Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/378

370 ARATUS. araus, and that Lacedseraonian youth, whom Myrsilus re- lates to have been trodden to pieces by the crowd of those that came to see him upon that report, to Hector. This Nicocles governed four months, in which, after he had done all kinds of mischief to the city, he very nearly let it fall into the hands of the ^tolians. By this time Aratus, being grown a youth, was in much esteem, both for his noble birth and his spirit and disposition, which, while neither insignificant nor wanting in en- ergy, were solid, and tempered with a steadiness of judg- ment beyond his years. For which reason the exiles had their eyes most upon him, nor did Nicocles less ob- serve his motions, but secretly spied and watched him, not out of apprehension of any such considerable or ut- terly audacious attem^Dt, but suspecting he held correspond- ence with the kings, who were his father's friends and acquaintance. And, indeed, Aratus first attempted this way ; but finding that Antigonus, who had promised fair, neglected him and delayed the time, and that his hopes from Egypt and Ptolemy were long to wait for, he deter- mined to cut off the tyrant by himself And first he broke his mind to Aristomachus and Ecde- lus, the one an exile of Sicyon, the other, Ecdelus, an Arcadian of Megalopolis, a philosopher, and a man of action, having been the familiar friend of Arcesilaus the Academic at Athens. These readily consenting, he com- municated with the other exiles, whereof some few, being ashamed to seem to despair of success, engaged in the design ; but most of them endeavored to divert him from his purpose, as one that for want of experience was too rash and daring. Whilst he was consulting to seize upon some post in Sicyonia, from whence he might make war upon the ty- rant, there came to Argos a certain Sicyonian, newly es- caped out of prison, brother to Xenocles, one of the