Nepos, Aristides 2

Arist. 2.1Interfuit autem pugnae nāvālī apud Salamīna, quae facta est prius quam poenā līberārētur.

He took part, moreover, in the sea battle at Salamis, which was fought before he was freed from his punishment.

Note. pugnae … interfuit: intersum takes the dative. Salamīna is a Greek accusative (Latin would be Salamīnem). prius quam … līberārētur: subjunctive because the event had not yet happened at the time of the battle.

Arist. 2.1Īdem praetor fuit Athēniēnsium apud Plataeās in proeliō, quō fūsus barbarōrum exercitus Mardoniusque interfectus est.

He was also the general of the Athenians at Plataea, in the battle in which the army of the barbarians was routed and Mardonius was killed.

Note. Here praetor translates the Greek strategos, 'general'. Plataea (479 BC) ended the Persian invasion; Mardonius was the Persian commander.

Arist. 2.2Neque aliud est ūllum huius in rē mīlitārī illūstre factum quam eius imperiī memoria, iūstitiae vērō et aequitātis et innocentiae multa, in prīmīs quod huius aequitāte factum est, cum in commūnī classe esset Graeciae simul cum Pausaniā, ut summa imperiī maritimī ab Lacedaemoniīs trānsferrētur ad Athēniēnsēs: namque ante id tempus et marī et terrā ducēs erant Lacedaemoniī.

There is no other famous deed of his in military affairs besides the record of that command, but there are many of his justice, fairness and integrity; first of all, that it was through his fairness, when he was with the common fleet of Greece together with Pausanias, that the supreme command at sea was transferred from the Lacedaemonians to the Athenians: for before that time the Lacedaemonians were the leaders both by sea and by land.

Note. A long sentence built on two contrasts: nothing else military (aliud … ūllum … factum) except (quam) the memory of that command, but many deeds (multa, supply facta) of justice. in prīmīs quod … factum est … ut: 'especially the fact that … it came about that'. summa imperiī maritimī: overall command at sea. This transfer (478/7 BC) was the beginning of the Delian League.

Arist. 2.3Tum autem et intemperantiā Pausaniae et iūstitiā factum est Aristīdis, ut omnēs ferē cīvitātēs Graeciae ad Athēniēnsium societātem sē applicārent et adversus barbarōs hōs ducēs dēligerent sibi.

Then, however, through the arrogance of Pausanias and the justice of Aristides it came about that almost all the states of Greece attached themselves to an alliance with the Athenians and chose them as their leaders against the barbarians.

Note. factum est … ut + subjunctive: 'it came about that'. intemperantiā and iūstitiā are ablatives of cause. Pausanias, the Spartan regent, made himself hated by his arrogant, Persian-style behaviour, so the allies turned to Athens.