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Cornelius Nepos · Alcibiades §7.1-7.5

Alcibiades' Second Fall from Favor and Retreat to Thrace

Passage 7 of 11 · Latin

Summary

Although Alcibiades was given full command of the state, a minor setback near Cyme led to a revival of public suspicion, resulting in his removal from office in his absence. Avoiding a return to Athens, he withdrew to Thrace, established fortresses, and gathered wealth and fame by raiding barbarian territories.

§7.1Haec Alcibiadi laetitia non nimis fuit diuturna.
This joy was not very long-lasting for Alcibiades.
nam cum ei omnes essent honores decreti totaque res publica domi bellique tradita, ut unius arbitrio gereretur, et ipse postulasset ut duo sibi collegae darentur, Thrasybulus et Adimantus, neque id negatum esset, classe in Asiam profectus, quod apud Cymen minus ex sententia rem gesserat, in invidiam recidit: nihil enim eum non efficere posse ducebant.
For when all honors had been decreed to him and the entire state, both at home and in war, had been handed over to be managed at his sole discretion, and he himself had requested that two colleagues be given to him, Thrasybulus and Adimantus, and this had not been refused, having set out for Asia with a fleet, because he had conducted matters near Cyme less successfully than desired, he fell back into disfavor: for they believed there was nothing he could not accomplish.
§7.2ex quo fiebat ut omnia minus prospere gesta culpae tribuerent, cum aut eum neglegenter aut malitiose fecisse loquerentur, sicut tum accidit: nam corruptum a rege capere Cymen noluisse arguebant.
From this it happened that they attributed all less successful operations to his fault, saying that he had acted either negligently or maliciously, just as happened at that time: for they argued that, having been bribed by the king, he had been unwilling to capture Cyme.
§7.3itaque huic maxime putamus malo fuisse nimiam opinionem ingenii atque virtutis: timebatur enim non minus quam diligebatur, ne secunda fortuna magnisque opibus elatus tyrannidem concupisceret.
Therefore, we think that the excessive estimation of his talent and virtue was the greatest misfortune to him: for he was feared no less than he was loved, lest, elated by favorable fortune and great resources, he should desire a tyranny.
quibus rebus factum est ut absenti magistratum abrogarent et alium in eius locum substituerent.
Due to these circumstances, it came about that they deprived him of his command in his absence and substituted another in his place.
§7.4id ille ut audivit, domum reverti noluit et se Pactyen contulit ibique tria castella communiit, Ornos, Bizanthen, Neontichos, manuque collecta primus Graecae civitatis in Thraeciam introiit, gloriosius existimans barbarorum praeda locupletari quam Graiorum.
When he heard of this, he was unwilling to return home and betook himself to Pactye, and there fortified three strongholds: Orni, Bizanthe, and Neontichos, and having gathered a band of men, he was the first from a Greek state to enter Thrace, thinking it more glorious to enrich himself with the plunder of barbarians than of Greeks.
§7.5qua ex re creverat cum fama tum opibus, magnamque amicitiam sibi cum quibusdam regibus Thraeciae pepererat.
From which circumstance he had grown both in reputation and in wealth, and had acquired a great friendship for himself with certain kings of Thrace.

Notes

  1. §7.1Alcibiadi — Dative of reference (or dative of possession) modifying the noun `laetitia`. Literally, "this joy for Alcibiades" or "Alcibiades' joy".
  2. §7.1nihil enim eum non efficere posse ducebant — The double negative (`nihil` + `non`) expresses a strong affirmation: "there was nothing he could not accomplish." The accusative with infinitive `eum ... posse` serves as the object of the verb `ducebant` ("they believed").
  3. §7.3huic maxime putamus malo fuisse nimiam opinionem — A double dative construction: `huic` (dative of reference) and `malo` (dative of purpose/result) are used with `fuisse`. The subject of the infinitive `fuisse` is `nimiam opinionem` ("the excessive estimation").
  4. §7.3timebatur ... ne ... concupisceret — The main verb `timebatur` is used impersonally ("it was feared"). It introduces a clause of fearing with `ne` and the subjunctive (`concupisceret`), meaning "lest he should desire" or "fearing that he would desire". In Latin, `ne` is used to express fear of an unwanted outcome.
  5. §7.4primus Graecae civitatis — The adjective `primus` agrees with the subject to express the adverbial meaning "he was the first to...". `Graecae civitatis` is a partitive genitive ("of/from a Greek state").

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Alcibiades §7.1-7.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo007.humanitext-lat2:7.1-7.5

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