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Nepos · Datames

Nepos, Datames 11

Datames betrayed at a parley

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Dat. 11.1Id cum satis sē cōnfirmāsse arbitrātus esset, certiōrem facit Datamēn, tempus esse maiōrēs rēs parārī et bellum cum ipsō rēge suscipī, dēque eā rē, sī eī vidērētur, quō locō vellet, in colloquium venīret.When he thought he had established this firmly enough, he informs Datames that it was time for greater undertakings to be prepared and for war to be undertaken against the king himself, and that, if he agreed, he should come to a conference about the matter at whatever place he wished. Dat. 11.1Probātā rē colloquendī tempus sūmitur locusque, quō convenīrētur.The proposal being approved, a time for the conference is chosen and a place where they were to meet. Dat. 11.2Hūc Mithridātēs cum ūnō, cui maximē habēbat fidem, ante aliquot diēs vēnit complūribusque locīs sēparātim gladiōs obruit eaque loca dīligenter notat.Mithridates came here some days beforehand with one man whom he trusted most, buried swords separately in several places, and carefully marks those places. Dat. 11.2Ipsō autem colloquiī diē utrīque, locum quī explōrārent atque ipsōs scrūtārentur, mittunt;On the very day of the conference, each side sends men to examine the place and to search the two principals themselves; Dat. 11.2deinde ipsī sunt congressī.then they met in person.

Dat. 11.3Hīc cum aliquamdiū in colloquiō fuissent et dīversī discessissent iamque procul Datamēs abesset, Mithridātēs, priusquam ad suōs pervenīret, nē quam suspīciōnem pareret, in eundem locum revertitur atque ibi, ubi tēlum erat īnfossum, resēdit, ut sī lassitūdine cuperet acquiēscere, Datamēnque revocāvit, simulāns sē quiddam in colloquiō esse oblītum.When they had been in conference here for some time and had parted in different directions, and Datames was already far off, Mithridates, before he reached his own men, so as not to arouse any suspicion, returns to the same place and sat down at the spot where a weapon had been buried, as if he wished to rest from weariness, and called Datames back, pretending that he had forgotten something in the conference. Dat. 11.4Interim tēlum, quod latēbat, prōtulit nūdātumque vāgīnā veste tēxit ac Datamī venientī ait, dīgredientem sē animadvertisse locum quendam, quī erat in cōnspectū, ad castra pōnenda esse idōneum.Meanwhile he brought out the weapon that lay hidden, drew it from its sheath and covered it with his clothing, and said to Datames as he approached that, as he was leaving, he had noticed a certain spot, which was in view, that was suitable for pitching a camp.

Dat. 11.5Quem cum digitō dēmōnstrāret et ille respiceret, āversum ferrō trānsfīxit priusque, quam quisquam posset succurrere, interfēcit.While he was pointing to it with his finger and Datames looked round, he ran him through from behind with the sword, and killed him before anyone could come to help. Dat. 11.5Ita ille vir, quī multōs cōnsiliō, nēminem perfidiā cēperat, simulātā captus est amīcitiā.So that man, who had taken many by strategy but none by treachery, was taken by pretended friendship.

