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Cornelius Nepos · Themistocles §5.1-5.3

Retreat of Xerxes and the Liberation of Greece

Passage 5 of 10 · Latin

Summary

Deceived by Themistocles' false warning about the destruction of his Hellespont bridge, Xerxes hastily retreated to Asia. Through this stratagem, Greece was liberated, and Salamis became a historic victory comparable to Marathon.

§5.1Hic etsi male rem gesserat, tamen tantas habebat reliquias copiarum, ut etiamtum iis opprimere posset hostes: iterum ab eodem gradu depulsus est.
Although he had managed the matter badly, he still possessed such large remnants of his forces that even then he could have overwhelmed the enemy with them; yet he was once more driven from his position.
nam Themistocles, verens ne bellare perseveraret, certiorem eum fecit id agi, ut pons, quem ille in Hellesponto fecerat, dissolveretur ac reditu in Asiam excluderetur, idque ei persuasit.
For Themistocles, fearing that he might persist in waging war, informed him that a plot was afoot to destroy the bridge which he had built over the Hellespont, and to cut off his return to Asia; and he persuaded him of this.
§5.2itaque qua sex mensibus iter fecerat, eadem minus diebus triginta in Asiam reversus est seque a Themistocle non superatum, sed conservatum iudicavit.
Therefore, by the same route along which he had made his march in six months, he returned to Asia in less than thirty days, and judged that he had not been conquered by Themistocles, but saved.
§5.3sic unius viri prudentia Graecia liberata est Europaeque succubuit Asia.
Thus by the wisdom of a single man Greece was liberated, and Asia succumbed to Europe.
haec altera victoria, quae cum Marathonio possit comparari tropaeo.
This is a second victory, which can be compared with the trophy of Marathon.
nam pari modo apud Salamina parvo numero navium maxima post hominum memoriam classis est devicta.
For in like manner at Salamis, with a small number of ships, the greatest fleet in human memory was utterly defeated.

Notes

  1. 5.1ab eodem gradu depulsus est — The phrase 'de gradu depellere' is a metaphorical idiom originating from athletics or combat, meaning 'to be driven from one's stance.' Here it indicates being forced from an advantageous position.
  2. 5.1id agi, ut... — This is an indirect discourse depending on 'certiorem fecit'. 'id agi' means 'that it was being aimed at' or 'that measures were being taken,' with 'id' acting as the antecedent to the clarifying 'ut' clause.
  3. 5.2qua... eadem — The feminine noun 'via' (way, route) is omitted in both relative and demonstrative expressions. 'qua... eadem' functions adverbially, meaning 'by the same route along which...'
  4. 5.2minus diebus triginta — The comparative adverb 'minus' is used without 'quam', while 'diebus triginta' (ablative of time within which) remains in its expected case. It translates to 'in less than thirty days'.
  5. 5.3Europaeque succubuit Asia — The proper noun 'Europae' is in the dative case, governed by the compound verb 'succumbere' (to succumb to). 'Asia' is the subject of the sentence.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Themistocles §5.1-5.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo002.humanitext-lat2:5.1-5.3

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