9S6 G R E 
poifoned hlmfel-f. In Cleomenes ended the Herculean 
race of Spartan kings, if we except the fhort reign of 
Agafipolis. 
While Antigonus was abfent in Greece, the Illyrians 
invaded Macedon witli a powerful army. Being, there¬ 
fore, recalled to the defence of his kingdom, he ad¬ 
vanced witli his troops againrt: the Illyrians, whom he 
attacked and defeated. Straining his voice, during the 
engagement, with unufual vehemence, he burft a blood 
veflel, which occafioucd his death, in the year before 
Chrifl: 221. 
Antigonus the fecond was fucceeded by Philip the 
fon of Demetrius, the lad of the Macedonian kings of 
that name. At the time of his acceffion to the throne, 
this prince was only in tlie feventeenth year of his age 
Ite was intelligent, affable, mtinificent, and attentive to 
the duties of his ftation. The jealoul'y which the 
jTitolians had for a long time entertained of the Achaean 
dates, was now increaled by the importance they had 
affumed from their alliance with Macedon. Immedi¬ 
ately, therefore, after Antigonus was dead, they ra¬ 
vaged the Achaean coad, and committed great depreda¬ 
tions on all the neighbouring countries. Aratus at¬ 
tacked them with a very inferior force, and the ^to- 
lians gained a complete vidtory. The Achaeans were, 
therefore, under the neceffity of again applying to Ma¬ 
cedon, to requed the aflidance of the new monarch. 
Philip promifed that he would aid th.em with the whole 
drength of his kingdom; and accordingly foon after 
fet out for Greece. He liad the vanity, Irowever, to 
confider himfelf entitled to the, fovereignty over all 
Greece ; and to accompliOi this end, lie determined to 
cd’eft a jundtion with the celebrated Hannibal, who at 
this time waged war againd the Romans. He lent com- 
midioners to treat with Hannibal, and with the Car¬ 
thaginian deputies in the camp ; when it was agreed 
that the kingdom of Macedon, and the republic of 
Carthage, diould confider the Romans as common ene¬ 
mies ; that after uniting their arms, and reducing the 
power of the Roman people, they Ihould purfue their 
conqueds in Greece, for the purpofe of extending the 
dominions of Macedon. 
In vain did Aratus diffuade Philip from this projedl. 
He entered the Ionian gulf with a large fleet, took Ori- 
cum, on the coad of Epire, and laid fiege to Apollonia. 
Here, however, he was furprifed and defeated by the 
Romans, and retreated homewards acrofs the mountains. 
The Romans, humbled by the vidtorious arms of Han¬ 
nibal, were not in a condition, at that time, to profe- 
cutc a war with Macedon ; but they detennined to 
rail'e up enemies againd Philip in Greece. Accordingly 
overtures were mxde to the ^Etolians, who, confiding 
in the declarations of the Roman ambalfador, not only 
concluded a treaty themfelves, but engaged Sparta and 
Elis, together with the Illyrians, in the caufe of Rome. 
In the year before Chrid 211, this new war commenced ; 
and the Romans having taken Zacynthus, .Tiniadte, and 
hiatus, redored them to the .^Etolians. Machanidas 
the tyrant of Sparta invaded the territories of the 
Achaeans, who lent a deputation to Philip, to requed 
his aflidance. Philip lod no time in marching into 
Greece to defend the pofl'effions of his allies; and the 
.Titolians, under Pyrrhus, who was appointed com¬ 
mander that year, in conjunttion with king Attains, ad¬ 
vanced to meet him as far as Lamia. A battle enfued, 
in which the ^tolians anti their allies were difeoratited ; 
and anotlier engagement foon after followed, in which 
Piiilip gained a decifive viftory. The Macedonian 
king next marched againd Elis, which had received an 
ZEtolian garrlfon. After plundering the territory, he 
was attacked by the confederate-army, among whom 
were four thoufand Romans commanded by the pro- 
conful Sulpitius. The battle was long and obdinate. 
