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Cornelii Nepotis Vitae (Hamilton)/Chabrias

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 XI. Iphicrates XIII. Timotheus 
Chabrias Atheniensis. Hic quoque habitus-est
Chabrias the Athenian. He also was held
in summis ducibus, que gessit multas
in (among) the greatest leaders, and carried on many
res dignas memoria. Sed ex his inventum
things worthy remembrance. But of these the invention
eius in praelio, quod fecit apud Thebas,
of him in battle, which he made at Thebes,
quum venisset (sub.) subsidio Boeotiis, maxime
when he had come to relief to the Beotians, chiefly
elucet. Namque in eo, summo duce
shines forth. For in that, the highest commander
Agesilao fidente victoria, conductitiis catervis iam
Agesilaus confiding in victory, the hired bands already
fugatis ab eo, vetuit reliquam phalangem
being routed by him, he forbade the remaining phalanx
cedere loco, que genu obnixo
to depart from place, and with knee leaning against
scuto, [que] hasta proiecta, docuit
to shield, [and] spear extended, he taught (them)
excipere impetum hostium. Agesilaus contuens
to receive the assault of enemies. Agesilaus beholding
id novum, ausus-est non progredi, que
that new (thing), dared not to advance, and
revocavit tuba suos iam incurrentes.
recalled with trumpet his (men) already running on.
Hoc celebratum-est usque-eo fama tota
This was celebrated to that degree by fame in whole
Graecia, ut Chabrias voluerit statuam, que
Greece, that Chabrias wished the statue, which
constituta-est ei ab Atheniensibus in foro
was erected to him by the Athenians in the forum
publice, fieri sibi illo statu. Ex
publicly, to be made to himself in that attitude. From
quo factum-est, ut postea athletae que ceteri
which it was made, that afterwards wrestlers and other
artifices, in statuis ponendis, uterentur (sub.) his
artists, in statues to be placed, did use those
statibus quibus adepti-essent victoriam.
attitudes in which they had obtained victory.


Autem Chabrias administravit multa bella in
But Chabrias managed many wars in
Europa, quum esset (sub.) dux Atheniensium,
Europe, when he was general of the Athenians,
gessit multa in Aegypto sua sponte. Nam
he carried on many in Egypt by his own will. For
profectus adiutum Nectanabin, constituit regnum
having gone to assist Nectanabis, he established the kingdom
ei. Fecit idem Cypri, sed publice
to him. He did the same at Cyprus, but publicly
datus adiutor Evagorae ab Atheniensibus,
(he was) given assistant to Evagoras by the Athenians,
neque discessit inde, prius-quam devinceret (sub.)
nor departed thence, before that he did conquer
bello totam insulam. Ex qua re
in war the whole island. From which thing
Athenienses adepti-sunt magnam gloriam. Interim
the Athenians obtained great glory. In the meantime
bellum conflatum-est inter Aegyptios et
war was excited between the Egyptians and
Persas. Athenienses habebant societatem cum
Persians. The Athenians had alliance with
Artaxerxe; Lacedaemonii cum Aegyptiis, a
Artaxerxes; the Lacedemonians with the Egyptians, from
quibus Agesilaus, rex eorum, faciebat magnam
whom Agesilaus, the king of them, did make great
praedam. Chabrias intuens hoc, quum cederet (sub.)
booty. Chabrias regarding this, when he did yield
Agesilao in nulla re, profectus sua
to Agesilaus in no thing, having gone by his own
sponte adiutum eos, praefuit Aegyptiae classi,
will to assist them, commanded to the Egyptian fleet,
Agesilaus pedestribus copiis.
Agesilaus to the foot forces.


