pon each other, as the
Persians had done in the days of Xerxes, and fought so desperately that
many were killed.

The Greeks, remembering former victories, now made up their minds to
strike a blow in their own defense. They collected an army, and defeated
the invaders so severely that Bren'nus, the leader of the Gauls, killed
himself in despair, while his followers withdrew to a province in Asia
Minor, which from the Gauls was called Ga-la'tia.

CX. THE ACHAEAN LEAGUE.

While the generals and successors of Alexander were busy trying to crush
one another, most of the Greek towns, left to their own devices, had
become small republics. But instead of forming a union, they became so
jealous, that they began to quarrel and even to fight among themselves.

As the quarrels became more bitter, two parties or leagues were formed,
which, from the two most important provinces at that time, received the
names of Achaean and AE-to'li-an.

The Achaean League was made up of twelve small towns in the Peloponnesus,
and was under the leadership of A-ra'tus, a native of Sic'y-on. When a
child, Aratus had seen his native city in the hands of a tyrant. His
father, who was a patriot, had made a bold attempt to free the city, but
had failed, and lost his life. Aratus, who was but seven years of age,
heard that his father and all his family had been slain, and knew that
the tyrant would try to kill him too. As he was too weak to defend
himself, he sought refuge in the house of the tyrant's sister, where no
one would be likely to seek for him.

This woman, touched by the child's trust, hid him cleverly, and, when
all danger was over, sent him to some friends, where she paid for his
board, and had him carefully brought up.

As Aratus was patriotic, he was anxious to finish the work which his
father had begun. At the age of twenty, therefore, he assembled a few
comrades, entered Sicyon, called all the lovers of liberty to his aid,
and drove away the tyrant without shedding any blood.

The town, thus freed, joined the Achaean League, of which Aratus soon
became the leader. This office was elective, and no one was expected to
fill it for more than a year; but Aratus was so much loved that he was
chosen leader thirty-five years in succession.

At this time, Greece and Macedon were under the rule of Antigonus
Go-na'tas, son of Demetrius; for this man had conquered for himself the
second kingdom which his father had lost. But now Ara