When Sosibius saw that he was ill-disposed to Cleomenes, he persuaded him by a bribe in cash and a promise of a further sum to write a letter against Cleomenes and leave it sealed,
so that a few days after Nicagoras had left his servant might bring him the letter as having been sent by Nicagoras.
Nicagoras entered into the plot, and when the letter was brought to Sosibius by the servant after Nicagoras had sailed,
he at once took both servant and letter to the king. The servant said that Nicagoras had left the letter with orders for him to deliver it to Sosibius, and as the letter stated that Cleomenes, unless he were furnished with a properly equipped expeditionary force, intended to revolt against the king,
Sosibius at once availed himself of this pretext for urging the king not to delay, but to take the precaution of placing him in custody.
This was done, a huge house being put at his disposal in which he resided under watch and ward, differing from ordinary prisoners only in that he had a bigger jail to live in.
Seeing his position and having but poor hopes of the future, Cleomenes decided to make a dash for freedom at any cost,
not that he really believed he would attain his object — for he had nothing on his side likely to conduce to success — but rather desiring to die a glorious death without submitting to anything unworthy of the high courage he had ever exhibited, and I suppose that there dwelt in his mind and inspired him those words of the hero which are wont to commend themselves to men of dauntless spirit:<quote><l>'Tis true I perish, yet I perish great:</l><l>Yet in a mighty deed I shall expire,</l><l>Let future ages hear it, and admire.</l></quote>
Walbank Commentary