Aratus   

might be made out by examples.
Aratus, therefore, having associated himself and his city to the Achaeans,
served in the cavalry, and made himself much beloved by his commanding
officers for his exact obedience; for though he had made so large
an addition to the common strength as that of his own credit and the
power of his country, yet he was as ready as the most ordinary person
to be commanded by the Achaean general of the time being, whether
he were a man of Dynae, or of Tritaea, or any yet meaner town than
these. Having also a present of five-and-twenty talents sent him from
the king, he took them but gave them all to his fellow-citizens who
wanted money, amongst other purposes, for the redemption of those
who had been taken prisoners.
But the exiles being by no means to be satisfied, disturbing continually
those that were in possession of their estates, Sicyon was in great
danger of falling into perfect desolation; so that, having no hope
left but in the kindness of Ptolemy, he resolved to sail to him, and
to beg so much money of him as might reconcile all parties. So he
set sail from Mothone beyond Malea, designing to make the direct passage.
But the pilot not being able to keep the vessel up against a strong
wind and high waves that came in from the open sea, he was driven
from his course, and with much ado got to shore in Andros, an enemy's
land, possessed by Antigonus, who had a garrison there. To avoid which
he immediately landed, and, leaving the ship, went up into the country
a good way from the sea, having along with him only one friend, called
Timanthes; and throwing themselves into some ground thickly covered
with wood, they had but an ill night's rest of it. Not long after,
the commander of the troops came, and, inquiring for Aratus, was deceived
by his servants, who had been instructed to say that he had fled at
once over into the island of Euboea. However, he declared the ship,
the property on board of her, and the servants, to be lawful prize,
and detained them accordingly. As for Aratus, after some few days
in his extremity, by good fortune a Roman ship happened to put in
just at the spot in which he made his abode, sometimes peeping out
to seek his opportunity, sometimes keeping close. She was bound for
Syria; but going aboard, he agreed with the master to land him in
Caria. In which voyage he met with no less danger on the sea than
before. From Caria being after much time arrived in Egypt, he immediately
went to the king, who had a great kindness for him, and had received
from him many presents of drawings and paintings out of Greece. Aratus
had a very good judgment in them, and always took care to collect
and send him the most curious and finished works, especially those
of Pamphilus and Melanthus.
For the Sicyonian pieces were still in the height of their reputation,
as being the only ones whose colours were lasting; so that Apelles
himself, even after he had become well known and admired, went thither,
and gave a talent to be admitted into the society of the painters
there, not so much to partake of their skill, which he wanted not,
but of their credit. And accordingly Aratus, when he freed the city,
immediately took down the representations of the rest of the tyrants,
but demurred a long time about that of Aristratus, who flourished
in the time of Philip. For this Aristratus was painted by Melanthus
and his scholars, standing by a chariot, in which a figure of Victory
was carried, Apelles himself having had a hand in it, as Polemon the
geographer reports. It was an extraordinary piece, and therefore Aratus
was fain to spare it for the workmanship, and yet, instigated by the
hatred he bore the tyrants, commanded it to be taken down. But Neacles
the painter, one of Aratus's friends, entreated him, it is said, with
tears in his eyes, to spare it, and, finding he did not prevail with
him, told him at last he should carry on his war with the tyrants,
but with the tyrants alone: "Let therefore the chariot and the Victory
stand, and I will take means for the removal of Aristratus;" to which
Aratus consenting, Neacles blotted out Aristratus, and in his place
painted a palm-tree, not daring to add anything else of his own invention.
The feet of the defaced figure of Aristratus are said to have escaped