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Cornelius Nepos · Cimon §3.1-3.4

Cimon's Ostracism, Recall, and Death in Cyprus

Passage 3 of 4 · Latin

Summary

Cimon is exiled from Athens through ostracism but is recalled when a war with Sparta begins, subsequently negotiating peace between the two powers. He later falls ill and dies during an expedition to Cyprus.

§3.1Quibus rebus cum unus in civitate maxime floreret, incidit in eandem invidiam quam pater suus ceterique Atheniensium principes: nam testarum suffragiis decem annorum exilio multatus est. §3.2cuius facti celerius Athenienses quam ipsum paenituit.
When he, because of these achievements, was flourishing the most as the single person in the state, he fell into the same envy as his father and the other leaders of the Athenians: for he was punished with an exile of ten years by the votes of potsherds. The Athenians regretted this deed more quickly than he himself did.
nam cum ille animo forti invidiae ingratorum civium cessisset bellumque Lacedaemonii Atheniensibus indixissent, confestim notae eius virtutis desiderium consecutum est. §3.3itaque post annum quintum, quam expulsus erat, in patriam revocatus est.
For when he had yielded with a brave spirit to the ill-will of the ungrateful citizens and the Lacedaemonians had declared war on the Athenians, immediately a longing for his well-known valor followed. Therefore, in the fifth year after he had been expelled, he was recalled to his fatherland.
ille, quod hospitio Lacedaemoniorum utebatur, satius existimans Graeciae civitates de controversiis suis inter se iure disceptare quam armis contendere, Lacedaemonem sua sponte est profectus pacemque inter duas potentissimas civitates conciliavit. §3.4post, neque ita multo, Cyprum cum ducentis navibus imperator missus, cum eius maiorem partem insulae devicisset, in morbum implicitus in oppugnando oppido Citio est mortuus.
He, because he enjoyed the guest-friendship of the Lacedaemonians, thinking it better that the states of Greece should debate about their disputes among themselves by law rather than contend by arms, set out for Lacedaemon of his own accord and brought about peace between the two most powerful states. Afterward, and not so long after, having been sent as general to Cyprus with two hundred ships, when he had conquered the greater part of that island, having fallen into illness, he died in besieging the town of Citium.

Notes

  1. §3.2celerius Athenienses quam ipsum paenituit — This is the construction of the impersonal verb paenitet, where the person who regrets is in the accusative (Athenienses / ipsum) and the object of regret is in the genitive (cuius facti). 'ipsum' is the accusative singular of the pronoun ipse, referring to Cimon himself.
  2. §3.3post annum quintum, quam expulsus erat — This is a tmesis of postquam ('after'), where the temporal phrase 'annum quintum' is inserted between post and quam. Literally meaning 'after the fifth year than he had been expelled,' it translates to 'in the fifth year after he had been expelled.'
  3. §3.4eius maiorem partem insulae — The genitive singular feminine pronoun 'eius' refers to Cyprus and modifies 'insulae', though separated by 'maiorem partem'. It means 'the greater part of that island'.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Cimon §3.1-3.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo005.humanitext-lat2:3.1-3.4

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