Here Philopcemen, who ted the Achtcaii iiorfe, druck 
E C E. 
dead with his lance the commander of the oEtolian ca¬ 
valry. Philip, feeing his troops give way, ruflied head¬ 
long among the enemies, and,was_with the greated dif¬ 
ficulty faved by the Macedonians. 
. Early in the fpring, Sulpitius and Attalus, quitting 
their winter quarters, failed to Euboea, and obtained 
poffeflion of Orcum in that ifland. Attalus alfo laid 
liege to the city of Opus in Achaia, which he took; 
but Philip coming with his army, he> retired precipi¬ 
tately towards his fliips. In the mean time Machanidas^ 
tyrant of Lacedaemon, advanced with a pow'erful army 
into Achaia. He could not, however, have cholen a 
more improper time for his expedition; for Philopcemen 
was that year created general of the Achaean dates. 
No fooner was he railed to this important office, than he 
began to re-edablilh military difeipline among the 
troops. Having affembled his army at Mantinaea, he 
gave battle to Machanidas. An obdinate conflidt en¬ 
fued. Machanidas at fird had the advantage ; but pur- 
fuing the flying troops too far, Philopcemen attacked 
liim in the rear. He alfo druck Machanidas with a 
fpear, and killed him : the death of the tyrant put an 
end to the battle, in which the Lacedaemonians lod four 
thoufand men. 
Not long after the death of Machanidas, Sparta 
groaned beneath the yoke of a dill more cruel tyrant 
called Nabis, vvho, in addition to the other vices com¬ 
mon to tyranny, was actuated by a violent fpirit of ava¬ 
rice. He banifhed mod of the wealthy citizens from 
Sparta, that he might feize their riches; and many he 
catifed to be afl'adinated. He had received Argos from 
Philip, in pledge for the money which he had lent that 
monarch. He there pradlifed the mod fliocking cruel¬ 
ties. He had invented a machine in the form of a 
dattie relembling his wife, the bread, arms, and hands, 
of whicit were full of pegs of iron, covered with mag¬ 
nificent garments. If any one reftifed to give him mo¬ 
ney, he was introduced to the embraces of this machine, 
which, by means of certain fprings, caught fad hold of 
him; anti the vidlim, to deliver himfelf from this ex- 
quifite torture, readily granted whatever Nabis defired. 
The oEtolians, thinking themfelves deferted by the 
Romans, concluded a peace with Philip. Soon after, 
Publius Sempronius the proconful arrived with ten 
thoufand foot, a thoufand horfe, and thirty-five galleys, 
to the affidance of the ZStolians. He was ealily pre¬ 
vailed on by that people, to agree to an accommodation 
between the Romans and the king of Macedon. Ac¬ 
cordingly a treaty.of amity was entered into, in the year 
before Chrid 203 ; and Philip caufed the king of Bi- 
thynia, the Achaeans, the Boeotians, the Theffalians, 
Acarnanians, and Epirots, to be included in tire treaty. 
The Romans on their fide named king Attalus, Pleu- 
ratus a petty prince of Illyricum, Nabis tyrant of Spar¬ 
ta, the Eleans, Mefl'enians, and Atlie.nians. Philip 
having thus fettled his afiairs at home, and finding that 
the fortune of the Carthaginians was declining, endea¬ 
voured to extend liis dominions in the ead. he there¬ 
fore attacked the Rhodians, Athenians, and king Atta¬ 
ins, contrary to the exprefs terms of the treaty. Where, 
upon, at the requed of the Athenians, war was declared 
againd him by the Romans, and Sulpitius the conful 
appointed to carry it on. The Romans difpatched a 
fleet for the reljef of Athens, then belieged by the Ma¬ 
cedonians. Dilappointed, therefore, in his purpofes, 
Philip laid wafie the whole territory. The command 
of the Roman army devolving on 1 itus Quintius Fla- 
minius, that general had the addrels to detach the 
Achaeans from the Macedonian intered. An engage¬ 
ment foon after took place near the mountains of Cy- 
nocephalae in Tlieflaly, in which Philip was defeated 
with the lofs of thirteen thoufand men; while the 
Romans lod not more than feven hundred. The Ma¬ 
cedonian king was now obliged to fue for peace,-on 
fuch 
