And not far from the market-place is a theatre, and near it are the
bases of some brazen statues, the statues themselves are no longer
there. And an elegiac couplet on one of the bases says that that was
the statue of Philopœmen. This Philopœmen the Greeks hold in the
highest honour, both for his sagacity and exploits. As to the lustre
of his race his father Craugis was second to none of the Arcadians
of Megalopolis, but he dying when Philopœmen was quite a boy his
guardian was Cleander an exile from Mantinea, who had come to live at
Megalopolis after the troubles in his native place, and had been on a
footing of old friendship with the family of Craugis. And Philopœmen
had they say among other tutors Megalophanes and Ecdelus: the sons
of Arcesilaus were pupils they say of Pitanæus. In size and strength
he was inferior to none of the Peloponnesians, but he was far from
good-looking. He didn’t care about contending in the games, but he
cultivated his own piece of ground, and was fond of hunting wild
beasts. He read also they say frequently the works of the most famous
Greek sophists, and books on the art of war, especially such as touched
on strategy. He wished in all things to make Epaminondas his model in
his frame of mind and exploits, but was not able in all points to come
up to this. For Epaminondas was especially mild and had his temper
completely under control, whereas Philopœmen was hot-tempered. But
when Cleomenes captured Megalopolis, Philopœmen was not dismayed at
this unexpected misfortune, but conveyed off safely two-thirds of the
adults and all the women and children to Messene, as the Messenians
were at that time their allies and well-disposed to them. And when
Cleomenes sent a message to these exiles that he was sorry for what
he had done, and that the people of Megalopolis might return if they
signed a treaty, Philopœmen persuaded all the citizens to return only
with arms in their hands, and not upon any conditions or treaty. And
in the battle which took place at Sellasia against Cleomenes and
the Lacedæmonians, in which the Achæans and Arcadians from all the
cities took part, and also Antigonus with an army from Macedonia,
Philopœmen took his place with the cavalry at first, but when he saw
that the issue of the battle turned on the behaviour of the infantry
he willingly became a footsoldier, and, as he was displaying valour
worthy of record, one of the enemy pierced through both his thighs,
and being so impeded he dropt on his knees and was constrained to fall
forwards, so that by the motion of his feet the spear snapped off. And
when Cleomenes and the Lacedæmonians were defeated, and Philopœmen
returned to the camp, then the doctors cut out of his thighs the
spearpoint and the spear itself. And Antigonus, hearing and seeing
his courage, was anxious to invite him over to Macedonia. But he paid
little heed to Antigonus, and crossed over by ship to Crete, where a
civil war was raging, and became a captain of mercenaries. And on his
return to Megalopolis he was at once chosen by the Achæans commander of
their cavalry, and he made them the best cavalry in Greece. And when
the Achæans and all their allies fought at the river Larisus against
the men of Elis and the Ætolian force that aided the people of Elis
from kinsmanship, Philopœmen first slew with his own hands Demophantus
the commander of the enemy’s cavalry, and then put to flight all the
cavalry of the Ætolians and men of Elis.