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Cornelius Nepos · Aristides §3.1-3.3

Assessment of the Alliance Funds and Death of Aristides in Poverty

Passage 3 of 3 · Latin

Summary

Aristides fairly assessed the contributions of the states for the alliance, establishing the treasury at Delos, but died in such extreme poverty that he did not even leave enough for his own funeral.

§3.1Quos quo facilius repellerent, si forte bellum renovare conarentur, ad classes aedificandas exercitusque comparandos quantum pecuniae quaeque civitas daret, Aristides delectus est qui constitueret, eiusque arbitrio quadringena et sexagena talenta quotannis Delum sunt collata: id enim commune aerarium esse voluerunt.
In order to repel them more easily, if by chance they should attempt to renew the war, Aristides was chosen to determine how much money each state should give for building fleets and equipping armies; and by his decision, four hundred and sixty talents were contributed annually to Delos, for they wished that to be the common treasury.
quae omnis pecunia postero tempore Athenas translata est.
All this money was in later times transferred to Athens.
§3.2hic qua fuerit abstinentia, nullum est certius indicium quam quod, cum tantis rebus praefuisset, in tanta paupertate decessit, ut qui efferretur vix reliquerit.
Of how great integrity he was, there is no surer proof than that, although he had been in charge of such great affairs, he died in such poverty that he scarcely left enough wherewith he might be buried.
§3.3quo factum est ut filiae eius publice alerentur et de communi aerario dotibus datis collocarentur.
From which it came to pass that his daughters were supported at public expense and, with dowries given from the common treasury, were placed in marriage.
decessit autem fere post annum quartum quam Themistocles Athenis erat expulsus.
Moreover, he died about four years after Themistocles had been banished from Athens.

Notes

  1. §3.1Quos quo facilius repellerent — Begins with the relative connection `quos` (referring to `barbaros` in the preceding section). The conjunction `quo` with a comparative (`facilius`) introduces a purpose clause with the subjunctive (`repellerent`).
  2. §3.1qui constitueret — The relative pronoun `qui` followed by the imperfect subjunctive `constitueret` expresses the purpose or assigned role of the main clause. The indirect question clause `quantum... daret` serves as the object of `constitueret`.
  3. §3.2qua fuerit abstinentia — An indirect question clause using the ablative of quality `qua abstinentia` (of what integrity he was), anticipating or modifying the noun `indicium` in the main clause. `fuerit` is in the perfect subjunctive.
  4. §3.2qui efferretur — The pronoun `qui` is used as an archaic ablative of means (equivalent to `quo`, "wherewith"), introducing a clause of purpose with the imperfect subjunctive `efferretur` (to be carried out for burial). Together, it means "the means wherewith he might be buried" and functions as the object of `reliquerit`.
  5. §3.3post annum quartum quam — The temporal conjunction `postquam` is split by the noun phrase of time `annum quartum` (the fourth year), functioning as `post... quam` to mean "four years after...".

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Aristides §3.1-3.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo003.humanitext-lat2:3.1-3.3

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