Cornelii Nepotis Vitae (Hamilton)/Thrasybulus

by Cornelius Nepos

Cornelius Nepos

Vitae (Editio Interlinearis Latina-Anglica Ad Modum Hamiltonii)

VIII. Thrasybulus

editio: Philadelphia, 1890(?); Iacobus Hamiltonius (James Hamilton) et Ioannes Gulielmus Subsilvius (J. W. Underwood) recensuit

VII. Alcibiades	IX. Conon

I

Thrasybulus,	filius	Lyci,	Atheniensis.	Si
Thrasybulus,	the son	of Lycus,	the Athenian.	If

virtus	sit	ponderanda	per	se,	sine	fortuna,
virtue	may	be to be weighed	by	itself,	without	fortune,

dubito	an	ponam	hunc	primum	omnium.
I doubt	whether	I may place	him	first	of all.

Illud	sine	dubio,	praefero	neminem	huic
That (is)	without	doubt,	I prefer	nobody	to him

constantia,	magnitudine	animi,	amore	in	patriam.
in constancy,	in greatness	of mind,	in love	unto	country.

Nam,	quod	multi	voluerunt	et	pauci	potuerunt,
For,	what	many	have wished	and	few	have been able,

liberare	patriam	ab	uno	tyranno,	contigit	huic,
to free	country	from	one	tyrant,	happened	to him,

ut	vindicaret (sub.)	oppressam	a	triginta
that	he did vindicate (his country)	oppressed	by	thirty

tyrannis	ex	servitute	in	libertatem.	Sed,
tyrants	out	of slavery	into	liberty.	But,

nescio	quo	modo	quum	nemo	anteiret (sub.)
I know not	in what	manner	when	nobody	did excel

eum	his	virtutibus,	multi	praecucurrerunt	nobilitate.
him	in these	virtues,	many	outstripped (him)	in renown.

Primum	Peloponnesio	bello	hic	gessit
First	in the Peloponnesian	war	he	carried on

multa	sine	Alcibiade,	ille	nullam	rem
many (things)	without	Alcibiades,	he	no	thing

sine	hoc:	universa	quae	quodam
without	this (Thrasybulus):	all	which	by a certain

naturali	bono	ille	fecit	lucri.	Sed	tamen	omnia
natural	good	he	made	of gain.	But	however	ail

illa	communia	imperatoribus	cum	militibus	et
these	(are) common	to commanders	with	soldiers	and

fortuna,	quod	concursu	praelii	res
fortune,	because	in the onset	of battle	the thing

abit	a	consilio	ad	vires,	que	vim
goes away	from	counsel	to	strengths,	and	violence (exertion)

pugnantium.	Itaque	miles	vindicat
of (those) fighting.	Therefore	the soldier	claims

nonnulla	suo	iure	ab	imperatore,	vero
some (things)	by his own	right	from	the commander,	but

fortuna	plurima,	que	potest	vere	praedicare,
fortune	very many,	and	she is able	truly	to declare,

se	valuisse	hic	plus	quam	prudentiam
herself	to have availed	here	more	than	the skill

ducis.	Quare	illud	magnificentissimum	factum
of the leader.	Wherefore	that	most magnificent	act

est	proprium	Thrasybuli.	Nam	quum	triginta
is	peculiar	of Thrasybulus.	For	when	thirty

tyranni,	praepositi	a	Lacedaemoniis,	tenerent (sub.)
tyrants,	appointed	by	the Lacedemonians,	did hold

Athenas	oppressas	servitute,	partim	expulissent (sub.)
Athens	oppressed	in slavery,	partly	they had expelled

patria,	partim	interfecissent (sub.)	plurimos
from country,	partly	had killed	very many

cives,	quibus	fortuna	parserat	in	bello,
citizens,	to whom	fortune	had spared	in	war,

divisissent (sub.)	publicata	bona	plurimorum	inter
they had divided	the confiscated	goods	of very many	among

se,	non	solum	princeps,	sed	et	solus
themselves,	not	only	principal,	but	even	alone

initio	indixit	bellum	his.
in the beginning	he declared	war	to them.

