Antigonus having attacked and taken <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a>, treated the Lacedaemonians in all respects with great generosity and humanity, and, after restoring the ancient form of government, left the city in a few days with his whole army, as he had received news that the Illyrians had invaded <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> and were ravaging the country.
Thus ever is it the way of Fortune to decide the most weighty issues against rule and reason.
For on this occasion Cleomenes, had he deferred giving battle for merely a few days, or had he, on returning to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a> after the battle, waited ever so short a time to avail himself of the turn of events, would have saved his crown.
Antigonus however, on reaching <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Tegea&groupId=1011&placeId=1780">Tegea</a>, restored the old form of government there also, and two days later arrived at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Argos&groupId=361&placeId=689">Argos</a> just in time for the Nemean festival,
at which the Achaean League and each several city heaped on him every honour they could think of to immortalize his memory. He then hastily left for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a>,
where he found the Illyrians. Engaging them in a pitched battle, he was victorious, but in the course of the fight he strained himself so much by shouting to his troops to cheer them on that from a rupture of a blood-vessel or some such accident he fell sick and died shortly afterwards.
He had aroused high hopes of himself throughout Greece, not so much by his support in the field as by his general high principles and excellence.
He was succeeded on the throne of Macedon by Philip son of Demetrius.
Walbank Commentary