§2.47.1τοὺς καιρούς.
...times.
οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως ὥρμησαν ἀντοφθαλμεῖν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις, ἅμα μὲν ὑπολαμβάνοντες κάλλιστον εἶναι τὸ μὴ διʼ ἑτέρων σφίσι πορίζεσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοὺς διʼ αὑτῶν σῴζειν τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὴν χώραν, §2.47.2ἅμα δὲ βουλόμενοι καὶ τὴν πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τηρεῖν φιλίαν διὰ τὰς προγεγενημένας εὐεργεσίας καὶ μὴ φαίνεσθαι πρὸς ἑτέρους ἐκτείνοντες τὰς χεῖρας,
At first, then, the Achaeans hastened to oppose the Lacedaemonians by their own power, at once conceiving that it was most honorable not to procure safety for themselves through others, but to preserve their cities and country by themselves, and at the same time wishing to preserve their friendship with Ptolemy on account of past benefits, and not to appear to be stretching out their hands to others.
§2.47.3ἤδη δʼ ἐπὶ ποσὸν τοῦ πολέμου προβαίνοντος, καὶ τοῦ Κλεομένους τό τε πάτριον πολίτευμα καταλύσαντος καὶ τὴν ἔννομον βασιλείαν εἰς τυραννίδα μεταστήσαντος, χρωμένου δὲ καὶ τῷ πολέμῳ πρακτικῶς καὶ παραβόλως, §2.47.4προορώμενος Ἄρατος τὸ μέλλον καὶ δεδιὼς τήν τε τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἀπόνοιαν καὶ τόλμαν ἔκρινε πρὸ πολλοῦ λυμαίνεσθαι τὴν ἐπιβολὴν αὐτῶν.
But when the war had already progressed to some extent, and Cleomenes had abolished the ancestral constitution and transformed the lawful kingship into a tyranny, and was conducting the war both efficiently and hazardously, Aratus, looking forward to the future and fearing the madness and daring of the Aetolians, decided to ruin their plan long beforehand.
§2.47.5κατανοῶν δὲ τὸν Ἀντίγονον καὶ πρᾶξιν ἔχοντα καὶ σύνεσιν καὶ πίστεως ἀντιποιούμενον, τοὺς δὲ βασιλεῖς σαφῶς εἰδὼς φύσει μὲν οὐδένα νομίζοντας οὔτε συνεργὸν οὔτε πολέμιον, ταῖς δὲ τοῦ συμφέροντος ψήφοις αἰεὶ μετροῦντας τὰς ἔχθρας καὶ τὰς φιλίας, §2.47.6ἐπεβάλετο λαλεῖν πρὸς τὸν εἰρημένον βασιλέα καὶ συμπλέκειν τὰς χεῖρας, ὑποδεικνύων αὐτῷ τὸ συμβησόμενον ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων.
Observing that Antigonus was a man of action and sense, and laid claim to good faith, and knowing clearly that kings by nature regard no one either as an ally or an enemy, but always measure enmity and friendship by the calculations of utility, he undertook to speak to the said king and to join hands with him, pointing out to him what would happen from the course of events.
§2.47.7προδήλως μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ πράττειν ἀσύμφορον ἡγεῖτο διὰ πλείους αἰτίας.
Now he thought it disadvantageous to do this openly for several reasons.
τόν τε γὰρ Κλεομένη καὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς ἀνταγωνιστὰς παρασκευάζειν ἤμελλε πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολήν, §2.47.8τούς τε πολλοὺς τῶν Ἀχαιῶν διατρέψειν, καταφεύγων ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ δοκῶν ὁλοσχερῶς ἀπεγνωκέναι τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐλπίδας· ὅπερ ἥκιστα φαίνεσθαι πράττων ἐβούλετο.
For he was likely to set Cleomenes and the Aetolians as adversaries against his undertaking, and to alienate the majority of the Achaeans, by taking refuge with their enemies and appearing to have entirely despaired of their own hopes—which was the last thing he wished to appear to do.
§2.47.9διόπερ ἔχων τοιαύτην πρόθεσιν ἀδήλως αὐτὰ διενοεῖτο χειρίζειν.
Therefore, having such a purpose, he intended to manage these matters secretly.
§2.47.10ἐξ οὗ πολλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην ἠναγκάζετο καὶ λέγειν καὶ ποιεῖν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκτός, διʼ ὧν ἤμελλε τὴν ἐναντίαν ἔμφασιν ὑποδεικνύων ταύτην ἐπικρύψεσθαι τὴν οἰκονομίαν.
As a result of this, he was forced, contrary to his own opinion, to say and do many things to those outside, through which, by displaying the opposite impression, he was going to conceal this policy.
§2.47.11ὧν χάριν ἔνια τούτων οὐδʼ ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι κατέταξεν.
For which reason he did not even record some of these things in his memoirs.