II

Enim	quum	hic	confugisset (sub.)	Phylen,	quod
For	when	he	had fled	(to) Phyle,	which

est	munitissimum	castellum	in	Attica,	habuit	non
is	the most fortified	castle	in	Attica,	he had	not

plus	quam	triginta	de	suis	secum.	Hoc
more	than	thirty	of	his own (friends)	with him.	This

fuit	initium	salutis	Actaeorum,	hoc
was	the beginning	of safety	of the Athenians,	this

robur	libertatis	clarissimae	civitatis.	Neque
the strength	of liberty	of most illustrious	state.	Nor

vero	primo	hic	contemtus-est	non	a	tyrannis,
indeed	at first	he	was despised	not	by	the tyrants,

atque	solitudo	eius.	Quae	res	quidem	fuit
and	the solitude	of him.	Which	thing	indeed	was

et	perniciei	illis	contemnentibus,	et	saluti
both	to destruction	to those	despising,	and	to safety

huic	despecto.	Enim	haec	fecit	illos	segnes	ad
to him	despised.	For	this	made	those	inactive	to

persequendum,	autem	hos	robustiores,	tempore
following,	but	these	more strong,	time

dato	ad	comparandum.	Quo	magis
being given	to	preparing.	On which account	more

illud	praeceptum	debet	esse	in	animis	omnium:
that	precept	ought	to be	in	the minds	of all:

Oportere	nihil	contemni	in	bello,	nec	dici
To behove	nothing	to be despised	in	war,	nor	to be said

sine	caussa:	Matrem	timidi	non
without	cause:	The mother	of a coward	not

solere	flere.	Neque	tamen	opes
to be accustomed	to weep.	Nor	however	resources

auctae-sunt	pro	opinione	Thrasybuli.
were increased	according to	the opinion	of Thrasybulus.

Nam	iam	tum	illis	temporibus	boni
For	already	then	in those	times	good (men)

loquebantur	fortius	pro	libertate,	quam	pugnabant.
did speak	more bravely	for	liberty,	than	they did fight.

Hinc	transiit	in	Piraeeum,	que	munivit
Hence	he passed over	into	Piraeus,	and	fortified

Munychiam.	Tyranni	bis	adorti-sunt	oppugnare
Munychia.	The tyrants	twice	attempted	to reduce

hanc,	que	repulsi	turpiter	ab	ea,	protinus
this,	and	being driven off	disgracefully	from	it,	immediately

refugerunt	in	urbem,	armis	que	impedimentis
fled back	into	the city,	arms	and	baggages

amissis.	Thrasybulus	usus-est	prudentia	non	minus
being lost.	Thrasybulus	used	prudence	not	less

quam	fortitudine.	Nam	vetuit	cedentes
than	fortitude.	For	he forbade	(those) yielding

violari.	Enim	censebat	aequum	cives
to be violated.	For	he did think	(it) just	citizens

parcere	civibus.	Neque	quisquam	vulneratus-est,
to spare	to citizens.	Nor	any one	was wounded,

nisi	qui	voluit	prior	impugnare.	Spoliavit
unless	who	wished	the former	to attack.	He spoiled

neminem	iacentem	veste;	attigit	nil,
nobody	lying (fallen)	in (of) clothing;	he touched	nothing,

nisi	arma,	quorum	indigebat,	et	quae
unless	arms,	of which	he did want,	and	what (things)

pertinebant	ad	victum.	Critias,	dux	tyrannorum
did pertain	to	food.	Critias,	the leader	of the tyrants

cecidit	in	secundo	praelio,	quum	quidem	pugnaret (sub.)
fell	in	the second	battle,	when	indeed	he did fight

fortissime	exadversus	Thrasybulum.
most bravely	against	Thrasybulus.

III

Hoc	deiecto,	Pausanias,	rex
He	being overthrown,	Pausanias,	king

Lacedaemoniorum,	venit	auxilio	Atticis.
of the Lacedemonians,	came	to assistance	to the Athenians.

