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Cornelius Nepos · Miltiades §1.1-1.6

Expedition to the Chersonese and Stop at Lemnos

Passage 1 of 8 · Latin

Summary

Miltiades, a distinguished young Athenian, is chosen by the Delphic oracle to lead a colonization expedition to the Chersonese. On his way, he attempts to bring Lemnos under Athenian control, but after being mocked by the inhabitants with an impossible condition of surrender, he proceeds directly to his destination.

§1.1Miltiades, Cimonis filius, Atheniensis, cum et antiquitate generis et gloria maiorum et sua modestia unus omnium maxime floreret eaque esset aetate, ut non iam solum de eo bene sperare, sed etiam confidere cives possent sui, talem eum futurum, qualem cognitum iudicarunt, accidit ut Athenienses Chersonesum colonos vellent mittere.
Miltiades, the son of Cimon, an Athenian, since he flourished most of all by both the antiquity of his family, the glory of his ancestors, and his own modesty, and was of such an age that his fellow citizens could not only now hope well of him, but also feel confident that he would become such a man as they afterwards, when he was known, judged him to be, it happened that the Athenians wished to send colonists to the Chersonese.
§1.2cuius generis cum magnus numerus esset et multi eius demigrationis peterent societatem, ex iis delecti Delphos deliberatum missi sunt, quo potissimum duce uterentur.
Since there was a great number of this class and many sought partnership in that emigration, select men from among them were sent to Delphi to consult whom they should especially employ as their leader.
namque tum Thraeces eas regiones tenebant, cum quibus armis erat dimicandum.
For at that time the Thracians held those regions, with whom they had to contend in arms.
§1.3consulentibus nominatim Pythia praecepit, ut Miltiadem imperatorem sibi sumerent: id si fecissent, incepta prospera futura.
To those who consulted her, the Pythia instructed by name that they should take Miltiades as their commander: if they did this, their undertakings would be successful.
§1.4hoc oraculi responso Miltiades cum delecta manu classe Chersonesum profectus cum accessisset Lemnum et incolas eius insulae sub potestatem redigere vellet Atheniensium, idque ut §1.5Lemnii sua sponte facerent postulasset, illi irridentes responderunt tum id se facturos, cum ille domo navibus profectus vento aquilone venisset Lemnum.
Prompted by this response of the oracle, Miltiades, having set out for the Chersonese with a select band by fleet, when he had approached Lemnos and wished to reduce the inhabitants of that island under the power of the Athenians, and had demanded that the Lemnians should do this of their own accord, they mockingly replied that they would do so then, when he, having set out from home by ships, should come to Lemnos with the north wind.
hic enim ventus ab septemtrionibus oriens adversum tenet Athenis proficiscentibus.
For this wind, rising from the north, blows dead against those who set out from Athens.
§1.6Miltiades morandi tempus non habens cursum direxit, quo tendebat, pervenitque Chersonesum.
Miltiades, having no time for delay, directed his course whither he was heading, and arrived at the Chersonese.

Notes

  1. §1.1eaque esset aetate — Ablative of description under the government of `cum`. Accompanied by the consecutive `ut` clause, meaning 'and was of such an age that...'.
  2. §1.1talem eum futurum, qualem cognitum iudicarunt — Accusative with infinitive clause (with `esse` omitted) functioning as the object of `confidere`. The relative pronoun `qualem` refers back to `talem`. `cognitum` is a perfect passive participle, implying 'when he became known'. The clause means 'that he would become such a man as they judged him to be when he was known.'
  3. §1.2cuius generis — Relative connection (connecting relative), referring to the class or group of people (`genus`) wishing to join the emigration mentioned in the previous sentence.
  4. §1.2deliberatum — Supine in `-um` (accusative of the supine) expressing purpose after the verb of motion `missi sunt`, meaning 'to consult' or 'to deliberate'.
  5. §1.2quo potissimum duce uterentur — Indirect question with the imperfect subjunctive `uterentur`. Since the verb `utor` governs the ablative, the interrogative pronoun appears in the ablative with `duce` in apposition (`quo duce`). It contains a deliberative/obligatory nuance: 'whom they should especially employ as their leader'.
  6. §1.3id si fecissent, incepta prospera futura — Conditional sentence in indirect discourse. The condition `fecissent` (pluperfect subjunctive) represents a future perfect in direct speech, shifted due to the past tense of the governing verb `praecepit`. The apodosis `incepta prospera futura [esse]` is an accusative with future infinitive construction (`incepta` is neuter plural accusative, meaning 'undertakings').
  7. §1.5Athenis proficiscentibus — `Athenis` is the ablative of place from which ('from Athens'). `proficiscentibus` is the dative plural of the present participle, functioning as a dative of reference or disadvantage ('for/against those setting out').

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Miltiades §1.1-1.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo001.humanitext-lat2:1.1-1.6

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