Nepos, Epaminondas 7

Epam. 7.1Fuisse patientem suōrumque iniūriās ferentem cīvium, quod sē patriae īrāscī nefās esse dūceret, haec sunt testimōnia.

That he was patient and bore the wrongs of his fellow citizens, because he thought it was a sin to be angry with his country, these things are proof.

Note. The infinitives fuisse ... ferentem depend on haec sunt testimōnia: 'these are the proofs that he was patient'. quod ... dūceret: subjunctive because it gives Epaminondas' own reason.

Epam. 7.1Cum eum propter invidiam cīvēs suī praeficere exercituī nōluissent duxque esset dēlēctus bellī imperītus, cuius errōre rēs eō esset dēducta, ut omnēs dē salūte pertimēscerent, quod locōrum angustiīs clausī ab hostibus obsidēbantur, dēsīderārī coepta est Epamīnōndae dīligentia: erat enim ibi prīvātus numerō mīlitis.

When out of jealousy his fellow citizens had refused to put him in charge of the army, and a general unskilled in war had been chosen, through whose error things had come to such a point that everyone feared for their lives, because they were shut in a narrow pass and besieged by the enemy, the careful skill of Epaminondas began to be missed: for he was there as a private soldier in the ranks.

Note. Cum ... nōluissent ... esset dēlēctus: circumstantial cum clauses. eō ... ut: 'to such a point that'. coepta est with a passive infinitive is itself passive: 'began to be missed'. numerō mīlitis: 'in the rank of a common soldier'.

Epam. 7.2Ā quō cum peterent opem, nūllam adhibuit memoriam contumēliae et exercitum obsidiōne līberātum domum redūxit incolumem.

When they asked him for help, he held no memory of the insult, and he freed the army from the blockade and brought it home unharmed.

Epam. 7.3Nec vērō hoc semel fēcit, sed saepius.

And he did this not just once, but quite often.

Epam. 7.3Maximē autem fuit illūstre, cum in Peloponnēsum exercitum dūxisset adversus Lacedaemoniōs habēretque collēgās duōs, quōrum alter erat Pelopidās, vir fortis ac strēnuus.

But the most famous case was when he had led an army into the Peloponnese against the Spartans and had two colleagues, one of whom was Pelopidas, a brave and energetic man.

Note. Maximē ... illūstre: supply exemplum, 'the most famous instance was'. In 369 BC Epaminondas and Pelopidas invaded the Peloponnese and threatened Sparta itself.

Epam. 7.3Hī cum crīminibus adversāriōrum omnēs in invidiam vēnissent ob eamque rem imperium iīs esset abrogātum atque in eōrum locum aliī praetōrēs successissent, Epamīnōndās populī scītō nōn pāruit idemque ut facerent persuāsit collēgīs et bellum, quod suscēperat, gessit.

When these men had all fallen into disfavour through the accusations of their opponents, and for that reason their command had been taken from them and other commanders had come to take their place, Epaminondas did not obey the people's decree, persuaded his colleagues to do the same, and carried on the war he had undertaken.

Note. imperium iīs esset abrogātum: abrogō + dative, 'their command had been taken from them'. populī scītō nōn pāruit: pāreō takes the dative.

Epam. 7.4Namque animadvertēbat, nisi id fēcisset, tōtum exercitum propter praetōrum imprūdentiam īnscītiamque bellī peritūrum.

For he saw that unless he did so the whole army would be lost through the commanders' lack of foresight and ignorance of war.

Note. nisi id fēcisset: in indirect speech a future condition goes into the pluperfect subjunctive. peritūrum (esse): future infinitive.

Epam. 7.5Lēx erat Thēbīs, quae morte multābat, sī quis imperium diūtius retinuisset, quam lēge praefīnītum foret.

There was a law at Thebes which punished with death anyone who kept command longer than the law had laid down.

Note. quam lēge praefīnītum foret: foret = esset, 'than had been fixed by law'. The Boeotian generals (boeotarchs) held office for one year.

Epam. 7.5Hanc Epamīnōndās cum reī pūblicae cōnservandae causā lātam vidēret, ad perniciem cīvitātis cōnferrī nōluit et quattuor mēnsibus diūtius, quam populus iusserat, gessit imperium.

Although Epaminondas saw that this law had been passed to protect the state, he would not let it be turned to the ruin of the city, and he held command four months longer than the people had ordered.

Note. Hanc refers to lēx, placed first for emphasis. reī pūblicae cōnservandae causā: causā + gerundive genitive, 'for the sake of preserving the state'.