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Cornelius Nepos · Pelopidas §5.1-5.5

Pelopidas's Imprisonment, Rescue, and Death in Battle

Passage 5 of 5 · Latin

Summary

Describes Pelopidas's temporary imprisonment and his rescue by Epaminondas, followed by his death in battle during the campaign in Thessaly and the posthumous honors bestowed on him and his children.

§5.1Conflictatus autem est etiam adversa fortuna.
But he was also afflicted by adverse fortune.
nam et initio, sicut ostendimus, exul patria caruit et, cum Thessaliam in potestatem Thebanorum cuperet redigere legationisque iure satis tectum se arbitraretur, quod apud omnes gentes sanctum esse consuesset, a tyranno Alexandro Pheraeo simul cum Ismenia comprehensus in vincla coniectus est.
For at the beginning too, as we have shown, he was deprived of his country as an exile, and, when he wished to reduce Thessaly under the power of the Thebans and thought himself sufficiently protected by the right of an embassy, which was accustomed to be held sacred among all nations, he was seized by the tyrant Alexander of Pherae, together with Ismenias, and thrown into chains.
§5.2hunc Epaminondas recuperavit, bello persequens Alexandrum.
Epaminondas recovered him, prosecuting a war against Alexander.
post id factum numquam animo placari potuit in eum, a quo erat violatus.
After this deed, he could never be pacified in his mind towards him by whom he had been violated.
itaque persuasit Thebanis ut subsidio Thessaliae proficiscerentur tyrannosque eius expellerent.
Therefore, he persuaded the Thebans to set out to the aid of Thessaly and expel its tyrants.
§5.3cuius belli cum ei summa esset data eoque cum exercitu profectus esset, non dubitavit, simulac conspexit hostem, confligere.
When the chief command of this war had been given to him and he had set out there with an army, he did not hesitate, as soon as he saw the enemy, to engage in battle.
§5.4in quo proelio Alexandrum ut animadvertit, incensus ira equum in eum concitavit proculque digressus a suis coniectu telorum confossus concidit.
In which battle, as he noticed Alexander, inflamed with anger, he spurred his horse against him, and having withdrawn far from his own men, he fell, pierced by a shower of weapons.
atque hoc secunda victoria accidit: nam iam inclinatae erant tyrannorum copiae.
And this happened when victory was favorable; for already the forces of the tyrants were giving way.
§5.5quo facto omnes Thessaliae civitates interfectum Pelopidam coronis aureis et statuis aeneis liberosque eius multo agro donarunt.
After this was done, all the states of Thessaly presented the slain Pelopidas with golden crowns and bronze statues, and his children with much land.

Notes

  1. §5.1patria caruit — The verb carere (to lack, be deprived of) takes an ablative of separation (here patria) as its complement.
  2. §5.2subsidio Thessaliae — A double dative construction consisting of the dative of purpose subsidio and the dative of reference Thessaliae.
  3. §5.4secunda victoria — An ablative absolute consisting of a noun and an adjective, meaning 'when victory was favorable' or 'under the circumstances of a secure victory'.
  4. §5.5interfectum Pelopidam coronis aureis et statuis aeneis ... donarunt — The construction donare aliquem (accusative) aliqua re (ablative), meaning 'to present someone with something'. Here, the accusative interfectum Pelopidam is paired with the ablatives coronis et statuis. Donarunt is a syncopated form of donaverunt.

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Pelopidas §5.1-5.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo016.humanitext-lat2:5.1-5.5

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