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Cornelius Nepos · Miltiades §2.1-2.5

Rule over the Chersonese and Capture of Lemnos

Passage 2 of 8 · Latin

Summary

Miltiades establishes his rule over Chersonese, and then captures Lemnos by cleverly defining it as his new home to fulfill the enemy's condition, subsequently bringing the Cyclades under Athenian control.

§2.1Ibi brevi tempore barbarorum copiis disiectis, tota regione, quam petierat, potitus, loca castellis idonea communiit, multitudinem, quam secum duxerat, in agris collocavit crebrisque excursionibus locupletavit.
Having scattered the forces of the barbarians there in a short time, and having got possession of the whole region which he had sought, he fortified places suitable for strongholds, settled the multitude which he had brought with him on the land, and enriched them by frequent incursions.
§2.2neque minus in ea re prudentia quam felicitate adiutus est.
Nor was he less assisted in that matter by prudence than by good fortune.
nam cum virtute militum devicisset hostium exercitus, summa aequitate res constituit atque ipse ibidem manere decrevit.
For when he had defeated the armies of the enemies by the valour of his soldiers, he settled affairs with the greatest equity and decided to remain there himself.
§2.3erat enim inter eos dignitate regia, quamquam carebat nomine, neque id magis imperio quam iustitia consecutus.
For he possessed among them royal dignity, although he lacked the title, nor had he obtained this more by authority than by justice.
neque eo setius Atheniensibus, a quibus erat profectus, officia praestabat.
And none the less did he perform his duties to the Athenians, from whom he had set out.
quibus rebus fiebat ut non minus eorum voluntate perpetuum imperium obtineret, qui miserant, quam illorum, cum quibus erat profectus.
By which things it came about that he held perpetual command no less by the will of those who had sent him than of those with whom he had set out.
§2.4Chersoneso tali modo constituta Lemnum revertitur et ex pacto postulat ut sibi urbem tradant: se enim domum Chersonesi habere.
The Chersonese having been settled in such a manner, he returns to Lemnos and according to the agreement demands that they hand over the city to him: for, he said, he had his home at Chersonese.
§2.5Cares, qui tum Lemnum incolebant, etsi praeter opinionem res ceciderat, tamen non dicto, sed secunda fortuna adversariorum capti resistere ausi non sunt atque ex insula demigrarunt.
The Carians, who then inhabited Lemnos, although the matter had turned out contrary to expectation, yet, bound not by their word, but overcome by the favorable fortune of their adversaries, did not dare to resist and emigrated from the island.
pari felicitate ceteras insulas, quae Cyclades nominantur, sub Atheniensium redegit potestatem.
With equal good fortune, he reduced under the power of the Athenians the other islands which are called the Cyclades.

Notes

  1. §2.3dignitate regia — Ablative of quality (ablativus qualitatis) with the adjective regia, describing the status or character of the subject (Miltiades): 'of royal dignity'.
  2. §2.4Chersonesi — Locative case of the geographical name Chersonesus (second declension feminine), meaning 'at Chersonese'. Miltiades uses this to claim that the condition set by the Lemnians (surrendering when he came 'from home' by a north wind) was fulfilled, as his new home (domus) was now at Chersonese, which lay to the north of Lemnos.
  3. §2.5non dicto, sed secunda fortuna adversariorum capti — The perfect passive participle capti (nominative plural masculine of capio) agrees with the subject Cares, meaning 'overcome' or 'subdued'. It is modified by the ablatives of means/cause dicto (word, promise) and secunda fortuna (favorable fortune): 'overcome not by their word, but by the favorable fortune of their adversaries'.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Miltiades §2.1-2.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo001.humanitext-lat2:2.1-2.5

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