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Grammar in this passage: indirect statement ×7, gerunds and gerundives ×2, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (121 words)
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
satis, adv.enough, sufficiently
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
cōnfirmō, -firmāre, -firmāvī, -firmātusstrengthen, establish; declare, assert
arbitror, -ārī, -ātusconsider, think, judge
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
certus, -a, -umdetermined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
tempus, temporis, n.time, season
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
bellum, -ī, n.war
cum, prep, with abl.with
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
rēx, rēgis, m.king
suscipiō, -cipere, -cēpī, -ceptusundertake
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
que, enclitic conj.and
sī, conj.if
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
volō, velle, voluīwish
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
colloquium (conloquium), -ī n.conference, talk
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
probō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumprove, show; approve
colloquor (conloquor), -ī, -locūtus sumtalk with, confer
sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptustake under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
conveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventuscome together, assemble
hūc, adv.to this place, hither
ūnus, -a, -umone; only, alone
maximē, adv.very greatly, exceedingly, especially
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
fidēs, -eī f.faith, trust; pledge
ante, prep, with acc. and adv.before
aliquot (indecl.)several, some
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
complūrēs, -plūra, plur. adj.several, many
sēparātim (adv.)separately
gladius, -ī, m.sword
obruō, -ere, -ruī, -rutusoverwhelm, bury, crush
dīligenter, adv.carefully, diligently
notō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmark, note; single out
autem, conj.moreover; but, however; now
uterque, utraque, utrumqueeach, either, both
explōrō, -plōrāre, -plōrāvī, -plōrātussearch out, explore
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
scrūtor, -ārī, -ātus sumsearch, examine closely
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
deinde, adv.then, next
congredior, -ī, -gressus summeet; come to grips, fight
hīc, adv.here; hereupon
aliquam diū (adv.)for some time
dīversus, -a, -umturned different ways, opposite, contrary, different
discēdō, -cēdere, -cessī, -cessusgo apart, withdraw, depart
iam, adv.now, already
procul, adv.at or from a distance, far
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrusbe away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
priusquam, conj.before than, sooner than, before
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
perveniō, -venīre, -vēnī, -ventuscome through, come, arrive, reach
nē, adv.not; nē ... quidem, not ... even; conj., that not, lest
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
suspīciō, -ōnis, f.suspicion
pariō, -ere, peperī, partusbring forth; win, gain
īdem, eadem, idem, dem. pron.the same; sometimes to be translated likewise, also
revertor, -vertī, -versus, perf. act. -vertīturn back, return
ibi, adv.in that place, there
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
tēlum, -ī, n.missile, spear, weapon
īnfodiō, -ere, -fōdī, -fossusdig in, bury
resīdō, -sīdere, -sēdīsettle down, subside
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
lassitūdō, -inis, f.weariness
cupiō, -ere, -īvī, -ītusdesire, long for, wish
acquiēscō, -ere, -quiēvīrest; find peace; die
revocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumcall back, recall
simulō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumpretend
quīdam, quaedam, quoddam, indef. pron.a certain, certain
oblīvīscor, -līvīscī, -lītusforget
interim (adv.)meanwhile
lateō, -ēre, -uīlie hid, be concealed
prōferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātusbring forward, bring out
nūdō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumstrip, leave bare
vāgīna, -ae f.sheath, scabbard
vestis, -is, f.clothing, dress, robe
tegō, tegere, tēxī, tēctuscover
āiō (defective)say, affirm; ut aiunt: as they say
dīgredior, -gredī, -gressus sumgo away, part, separate
animadvertō, -vertere, -vertī, -versusturn the mind to, observe
cōnspectus, -ūs, m.sight
castra, -ōrum, n. plur.camp
pōnō, pōnere, posuī, positusplace, put; pōnī with in and abl., to be placed in, rest or depend on
idōneus, -a, -umsuitable, fit; favorable
digitus, -ī m.finger (digitus pollex: thumb)
dēmōnstrō, -mōnstrāre, -mōnstrāvī, -mōnstrātuspoint out, show; make known
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
respiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectumlook back
āvertō, -ere, āvertī, āversumturn away, turn aside
ferrum, -ī n.iron; iron point, sword
trānsfīgō, -fīgere, -fīxī, -fīxusthrust or pierce through, transfix
prius, adv.before, first
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
quisquam, quicquam, indef. pron.any one, anything
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
succurrō, -ere, -currī, -cursumrun to help, aid
interficiō, -ficere, -fēcī, -fectusput out of the way, kill
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
vir, virī, m.man
multus, -a, -ummuch, great; plur., many
cōnsilium, -ī, n.advice; plan, design, purpose; prudence
nēmō, nēminis, m. and f.no one, nobody
perfidia, -ae f.treachery, bad faith
capiō, capere, cēpī, captustake, catch, seize; receive, suffer; adopt
amīcitia, -ae f.friendship, alliance
Nepos, Datames. Latin text: A. Fleckeisen, Cornelii Nepotis Vitae (Teubner, 1886), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: drafted by our own tagger (trained on the hand-checked texts on this site), with every doubtful word checked by hand. English translation and section titles: written for this app, each checked against the Latin by a second reader.