Achaean League

He is generally supposed to have been a Greek of Asia Minor of one of the Ionic colonies, but the exact period in which he lived and wrote is yet unsettled.

He is placed by one critic as far back as the institution of the Achaean League, B.C. 250, by another as late as the Emperor Severus, who died A.D. 235, while others make him a contemporary with Phaedrus in the time of Augustus.

At whatever time he wrote his version of Aesop, by some strange accident it seems to have entirely disappeared and to have been lost sight of.

His name is mentioned by Avianus, by Suidas, a celebrated critic at the close of the 11th century, who gives in his lexicon several isolated verses of his version of the fables, and by John Tzetzes, a grammarian and poet of Constantinople, who lived during the latter half of the 12th century.

And he went through them one by one.

The Amphantonic Council and the Aegean League among the ancients, the Helvetic and Germanic and Belgic among moderns, tracing their likeness to the United States in the Constitution and extent of their federal authorities, in the tendencies of the particular members to usurp on those authorities and to bring confusion and ruin to the whole.

The Greeks had held on paper everything the Congress lacked, the power to fine a delinquent member and to use force against one.

What was the consequences? Their decrees, he answered, were mere signals of war, and Philip of Macedon, taking advantage of their disunion, insulated himself into their councils and became the masters of the Confederacy.

The battle resulted in the defeat of the Epirotes, many of whom were killed and still more taken prisoners, the rest escaping in the direction of Atintania.

End of chapter 5 Chapter 6 The Epirotes, having met with this misfortune and lost all hope in themselves, sent embassies to the Aetolians and to the Achaean League, imploring their succour.

Both leagues took pity on their situation and consented, and shortly afterwards this relieving force reached Helikranum.

The Illyrians in Phoinike at first united with Scerdilaidas, and advancing to Helikranum, encamped opposite the Achaeans and Aetolians and were anxious to give battle.

Gnaeus Fulvius now left for Rome with the greater part of both forces, and Postumius, with whom forty ships were left, enrolled a legion from the cities in the neighborhood, and wintered at Epidamnus, to guard the Ardiaians and the other tribes who had placed themselves under the protection of Rome.

In the early spring, 228 BC, Teuta sent an embassy to the Romans and made a treaty, by which she consented to pay any tribute they imposed, to relinquish all Illyria except a few places, and, what mostly concerned the Greeks, undertook not to sail beyond Lissus with more than two unarmed vessels.

When this treaty had been concluded, Postumius sent legates to the Aetolian and Achaean Leagues.

On their arrival, they first explained the causes of the war and the reason for crossing the Adriatic, and next gave an account of what they had accomplished, reading the treaty they had made with the Illyrians.

The battle resulted in the defeat of the Epirotes, many of whom were killed and still more taken prisoners, the rest escaping in the direction of Atintania.

End of chapter 5 Chapter 6 The Epirotes, having met with this misfortune and lost all hope in themselves, sent embassies to the Aetolians and to the Achaean League, imploring their succour.

Both leagues took pity on their situation and consented, and shortly afterwards this relieving force reached Helikranum.

The Illyrians in Phoinike at first united with Scerdilaidas and advancing to Helikranum encamped opposite the Achaeans and Aetolians and were anxious to give battle.

End of Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Gnaeus Fulvius now left for Rome with the greater part of both forces, and Postumius, with whom forty ships were left, enrolled a legion from the cities in the neighbourhood, and wintered at Epidamnus, to guard the Ardiaians and the other tribes who had placed themselves under the protection of Rome.

In the early spring, 228 B.C., Teuta sent an embassy to the Romans and made a treaty, by which she consented to pay any tribute they imposed, to relinquish all Illyria except a few places, and, what mostly concerned the Greeks, undertook not to sail beyond Lissus with more than two unarmed vessels.

When this treaty had been concluded, Postumius sent legates to the Aetolian and Achaean Leagues.

On their arrival they first explained the causes of the war and their reason for crossing the Adriatic, and next gave an account of what they had accomplished, reading the treaty they had made with the Illyrians.

The city-state maintained its independence for some time, but never again became an important power.

For the year 192 BC, Sparta was absorbed by the Achaian League, basically a Greek confederation, and even lost the illusion of independence.

Rome would end up conquering the region, and during the Roman period, Sparta became almost a tourist destination.

People traveled there to contemplate the ruins of the legendary military power, to walk where Leonidas had walked, and marvel at how much things had changed.

We Americans, of course, have some idea about that.

But there was, there was the Arcadian League that came into being, and the Achaean League that came into be-being, and the Aetolian League which came into being.

And as a matter of fact, our Founding Fathers read very carefully about these experiments in federal government as they were writing the American Constitution.

We have hard evidence about that.