from his friends. She
laughed in hopes of cheering him. "Was this what you feared to tell me?
Put me on board ship at once, and send this old carcase where it may be
of the most use to Sparta." He escorted her, at the head of the whole
army, to the promontory of Taenarus, where the temple of Neptune looks
out into the sea. In the temple they parted, Cleomenes weeping in such
bitter sorrow that his mother's spirit rose. "Go to, king of Sparta,"
she said. "Without doors, let none see us weep, nor do anything contrary
to the honour and dignity of Sparta. That at least is in our own power