§2.48.1εἰδὼς δὲ τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας κακοπαθοῦντας μὲν τῷ πολέμῳ διὰ τὸ παρακειμένους τῇ Λακεδαίμονι προπολεμεῖν τῶν ἄλλων, οὐ τυγχάνοντας δὲ τῆς καθηκούσης ἐπικουρίας ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν διὰ τὸ κἀκείνους δυσχρηστεῖσθαι θλιβομένους ὑπὸ τῆς περιστάσεως, §2.48.2σαφῶς δὲ γινώσκων οἰκείως διακειμένους αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν Μακεδόνων οἰκίαν ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἀμύντου Φίλιππον εὐεργεσιῶν, §2.48.3διειλήφει διότι ταχέως ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κλεομένους πιεζόμενοι καταφύγοιεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀντίγονον καὶ τὰς Μακεδόνων ἐλπίδας·
Aratus, knowing that the Megalopolitans were suffering in the war because, being situated next to Lacedaemon, they fought as a vanguard before the others, and that they were not obtaining the proper assistance from the Achaeans because the latter also were in difficulties, being hard pressed by the circumstances, and clearly knowing that they were amicably disposed toward the house of Macedon because of the benefactions in the time of Philip, son of Amyntas, had concluded that, if hard pressed by Cleomenes, they would quickly take refuge with Antigonus and the hopes placed in the Macedonians.
§2.48.4κοινολογηθεὶς οὖν διʼ ἀπορρήτων περὶ τῆς ὅλης ἐπιβολῆς Νικοφάνει καὶ Κερκιδᾷ τοῖς Μεγαλοπολίταις, οἵτινες ἦσαν αὐτοῦ πατρικοὶ ξένοι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν εὐφυεῖς, §2.48.5ῥᾳδίως διὰ τούτων ὁρμὴν παρέστησε τοῖς Μεγαλοπολίταις εἰς τὸ πρεσβεύειν πρὸς τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς καὶ παρακαλεῖν πέμπειν πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίγονον ὑπὲρ βοηθείας.
Therefore, having communicated in secret concerning the whole plan with Nicophanes and Cercidas, the Megalopolitans, who were his ancestral guest-friends and well-suited for the undertaking, through them he easily instilled an impulse in the Megalopolitans to send envoys to the Achaeans and urge them to send to Antigonus for help.
§2.48.6οἱ μὲν οὖν Μεγαλοπολῖται κατέστησαν αὐτοὺς τοὺς περὶ τὸν Νικοφάνη καὶ τὸν Κερκιδᾶν πρεσβευτὰς πρός τε τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς κἀκεῖθεν εὐθέως πρὸς τὸν Ἀντίγονον, ἂν αὐτοῖς συγκατάθηται τὸ ἔθνος.
The Megalopolitans, then, appointed Nicophanes and Cercidas themselves as envoys to the Achaeans, and from there straight to Antigonus, if the league should agree with them.
§2.48.7οἱ δʼ Ἀχαιοὶ συνεχώρησαν πρεσβεύειν τοῖς Μεγαλοπολίταις.
And the Achaeans permitted the Megalopolitans to send the embassy.
§2.48.8σπουδῇ δὲ συμμίξαντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Νικοφάνη τῷ βασιλεῖ διελέγοντο περὶ μὲν τῆς ἑαυτῶν πατρίδος αὐτὰ τἀναγκαῖα διὰ βραχέων καὶ κεφαλαιωδῶς, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ περὶ τῶν ὅλων κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς Ἀράτου
Having met the king in haste, Nicophanes and his companions spoke briefly and summarily about only the bare essentials concerning their own fatherland, but for the most part, about the general situation according to the instructions of Aratus.