§2.55.1κατὰ δὲ τοὺς καιροὺς τούτους συνθεωρῶν ὁ Κλεομένης τὰς μὲν δυνάμεις διαφειμένας, τὸν δʼ Ἀντίγονον μετὰ τῶν μισθοφόρων ἐν Αἰγίῳ διατρίβοντα καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν ἀφεστῶτα τῆς Μεγάλης πόλεως, §2.55.2τὴν δὲ πόλιν ταύτην εἰδὼς δυσφύλακτον οὖσαν διὰ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὴν ἐρημίαν, τότε δὲ καὶ ῥᾳθύμως τηρουμένην διὰ τὴν Ἀντιγόνου παρουσίαν, τὸ δὲ μέγιστον, ἀπολωλότας τοὺς πλείστους τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἡλικίαις ἔν τε τῇ περὶ τὸ Λύκαιον καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τῇ περὶ Λαδόκεια μάχῃ, §2.55.3λαβὼν συνεργούς τινας τῶν ἐκ Μεσσήνης φυγάδων, οἳ διατρίβοντες ἐτύγχανον ἐν τῇ Μεγάλῃ πόλει, παρεισῆλθε διὰ τούτων λάθρᾳ νυκτὸς ἐντὸς τῶν τειχῶν.
At this time, Cleomenes, observing that the forces had been dismissed, and that Antigonus with his mercenaries was staying in Aegeum and was at a distance of three days' journey from Megalopolis, and knowing that this city was difficult to guard because of its size and its desolation, and that at that time it was also being guarded carelessly because of Antigonus' presence, and, what was most important, that most of those of military age had perished both in the battle around Lycaeum and afterwards in that around Ladoceia, having obtained as accomplices some of the exiles from Messene who happened to be staying in Megalopolis, he entered secretly by night inside the walls through them.
§2.55.4τῆς δʼ ἡμέρας ἐπιγενομένης παρʼ ὀλίγον ἦλθε τοῦ μὴ μόνον ἐκπεσεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις κινδυνεῦσαι διὰ τὴν εὐψυχίαν τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν.
But when day broke, he came within a little of not only being driven out but also risking his all because of the bravery of the Megalopolitans.
§2.55.5ὃ δὴ καὶ τρισὶ μησὶ πρότερον αὐτῷ συνέβη παθεῖν παρεισπεσόντι κατὰ τὸν Κωλαιὸν προσαγορευόμενον τόπον τῆς πόλεως.
which indeed had also happened to him to suffer three months earlier when he had forced his way in at the place of the city called Colaeeum.
§2.55.6τότε δὲ τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τῷ προκαταλαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς εὐκαίρους τόπους καθίκετο τῆς ἐπιβολῆς καὶ πέρας ἐκβαλὼν τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας κατέσχε τὴν πόλιν.
But on this occasion, by the multitude of his forces and by having pre-occupied the advantageous positions, he attained his purpose and, finally expelling the Megalopolitans, held the city.
§2.55.7γενόμενος δʼ ἐγκρατὴς οὕτως αὐτὴν πικρῶς διέφθειρεν καὶ δυσμενῶς ὥστε μηδʼ ἐλπίσαι μηδένα διότι δύναιτʼ ἂν συνοικισθῆναι πάλιν.
Having got possession of it, he destroyed it so bitterly and hostilely that no one could even hope that it could ever be reinhabited.
§2.55.8τοῦτο δὲ ποιῆσαί μοι δοκεῖ διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὰς τῶν καιρῶν περιστάσεις παρὰ μόνοις Μεγαλοπολίταις καὶ Στυμφαλίοις μηδέποτε δυνηθῆναι μήθʼ αἱρετιστὴν καὶ κοινωνὸν τῶν ἰδίων ἐλπίδων μήτε προδότην κατασκευάσασθαι.
He seems to me to have done this because, under the various circumstances of the times, among the Megalopolitans and Stymphalians alone had he never been able to secure either a partisan and sharer of his own hopes, or a traitor.
§2.55.9τὸ μὲν γὰρ Κλειτορίων φιλελεύθερον καὶ γενναῖον εἷς ἀνὴρ κατῄσχυνε διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κακίαν, Θεάρκης· ὃν εἰκότως ἐξαρνοῦνται Κλειτόριοι μὴ φῦναι παρὰ σφίσι, γενέσθαι δʼ ὑποβολιμαῖον ἐξ Ὀρχομενοῦ τῶν ἐπηλύδων τινὸς στρατιωτῶν.
For the love of liberty and noble spirit of the Cleitorians was disgraced by one man through his own wickedness, Thearces; whom the Cleitorians with good reason deny to have been born among them, but say that he was a supposititious child of one of the immigrant soldiers from Orchomenus.