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Cornelius Nepos · Timotheus §3.1-3.5

Recall of Timotheus and Exile after False Accusal

Passage 3 of 4 · Latin

Summary

The elderly Timotheus, who had retired, is called back to service as an adviser alongside Iphicrates to assist Menestheus in a deteriorating war. However, due to the reckless actions and false accusations of the joint commander Chares, Timotheus is found guilty of treason and retreats into exile in Chalcis.

§3.1Hic cum esset magno natu et magistratus gerere desisset, bello Athenienses undique premi sunt coepti.
When he was of a great age and had ceased to hold public offices, the Athenians began to be hard pressed by war on all sides.
defecerat Samus, descierat Hellespontus, Philippus iam tum valens multa moliebatur: cui oppositus Chares cum esset, non satis in eo praesidii putabatur.
Samos had revolted, the Hellespont had defected, and Philip, already powerful at that time, was planning many enterprises; although Chares had been sent to oppose him, there was not thought to be sufficient protection in him.
§3.2fit Menestheus praetor, filius Iphicratis, gener Timothei, et ut ad bellum proficiscatur decernitur.
Menestheus, the son of Iphicrates and son-in-law of Timotheus, was made general, and it was decreed that he should set out for the war.
huic in consilium dantur viri duo usu sapientiaque praestantes, pater et socer, quod in his tanta erat auctoritas, ut magna spes esset per eos amissa posse recuperari.
To him, as advisers, were given two men outstanding in experience and wisdom, his father and his father-in-law, because there was such great authority in them that there was high hope that what had been lost could be recovered through them.
§3.3ii cum Samum profecti essent et eodem Chares illorum adventu cognito cum suis copiis proficisceretur, ne quid absente se gestum videretur, accidit, cum ad insulam appropinquarent, ut magna tempestas oreretur: quam evitare duo veteres imperatores utile arbitrati suam classem suppresserunt.
When they had set out for Samos, and Chares, having learned of their arrival, was also setting out for the same place with his own forces, so that nothing might seem to have been done in his absence, it happened that, as they were approaching the island, a great storm arose; and the two old generals, thinking it useful to avoid this, held back their fleet.
§3.4at ille temeraria usus ratione non cessit maiorum natu auctoritati, velut in sua manu esset fortuna.
But he, employing a reckless plan, did not yield to the authority of his elders, as if fortune were in his own hand.
quo contenderat, pervenit, eodemque ut sequerentur, ad Timotheum et Iphicraten nuntium misit.
He arrived at the place he had rushed toward, and sent a messenger to Timotheus and Iphicrates to follow him to the same place.
hinc male re gesta, compluribus amissis navibus eo, unde erat profectus, se recepit litterasque Athenas publice misit, sibi proclive fuisse Samum capere, nisi a Timotheo et Iphicrate desertus esset.
Having managed the affair badly from this point and lost several ships, he retreated to the place from which he had started, and sent an official letter to Athens, stating that it would have been easy for him to take Samos, had he not been deserted by Timotheus and Iphicrates.
§3.5populus acer, suspicax ob eamque rem mobilis, adversarius, invidus (etenim potentia in crimen vocabatur) domum revocat: accusantur proditionis.
The people—fierce, suspicious, and for that reason fickle, hostile, and envious (for indeed, great power was treated as a crime)—recalled them home; they were accused of treason.
hoc iudicio damnatur Timotheus lisque eius aestimatur centum talentis.
In this trial, Timotheus was condemned, and his fine was assessed at one hundred talents.
ille odio ingratae civitatis exactus Chalcidem se contulit.
Driven out by the hatred of his ungrateful state, he withdrew to Chalcis.

Notes

  1. §3.1cui oppositus Chares cum esset — cui is a relative connection referring to Philippus in the preceding sentence. oppositus cum esset is a subjunctive pluperfect passive in a cum clause, expressing concession or historical circumstance.
  2. §3.2amissa posse recuperari — amissa is the neuter plural nominative (or accusative) of the adjective amissus used substantively ('things lost'), serving as the subject of the infinitive posse. The phrase posse recuperari ('to be able to be recovered') is an infinitive clause standing in apposition to the noun spes to explain its content.
  3. §3.3ne quid absente se gestum videretur — absente se is an ablative absolute using the present participle, meaning 'in his (Chares') absence.' The reflexive pronoun se refers to the subject of the main clause, Chares. ne quid means 'lest anything' or 'so that nothing' (quid being equivalent to aliquid after ne).
  4. §3.4sibi proclive fuisse Samum capere, nisi a Timotheo et Iphicrate desertus esset — This is an indirect discourse (oratio obliqua) introduced by the action of sending a letter (litteras misit). The apodosis sibi proclive fuisse ('it would have been easy for him to take Samos') represents a direct indicative perfect (proclive fuit) turned into an accusative with infinitive. The protasis nisi ... desertus esset remains in the subjunctive pluperfect for a past contrary-to-fact condition.
  5. §3.5odio ingratae civitatis exactus — odio is an ablative of cause ('by the hatred'). ingratae civitatis is a subjective genitive, referring to 'the hatred felt by the ungrateful state (citizens).' The whole phrase means 'driven out by the hatred of the ungrateful state.'

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Timotheus §3.1-3.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo013.humanitext-lat2:3.1-3.5

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