Is	fecit	pacem	inter	Thrasybulum	et	eos,
He	made	peace	between	Thrasybulus	and	those,

qui	tenebant	urbem,	his	conditionibus:	ne	qui,
who	did hold	the city,	on these	conditions:	not	any,

praeter	triginta	tyrannos	et	decem,	qui	postea
except	thirty	tyrants	and	ten,	who	afterwards

creati	praetores	usi-erant	more	superioris
being created	praetors	had used	the custom	of former

crudelitatis,	afficerentur	exsilio;	neve	bona
cruelty,	should be affected	with exile;	nor	good

publicarentur;	procuratio	reipublicae
should be confiscated;	the management	of the republic

redderetur	populo.	Hoc	quoque	praeclarum
should be restored	to the people.	This	also	illustrious (thing)

Thrasybuli,	quod,	pace	reconciliata,
of Thrasybulus,	because,	peace	being conciliated,

quum	posset (sub.)	plurimum	in	civitate,
when	he could	very much (had great power)	in	the state,

tulit	legem:	ne	quis	accusaretur
he carried	a law:	lest	any one	should be accused

rerum	anteactarum,	neve	multaretur;	que
of things	acted before,	nor	should be punished;	and

illi	appellarunt	eam	[legem]	oblivionis.	Neque	vero
they	called	that	[the law]	of oblivion.	Nor	indeed

curavit	hanc	tantum	ferendam,	sed	etiam	effecit
he took care	this	only	to be carried,	but	also	effected

ut	valeret.	Nam	quum	quidam	ex	his,
that	it should prevail.	For	when	certain	of	these,

qui	fuerant	simul	cum	eo	in	exsilio,
who	had been	together	with	him	in	exile,

vellent (sub.)	facere	caedem	eorum,	cum	quibus
did wish	to make	slaughter	of those,	with	whom

reditum-fuerat	publice	in	gratiam,	prohibuit
it had been returned	publicly	into	favor,	he hindered (it)

et	praestitit	id,	quod	pollicitus-erat.
and	performed	that,	which	he had promised.

IV

Pro	tantis	meritis	corona	honoris	facta
For	so great	merits	the crown	of honour	made

duabus	oleaginis	virgulis	data-est	a	populo
from two	olive	sprigs	was given	by	the people

huic,	quam	quod	amor	civium,	non	vis
to him,	which	because	love	of citizens,	not	violence

expresserat,	habuit	nullam	invidiam,	que	fuit	magna
had drawn forth,	had	no	envy,	and	was	great

gloria.	Ergo	ille	Pittacus,	qui	habitus-est
glory.	Therefore	that	Pittacus,	who	was held

numero	septem	sapientum,	quum	Mitylenaei
in the number	of the seven	wise (men),	when	the Mityleneans

darent (sub.)	multa	milia	iugerum	agri	ei
did give	many	thousands	of acres	of land	to him

munera,	inquit	bene;	Nolite,	oro	vos,
(as) presents,	said	well;	Be unwilling,	I beg	you,

dare	id	mihi,	quod	multi	invideant,	etiam
to give	that	to me,	which	many	may envy,	also

plures	concupiscant.	Quare	nolo	amplius	ex
more	may covet.	Wherefore	I will not	more	out of

istis,	quam	centum	iugera,	quae	indicent	et
these,	than	a hundred	acres,	which	may shew	both

meum	aequitatem	animi	et	vestram	voluntatem.
my	equity	of mind	and	your	will.

Nam	parva	munera	diutina;	locupletia	consueverunt
For	small	presents	(are) lasting;	rich	have been wont

esse	non	propria.	Igitur	Thrasybulus	erat
to be	not	(one’s) own.	Therefore	Thrasybulus	was

contentus	illa	corona,	neque	requisivit	amplius
content	with that	crown,	neither	required	more

neque	existimavit	quemquam	antecessisse	se
nor	thought	any one	to have excelled	himself

honore.	Tempore	sequenti,	hic	quum	praetor
in honour.	In time	following,	he	when	commander

appulisset (sub.)	classem	ad	Ciliciam,	neque	vigiliae
he had brought	the fleet	to	Cilicia,	nor	the watches

in	castris	eius	agerentur (sub.)	diligenter	satis,
in	the camps	of his	were acted (kept)	diligently	enough,

interfectus-est	in	tabernaculo	a	barbaris,	eruptione
was slain	in	tent	by	the barbarians,	a sally

facta	ex	oppido	noctu.
being made	out of	the town	by night.