Nepos, Epaminondas 1

Epam. 1.1Epamīnōndās, Polymniī fīlius, Thēbānus.

Epaminondas, son of Polymnis, a Theban.

Note. Nepos opens each life with a bare label: name, father (genitive: Polymniī fīlius), city. Thēbānus is 'a Theban'; Thebes was the chief city of Boeotia in central Greece.

Epam. 1.1Dē hōc priusquam scrībimus, haec praecipienda videntur lēctōribus, nē aliēnōs mōrēs ad suōs referant, nēve ea, quae ipsīs leviōra sunt, parī modō apud cēterōs fuisse arbitrentur.

Before we write about him, it seems that readers should be warned not to measure other people's customs by their own, and not to think that things which seem rather trivial to them were regarded the same way among others.

Note. Nepos' little preface: Roman readers should not judge Greek habits by Roman ones. praecipienda videntur is a gerundive of obligation: 'seem to need to be told beforehand'. nē ... referant, nēve ... arbitrentur: two negative purpose/command clauses joined by nēve 'and not'. ipsīs leviōra: 'lighter, less important, to themselves'.

Epam. 1.2Scīmus enim mūsicēn nostrīs mōribus abesse ā prīncipis persōnā, saltāre vērō etiam in vitiīs pōnī: quae omnia apud Graecōs et grāta et laude digna dūcuntur.

For we know that by our customs music is beneath the dignity of a leading man, and dancing is even counted among the vices: all of which among the Greeks are thought both pleasing and worthy of praise.

Note. mūsicēn is a Greek accusative (nom. mūsicē). The infinitives saltāre and poni depend on scīmus: 'we know that dancing is placed among the vices'. To a Roman of standing, singing and dancing in public were disreputable; in Greece they were part of a gentleman's education.

Epam. 1.3Cum autem exprimere imāginem cōnsuētūdinis atque vītae velīmus Epamīnōndae, nihil vidēmur dēbēre praetermittere, quod pertineat ad eam dēclārandam.

But since we wish to draw a picture of the habits and life of Epaminondas, it seems we ought to leave out nothing that helps to bring it out.

Note. Cum ... velīmus: causal cum with the subjunctive, 'since we wish'. quod pertineat: relative clause of characteristic, 'anything such as to serve'. ad eam dēclārandam: ad + gerundive of purpose, 'for making it clear'.

Epam. 1.4Quārē dīcēmus prīmum dē genere eius, deinde quibus disciplīnīs et ā quibus sit ērudītus, tum dē mōribus ingeniīque facultātibus et sī qua alia memoriā digna erunt, postrēmō dē rēbus gestīs, quae ā plūrimīs animī antepōnuntur virtūtibus.

So we will speak first about his family, then about the subjects he was taught and by whom, next about his character and the powers of his mind, and anything else worth remembering, and finally about his achievements, which most people rank above the virtues of the mind.

Note. An outline of the Life. quibus disciplīnīs et ā quibus sit ērudītus: two indirect questions, hence the subjunctive sit. sī qua alia: after sī, qua is the indefinite 'any' (neuter plural with alia). ā plūrimīs ... anteponuntur: 'which are ranked by most people above the virtues of the mind'.