Cornelius Nepos
100-24 BCE
Trans RMBullard
Latin (Republican Era/Golden Age of Latin Literature)
CORNELI NEPOTIS AGESILAUS
[1] AGESILAUS Lacedaemonius cum a ceteris scriptoribus tum eximie a Xenophonte Socratico collaudatus est;
[Agesilaus, the Spartan, drew praise not only from various writes, but most importantly, from Socrates' student, Xenophon;]
eo enim usus est familiarissime.
[in fact, he was most familiarly mentioned by him.]
2 Hic primum de regno cum Leotychide, fratris filio, habuit contentionem.
[This man, at first, was held command over the kingdom alongside Leotychis, a friend of his brother.]
Mos erat enim a maioribus Lacedaemoniis traditus,
[You see, it was a custom passed down from the older generations of Spartans,]
ut duos haberent semper reges, nomine magis quam imperio, ex duabus familiis Procli et Eurysthenis,
[that they would always have two kings, who ruled more pronominally than with a control over the government, from the two families of Proclus and Eurysthenes,]
qui principes ex progenie Herculis Spartae reges fuerunt.
[since these men were the very first kings of Spartan related to Hercules.]
3 Horum ex altera in alterius familiae locum fieri non licebat.
[It was not allowed for either of these two to ever enjoy a position in the other's family.]
Ita utraque suum retinebat ordinem.
[And so, either one could retain their own lineage intact.]
Primum ratio habebatur,
[At first the reason was given,]
qui maximus natu esset ex liberis eius, qui regnans decessisset;
[that whoever was the elder of his legitimate children, would succeed him in ruling the kingdom;]
sin is virilem sexum non reliquisset,
[if he did not leave a child of the male sex,]
tum deligebatur, qui proximus esset propinquitate.
[then it would be delegated to whomever was the closest in relation to him.]
4 Mortuus erat Agis rex, frater Agesilai.
[King Agis, Agesilaus' brother, had passed away.]
Filium reliquerat Leotychidem,
[He had left behind a son, Leotychis,]
quem ille natum non agnorat;
[whom he had not recognized his son;]
eundem moriens suum esse dixerat.
[but as he died, he had accepted that the same boy was so.]
Is de honore regni cum Agesilao, patruo suo, contendit neque id, quod petivit, consecutus est.
[He, alongside his uncle Agesilaus, was granted the position of king, nor did he contest the thing that he sought after.]
5 Nam Lysandro suffragante, homine, ut ostendimus supra, factioso et his temporibus potente, Agesilaus antelatus est.
[You see, with Lysander as his supporter, who was, as I beforehand revealed, factious and powerful during these times, Agesilaus was given the superior position.]
[2] Hic simulatque imperii potitus est, persuasit Lacedaemoniis,
[The former made a show, and gained power over the government, and persuaded the Spartans,]
ut exercitus emitterent in Asiam bellumque regi facerent,
[to send their arms to Asia, and to conduct war against the king there,]
docens satius esse in Asia quam in Europa dimicari.
[since he learned that the battle could be fought out more successfully in Asia than in Europe.]
Namque fama exierat Artaxerxen comparare classis pedestrisque exercitus,
[By which account, a report had gotten out that Artaxerxes was preparing naval and expeditionary forces,]
quos in Graeciam mitteret.
[which he could send to Greece.]
2 Data potestate tanta celeritate usus est,
[He used the political power that had been granted to him with such celerity,]
ut prius in Asiam cum copiis pervenerit,
[so that he could reach Asia with his forces before such time,]
quam regii satrapae eum scirent profectum.
[than the Persian princes could inform the king of his incursion.]
Quo factum est, ut omnis imparatos imprudentesque offenderet.
[After which, it happened that he shocked all those men who were unready, or uninformed.]
3 Id ut cognovit Tissaphernes, qui summum imperium tum inter praefectos habebat regios, indutias a Lacone petivit,
[As Tissaphernes, who at that time used to hold top command among the commissioned officers of the king, recognized the matter, he demanded a peace treatry from Laconia,]
simulans se dare operam, ut Lacedaemoniis cum rege conveniret,
[while pretending to see to it that he would meet alongside the king, with the Spartans,]
re autem vera ad copias comparandas, easque impetravit trimenstris.
[although in truth, it was intended to use time to gather his forces, and he took three months to do so.]
4 Iuravit autem uterque se sine dolo indutias conservaturum.
[In any event, either side swore that it would respect the peace treaty with no treacherous intention.]
In qua pactione summa fide mansit Agesilaus;
[Agesilaus enjoyed the utmost confidence in the hammering out of the treaty;]
contra ea Tissaphernes nihil aliud quam bellum comparavit.
[on the other side, Tissaphernes focused on no other activity than preparing for war.]
5 Id etsi sentiebat Laco,
[Although the Spartan was already beginning to sense this,]
tamen ius iurandum servabat multumque in eo se consequi dicebat,
[nevertheless he respected that established stipulations of the law, and began to say that he would very much act in this regard,]
quod Tissaphernes periurio suo et homines suis rebus abalienaret
[since Tissaphernes would cause men to abandon him on account of his perjury, and his designs,]
et deos sibi iratos redderet;
[and that the he would bring the gods' wrath upon him;]
se autem conservata religione confirmare exercitum,
[but nevertheless, that he was strengthening his military, in accordance with his oath,]
cum animadverteret deum numen facere secum hominesque sibi conciliare amiciores,
[while he took care to bring the divine favor of the gods to his side, and to make people more amicable to him,]
quod iis studere consuessent,
[which was something that people usely saw was a passion for those,]
quos conservare fidem viderent.
[when people saw that those same folks kept their word.]
[3] Postquam indutiarum praeteriit dies,
[Afterward a day of treaty passed by,]
barbarus non dubitans,
[the barbarian did not doubt]
quod ipsius erant plurima domicilia in Caria
[taht there were many more residences in Caria belong to him]
et ea regio his temporibus multo putabatur locupletissima,
[and this region, during these times, was thought to be the richest by far,]
eo potissimum hostis impetum facturos,
omnis suas copias eo contraxerat.
[from there, he had drawn his attack against his soon-to-be enemies, and from there, all of their resources.]
2 At Agesilaus in Phrygiam se convertit
[But Agesilaus turned his direction toward Phrygia,]
