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Cornelius Nepos · Conon §4.1-4.4

Victory at Cnidus and the Rebuilding of Athens' Walls

Passage 4 of 5 · Latin

Summary

Moved by Conon's advice, the king declares Tissaphernes an enemy and charges Conon with preparing a fleet alongside Pharnabazus. Conon defeats the Lacedaemonians in a major naval battle at Cnidus, liberating Greece and returning home to rebuild the walls of Athens.

§4.1Quibus cognitis rex tantum auctoritate eius motus est, ut et Tissaphernem hostem iudicarit et Lacedaemonios bello persequi iusserit et ei permiserit quem vellet eligere ad dispensandam pecuniam.
When these things were known, the king was so moved by his authority that he both judged Tissaphernes to be an enemy and ordered war to be waged against the Lacedaemonians, and permitted him to choose whomsoever he wished to manage the money.
id arbitrium Conon negavit sui esse consilii, sed ipsius, qui optime suos nosse deberet, sed se suadere Pharnabazo id negotii daret. §4.2hinc magnis muneribus donatus ad mare est missus, ut Cypriis et Phoenicibus ceterisque maritimis civitatibus naves longas imperaret classemque, qua proxima aestate mare tueri posset, compararet, dato adiutore Pharnabazo, sicut ipse voluerat. §4.3id ut Lacedaemoniis est nuntiatum, non sine cura rem administrant, quod maius bellum imminere arbitrabantur, quam si cum barbaro solum contenderent.
Conon said that this decision was not a matter of his own counsel, but of the king's own, who ought to know his own people best; but he advised that he should give that task to Pharnabazus. After this, having been presented with great gifts, he was sent to the sea, so that he might requisition warships from the Cypriots, Phoenicians, and other maritime states, and prepare a fleet with which he might protect the sea in the coming summer, Pharnabazus being assigned as his assistant, just as he himself had wished. When this was reported to the Lacedaemonians, they managed the matter not without anxiety, because they thought that a greater war was impending than if they were contending with the barbarian alone.
nam ducem fortem et prudentem regiis opibus praefuturum ac secum dimicaturum videbant, quem neque consilio neque copiis superare possent.
For they saw that a brave and prudent commander would be in charge of the royal resources and would fight against them, whom they could overcome neither in counsel nor in forces.
hac mente magnam contrahunt classem: §4.4proficiscuntur Pisandro duce.
With this mind they assembled a great fleet. They set out under the leadership of Pisander.
hos Conon apud Cnidum adortus magno proelio fugat, multas naves capit, complures deprimit.
Conon, having attacked them near Cnidus, put them to flight in a great battle, captured many ships, and sank several.
qua victoria non solum Athenae, sed cuncta Graecia, quae sub Lacedaemoniorum fuerat imperio, liberata est.
By this victory not only Athens, but all Greece, which had been under the rule of the Lacedaemonians, was set free.
Conon cum parte navium in patriam venit, muros dirutos a Lysandro utrosque, et Piraei et Athenarum, reficiendos curat pecuniaeque quinquaginta talenta, quae a Pharnabazo acceperat, civibus suis donat.
Conon came into his homeland with a part of the ships, took care that both walls, of both Piraeus and Athens, which had been demolished by Lysander, should be rebuilt, and presented fifty talents of money, which he had received from Pharnabazus, to his fellow citizens.

Notes

  1. §4.1sui esse consilii — The pronoun 'sui' is reflexive, referring to the subject of the infinitive clause, Conon. 'consilii' is a genitive of property or possession used with 'esse' to mean 'to be a matter of one's own counsel or decision'. Thus, it translates as 'that this decision was not a matter of his own counsel'.
  2. §4.1sed se suadere Pharnabazo id negotii daret — Constructed as part of the indirect discourse depending on 'negavit' (which acts as 'dixit non'). The 'sed' introduces a positive assertion: 'but [he said] that he advised [the king] to give...'. The verb 'suadere' takes a complementary subjunctive clause with 'ut' omitted, hence 'daret'. 'id negotii' contains a partitive genitive 'negotii'.
  3. §4.2Cypriis et Phoenicibus ceterisque maritimis civitatibus naves longas imperaret — The verb 'impero' is used here in the sense of 'to requisition (acc.) from (dat.)'. Thus, it means 'to requisition warships (naves longas) from the Cypriots, Phoenicians, and other maritime states'.
  4. §4.4muros dirutos a Lysandro utrosque, et Piraei et Athenarum, reficiendos curat — The construction 'curo' + gerundive ('reficiendos') denotes 'to have something done' or 'to take care that something is rebuilt'. 'muros utrosque' (both walls) is further specified by the genitives 'et Piraei et Athenarum' (of both Piraeus and Athens).

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Conon §4.1-4.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo009.humanitext-lat2:4.1-4.4

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