§4.17.1τὴν Ἀχαΐαν μετὰ τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν.
into Achaea with the Illyrians.
ἀρίστων δʼ ὁ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν στρατηγός, οὐ προσποιούμενος οὐδὲν τῶν γινομένων, ἦγε τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας, φάσκων οὐ πολεμεῖν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς, ἀλλὰ διατηρεῖν τὴν εἰρήνην, εὔηθες καὶ παιδικὸν πρᾶγμα ποιῶν·
Ariston, the general of the Aetolians, pretending to have no part in what was happening, remained quiet at home, claiming that he was not at war with the Achaeans, but was maintaining peace—acting in a foolish and childish manner.
§4.17.2δῆλον γὰρ ὡς εὐήθη καὶ μάταιον εἰκὸς φαίνεσθαι τὸν τοιοῦτον, ὅταν ὑπολαμβάνῃ τοῖς λόγοις ἐπικρύψασθαι τὰς τῶν πραγμάτων ἐναργείας.
For it is natural that such a man should appear foolish and futile when he supposes that he can conceal the clear reality of facts by words.
§4.17.3οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Δωρίμαχον διὰ τῆς Ἀχαιάτιδος ποιησάμενοι τὴν πορείαν, ἧκον ἄφνω πρὸς τὴν Κύναιθαν.
Dorimachus and his associates, having made their march through Achaea, arrived suddenly at Cynaetha.
§4.17.4συνέβαινε δὲ τοὺς Κυναιθεῖς, ὄντας Ἀρκάδας, ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων ἐν ἀκαταπαύστοις καὶ μεγάλαις συνεσχῆσθαι στάσεσι, καὶ πολλὰς μὲν κατʼ ἀλλήλων πεποιῆσθαι σφαγὰς καὶ φυγάς, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἁρπαγὰς ὑπαρχόντων, §4.17.5ἔτι δὲ γῆς ἀναδασμούς, τέλος δʼ ἐπικρατῆσαι τοὺς τὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν αἱρουμένους καὶ κατασχεῖν τὴν πόλιν, φυλακὴν ἔχοντας τῶν τειχῶν καὶ στρατηγὸν τῆς πόλεως ἐξ Ἀχαΐας.
It happened that the Cynaethians, who were Arcadians, had for a long time been involved in incessant and violent factions, and had committed many massacres and banishments against one another, and in addition to these, plundering of property, and furthermore, redistributions of land; and finally, those who favored the cause of the Achaeans prevailed and held the city, keeping a guard on the walls and a general of the city from Achaea.
§4.17.6τούτων δʼ οὕτως ἐχόντων, ὀλίγοις ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις τῆς τῶν Αἰτωλῶν παρουσίας διαπεμπομένων τῶν φυγάδων πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει, καὶ δεομένων διαλυθῆναι πρὸς αὑτοὺς καὶ κατάγειν σφᾶς εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν,
While matters stood thus, a short time before the arrival of the Aetolians, the exiles sent messages to those in the city, begging to be reconciled with them and to be restored to their homes.
§4.17.7πεισθέντες οἱ κατέχοντες τὴν πόλιν ἐπρέσβευον πρὸς τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν ἔθνος, βουλόμενοι μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνων γνώμης ποιεῖσθαι τὰς διαλύσεις.
The party in possession of the city, being persuaded, sent envoys to the Achaean League, wishing to make the reconciliation with their consent.
§4.17.8[τῶν Ἀχαιῶν] ἐπιχωρησάντων δʼ ἑτοίμως διὰ τὸ πεπεῖσθαι σφίσιν ἀμφοτέρους εὐνοήσειν, ἅτε τῶν μὲν κατεχόντων τὴν πόλιν ἐν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ἐχόντων πάσας τὰς ἐλπίδας, τῶν δὲ καταπορευομένων μελλόντων τυγχάνειν τῆς σωτηρίας διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν συγκατάθεσιν,
And [the Achaeans] readily consented, because they were convinced that both parties would be well-disposed toward them, since those in possession of the city placed all their hopes in the Achaeans, while those who were returning were about to obtain their safety through the consent of the Achaeans.
§4.17.9οὕτως ἀποστείλαντες τὴν παραφυλακὴν καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως οἱ Κυναιθεῖς διελύσαντο καὶ κατήγαγον τοὺς φυγάδας, ὄντας σχεδὸν εἰς τριακοσίους, λαβόντες πίστεις τῶν παρʼ ἀνθρώποις νομιζομένων τὰς ἰσχυροτάτας.
Thus, having dismissed the guard and the general from the city, the Cynaethians reconciled and restored the exiles, who numbered nearly three hundred, after taking the strongest pledges recognized among men.
§4.17.10οἱ δὲ κατανοστήσαντες οὐχ ὡς αἰτίας ἢ προφάσεως ἐπιγενομένης τοῦ δοκεῖν ἄλλης διαφορᾶς ἀρχὴν αὐτοῖς τινα γεγενῆσθαι, τὸ δʼ ἐναντίον παραχρῆμα κατελθόντες εὐθέως ἐπεβούλευον τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τοῖς σώσασι.
But those who returned, not waiting for any subsequent cause or pretext to arise that might seem to have given them some new ground for dispute, but on the contrary, immediately upon their return, at once began plotting against their country and those who had saved them.
§4.17.11καί μοι δοκοῦσι, καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἐπὶ τῶν σφαγίων τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τὰς πίστεις ἐδίδοσαν ἀλλήλοις, τότε μάλιστα διανοεῖσθαι περί τε τῆς εἰς τὸ θεῖον καὶ τοὺς πιστεύσαντας ἀσεβείας.
And it seems to me that at the very time when they were giving oaths and pledges to one another over the victims, they were then most of all plotting their impiety against both the divine and those who trusted them.
§4.17.12ἅμα γὰρ τῷ μετασχεῖν τῆς πολιτείας εὐθέως ἐπεσπῶντο τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ τούτοις ἔπραττον τὴν πόλιν, σπεύδοντες τοὺς σώσαντας ἅμα καὶ τὴν θρέ
For as soon as they shared in the citizenship, they immediately began inviting the Aetolians and negotiating to betray the city to them, hastening to destroy both their saviors and the [country] that nurtured them—