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Nepos · Datames

Nepos, Datames 4

The swift capture of Aspis

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Dat. 4.1Hic cum maximō studiō comparāret exercitum Aegyptumque proficīscī parāret, subitō ā rēge litterae sunt eī missae, ut Aspim aggrederētur, quī Cataoniam tenēbat: quae gēns iacet suprā Ciliciam, cōnfīnis Cappadociae.While he was preparing the army with the greatest zeal and getting ready to set out for Egypt, a letter was suddenly sent to him by the king, ordering him to attack Aspis, who held Cataonia: this people lies above Cilicia, bordering on Cappadocia. Dat. 4.2Namque Aspis, saltuōsam regiōnem castellīsque mūnītam incolēns, nōn sōlum imperiō rēgis nōn pārēbat, sed etiam fīnitimās regiōnēs vexābat et quae rēgī portārentur abripiēbat.For Aspis, who inhabited a wooded region fortified with strongholds, not only refused to obey the king's authority but also harried the neighbouring regions and carried off whatever was being conveyed to the king. Dat. 4.3Datamēs etsī longē aberat ab iīs regiōnibus et ā maiōre rē abstrahēbātur, tamen rēgis voluntātī mōrem gerendum putāvit.Although Datames was far away from those regions and was being drawn away from a greater undertaking, he nevertheless thought that he must comply with the king's wishes. Dat. 4.3Itaque cum paucīs, sed virīs fortibus nāvem cōnscendit, exīstimāns, quod accidit, facilius sē imprūdentem parvā manū oppressūrum quam parātum quamvīs magnō exercitū.And so he boarded a ship with a few men, but brave ones, reckoning, as in fact happened, that he would more easily overpower an unsuspecting man with a small force than a prepared one with however large an army.

Dat. 4.4Hāc dēlātus in Ciliciam, ēgressus inde, diēs noctēsque iter faciēns Taurum trānsit eōque quō studuerat vēnit.Carried by it to Cilicia, he landed there, and marching day and night he crossed the Taurus and arrived at the place he had been making for. Dat. 4.4Quaerit quibus locīs sit Aspis: cognōscit haud longē abesse profectumque tum vēnātum.He asks where Aspis is: he learns that he is not far away and has gone out hunting. Dat. 4.4Quem dum speculātur, adventus eius causa cognōscitur.While he is watching for him, the reason for his arrival becomes known. Dat. 4.4Pisidās cum iīs, quōs sēcum habēbat, ad resistendum Aspis comparat.Aspis prepares the Pisidians, together with those he had with him, to resist. Dat. 4.5Id Datamēs ubi audīvit, arma sūmit, suōs sequī iubet;When Datames heard this, he takes up arms and orders his men to follow; Dat. 4.5ipse equō concitātō ad hostem vehitur.he himself rides at the enemy on a galloping horse. Dat. 4.5Quem procul Aspis cōnspiciēns ad sē ferentem pertimēscit atque ā cōnātū resistendī dēterritus sēsē dēdidit.Aspis, seeing him from afar bearing down on him, is terrified and, frightened out of his attempt at resistance, surrendered himself.

Dat. 4.5Hunc Datamēs vinctum ad rēgem dūcendum trādit Mithridātī.Datames hands him over in chains to Mithridates, to be taken to the king.

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Grammar in this passage: purpose clauses ×1, gerunds and gerundives ×4, indirect statement ×2, ablative absolute ×1