Tum praefecti regis Persiae miserunt
Then the governors of the king of Persia sent
legatos Athenas questum, quod Chabrias
ambassadors (to) Athens to complain, that Chabrias
gereret (sub.) bellum cum Aegyptiis adversum
did carry on war with the Egyptians against
regem. Athenienses praestituerunt certam diem
the king. The Athenians appointed before a certain day
Chabriae, ante quam, nisi redisset
to Chabrias, before which, unless he should have returned
domum, denuntiarunt se damnaturos
home, they denounced themselves about to condemn
illum capitis. Hoc nuntio rediit Athenas,
him of head. With this message he returned (to) Athens,
neque moratus-est ibi diutius quam fuit necesse.
nor stayed there longer than was necessary.
Enim erat non libenter ante oculos suorum
For he was not willingly before the eyes of his own
civium, quod et vivebat laute, et
citizens, because both he did live splendidly, and
indulgebat sibi liberalius, quam ut
did indulge to himself more freely, than that
posset (sub.) effugere invidiam vulgi. Enim
he could to escape the envy of the commonalty. For
hoc est commune vitium in magnis que liberis
this is the common fault in great and free
civitatibus, ut invidia sit (sub.) comes gloriae,
states, that envy is the companion of glory,
et detrahant (sub.) libenter de iis, quos
and they detract willingly from those, whom
videant eminere alius; neque pauperes
they may see to be eminent too highly; nor the poor
intuuntur aequo animo fortunam opulentium
regard with equal mind the fortune of the rich
alienam. Itaque Chabrias, quoad licebat
different. Therefore Chabrias, as much as it was allowed
ei, aberat plurimum. Neque vero ille
to him, was absent very much. Nor indeed, he
solus aberat Athenis libenter, sed fere
alone was absent from Athens willingly, but almost
omnes principes fecerunt idem, quod putabant
all the chiefs did the same, because they did think
se abfuturos ab invidia, tantum
themselves about to be absent from envy, as much
quantum recessissent a conspectu
as they should have retired from the view
suorum. Itaque Conon vixit plurimum
of their own (countrymen.) Therefore Conon lived very much
Cypri, Iphicrates in Thracia, Timotheus
at Cyprus, Iphicrates an Thrace, Timotheus
Lesbi, Chares in Sigeo. Chares dissimilis
at Lesbos, Chares in Sigeum. Chares unlike
quidem horum, et factis et moribus,
indeed of these, both in actions and in manners,
sed tamen et honoratus et potens Athenis.
but however both honoured and powerful in Athens.


Autem Chabrias periit sociali bello,
But Chabrias perished in the confederate war,
tali modo. Athenienses oppugnabant Chium.
in such manner. The Athenians did attack Chios.
Chabrias erat privatus in classe, sed anteibat
Chabrias was a private in the fleet, but he did excel
auctoritate omnes, qui erant in magistratu, que
in authority all, who were in office, and
milites aspiciebant eum magis quam qui
the soldiers did look to him more than (to those) who
praeerant. Quae res maturavit mortem ei.
did command. Which thing hastened death to him.
Nam, dum studet intrare portum primus,
For, whilst he endeavours to enter the harbour first,
que iubet gubernatorem dirigere navem eo,
and orders the pilot to direct the ship thither,
ipse fuit perniciei sibi. Enim quum
himself was to destruction to himself. For when
penetrasset (sub.) eo, ceterae secutae-sunt non.
he had penetrated thither, the rest followed not.
Quo facto circumfusus concursu
By which deed compassed about by a concourse
hostium, quum pugnaret (sub.) fortissime, navis
of enemies, when he did fight very bravely, the ship
percussa rostro cepit sidere. Quum posset (sub.)
being struck with beak began to sink. When he could
refugere hinc, si deiecisset (sub.) se in
to flee back hence, if he had thrown himself into
mare, quod classis Atheniensium suberat,
the sea, because the fleet of the Athenians was at hand,
qua exciperet natantes, maluit
which might receive (those) swimming, he chose rather
perire, quam armis abiectis, relinquere
to perish, than arms being thrown away, to leave
navem, in qua fuerat vectus. Ceteri
the ship, in which he had been carried. The rest
noluerunt facere id, qui pervenerunt in
were unwilling to do that, who arrived into
tutum nando. At ille, existimans honestam
a safe (place) by swimming. But he, thinking an honourable
mortem praestare turpi vitae, interfectus-est
death to excel to a shameful life, was slain
telis hostium, pugnans comminus.
by weapons of enemies, fighting hand to hand.