Humanitext Reader

Cornelius Nepos · Epaminondas §1.1-1.4

Cultural Differences and the Plan of the Biography

Passage 1 of 10 · Latin

Summary

Introduction to the biography of Epaminondas. The author warns readers against judging foreign customs by their own, noting differences between Roman and Greek attitudes toward music and dancing, and outlines his plan to cover Epaminondas' lineage, education, character, and deeds.

§1.1Epaminondas, Polymnii filius, Thebanus.
Epaminondas, the son of Polymnis, the Theban.
de hoc priusquam scribimus, haec praecipienda videntur lectoribus, ne alienos mores ad suos referant, neve ea, quae ipsis leviora sunt, pari modo apud ceteros fuisse arbitrentur.
Before I write about him, it seems necessary to advise my readers not to judge the customs of others by their own, nor to suppose that those things which are trivial to themselves were held in the same light among other nations.
§1.2scimus enim musicen nostris moribus abesse a principis persona, saltare vero etiam in vitiis poni: quae omnia apud Graecos et grata et laude digna ducuntur.
For we know that, according to our customs, music is foreign to the character of a leading citizen, and that dancing is even classified among vices; all of which things, among the Greeks, are considered both pleasing and worthy of praise.
§1.3cum autem exprimere imaginem consuetudinis atque vitae velimus Epaminondae, nihil videmur debere praetermittere, quod pertineat ad eam declarandam.
But since we wish to express a portrait of the character and life of Epaminondas, we think we ought to omit nothing that may tend to illustrate it.
§1.4quare dicemus primum de genere eius, deinde quibus disciplinis et a quibus sit eruditus, tum de moribus ingeniique facultatibus et si qua alia memoria digna erunt, postremo de rebus gestis, quae a plurimis animi anteponuntur virtutibus.
Therefore, we shall speak first of his family, then of the subjects in which and the teachers by whom he was instructed, next of his character and intellectual abilities, and of whatever else shall be worthy of record, and finally of his deeds, which by most people are preferred to the virtues of the mind.

Notes

  1. §1.1lectoribus — Dative of agent used with the gerundive praecipienda. It expresses the person by whom the action must be performed ('by readers').
  2. §1.2quae omnia — A relative connection (nexus relativus) at the beginning of the clause. It refers back to the entire content of the preceding two accusative-with-infinitive clauses concerning music and dancing.
  3. §1.4quibus disciplinis et a quibus sit eruditus — An indirect question clause functioning as the object (or thematic complement) of the verb dicemus. The verb is in the perfect subjunctive passive sit eruditus.
  4. §1.4animi anteponuntur virtutibus — Passive construction of anteponere ('to prefer A [accusative] to B [dative]'). The relative pronoun quae (referring to rebus gestis) is the subject, and animi virtutibus (virtues of the mind) is the dative complement, meaning 'deeds are preferred to the virtues of the mind.'

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Epaminondas §1.1-1.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo015.humanitext-lat2:1.1-1.4

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