Latin vocabulary for this passage (118 words)
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
magnus, -a, -umlarge, big, great, mighty; loud
studium, -ī, n.eagerness, zeal; study, pursuit
comparō, -parāre, -parāvī, -parātusprepare, collect
exercitus, -ūs, m.army
que, enclitic conj.and
proficīscor, -ficīscī, -fectus sumset out, depart, march
parō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusmake ready, prepare
subitō, adv.unexpectedly, suddenly
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
rēx, rēgis, m.king
littera, -ae f.letter (of the alphabet); pl. letter, writing
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
mittō, mittere, mīsī, missussend
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
aggredior, -ī, aggressus sumattack
quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
teneō, -ēre, -uī, -tushold, keep; hold back, restrain, stop
gēns, gentis, f.race, nation
iaceō, -ēre, -uīlie, be prostrate
suprā, adv. and prep. with acc.above, before
cōnfīnis, -ebordering on, neighboring
namque, conj.for
saltuōsus, -a, -umwooded, full of forest glades
regiō, -ōnis, f.direction; country, region
castellum, -ī n.fort, redoubt
mūniō, -īre, -īvī, -ītusfortify
incolō, -colere, -coluīinhabit
nōn, adv.not
sōlum (adv.); solum, -ī n.only (nōn sōlum … sed etiam: not only … but also); ground, soil
imperium, -ī, n.command; sway, rule
pāreō, -ēre, -uīobey
sed, conj.but
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
fīnitimus, -a, -umneighboring, adjoining
vexō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumharass, ravage
et, conj.and; et ... et, both ... and
portō, -āre, -āvī, -ātumcarry
abripiō, -ripere, -ripuī, -reptussnatch away, carry off
etsī, conj.even if, although
longē, adv.far
absum, abesse, āfuī, āfutūrusbe away, be absent, be distant; be wanting
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
abstrahō, -ere, -trāxī, -tractumdrag away, carry off
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
voluntās, -tātis, f.wish, will
mōs, mōris, m.way, manner, habit, custom
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestuscarry, wear; carry on, do
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
itaque, adv.and so, accordingly, therefore
cum, prep, with abl.with
paucī, -ae, -a, plur. adj.few
vir, virī, m.man
fortis, -ebrave
nāvis, -is, f.ship
cōnscendō, -scendere, -scendī, -scēnsusclimb; nāvem cōnscendere, to climb the ship, go on board, embark
exīstimō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusconsider, believe, think
accidō, -cidere, -cidīfall to or upon; befall, happen
facile, adv.easily
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
imprūdēns, -entisoff guard, unaware
parvus, -a, -umlittle, small
manus, -ūs, f.hand
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressuspress against, overpower, crush
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
quamvīs (adv.)however much, as … as you like
dēferō, -ferre, -tulī, -lātusbear or carry away or off
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
ēgredior, -gredī, -gressusgo out or forth, go ashore, disembark
inde (adv.)from there; then
diēs, -ēī, m. and f.day
nox, noctis, f.night
iter, itineris, n.a going, journey, march; iter facere, to journey, march
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
trānseō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo across or over, cross
eō (adv.)to that place, thither; to that point (usque eō); (with comparatives) by so much, all the (more)
quō, adv.to what place? whither? to which place, whither; for which reason, wherefore, therefore; quō ūsque, till when? how long?
studeō, -ēre, -uībe eager, give attention, apply oneself
veniō, venīre, vēnī, ventuscome
quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītusseek; ask, inquire
quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj.what?
locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n.place, situation
cognōscō, -gnōscere, -gnōvī, -gnitusfind out, learn; in tenses of completed action, have found out, know
haud, adv.not at all, by no means, not
tum, adv.then, at that time
vēnor, -ārī, -ātus sumhunt
dum, conj.while, as; as long as; until
speculor, -ārī, -ātus sumspy, watch
adventus, -ūs, m.approach, arrival
causa, -ae, f.cause, reason; abl. causā, for the sake of
habeō, -ēre, -uī, -itushave, hold; consider
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
resistō, -sistere, -stitīstand back, resist
ubi, adv.where; conj., when
audiō, -īre, -īvī, -ītushear; listen or attend to
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
sūmō, sūmere, sūmpsī, sūmptustake under or up, take; poenam sūmere, to exact or inflict punishment
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
sequor, sequī, secūtusfollow
iubeō, iubēre, iussī, iussusbid, order, command
ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron.self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very
equus, -ī, m.horse
concitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusstir up, rouse
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
vehō, vehere, vexī, vectuscarry
procul, adv.at or from a distance, far
cōnspiciō, -spicere, -spēxī, -spectusbehold, perceive, see
ferō, ferre, tulī, lātusbear, bring
pertimēscō, -ere, -timuībecome very afraid, dread
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
cōnātus, -ūs, m.attempt, effort
dēterreō, -terrēre, -terruī, -territusfrighten off, deter
dēdō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive away or up
vinciō, vincīre, vinxī, vinctusbind
dūcō, dūcere, dūxī, ductuslead; make, dig; with or without in mātrimōnium, marry
trādō, -dere, -didī, -ditusgive across, over, or up, deliver; hand down, relate, report
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.