Nepos, Miltiades 2

Milt. 2.1Ibi brevī tempore barbarōrum cōpiīs disiectīs, tōtā regiōne, quam petierat, potītus, loca castellīs idōnea commūniit, multitūdinem, quam sēcum dūxerat, in agrīs collocāvit crēbrīsque excursiōnibus locuplētāvit.

There, after he had scattered the forces of the barbarians in a short time and become master of the whole region he had sought, he fortified places suitable for strongholds, settled the multitude he had brought with him on the land, and enriched them with frequent raids.

Note. barbarōrum cōpiīs disiectīs is an ablative absolute. tōtā regiōne … potītus is not: potior is deponent, so potītus is active ('having gained possession of') and takes the ablative tōtā regiōne. locuplētāvit: 'enriched' them with booty from frequent raids.

Milt. 2.2Neque minus in eā rē prūdentiā quam fēlīcitāte adiūtus est.

And in this he was helped no less by good judgement than by good fortune.

Milt. 2.2Nam cum virtūte mīlitum dēvīcisset hostium exercitūs, summā aequitāte rēs cōnstituit atque ipse ibīdem manēre dēcrēvit.

For when he had defeated the enemy's armies through the courage of his soldiers, he arranged affairs with the greatest fairness and decided to remain there himself.

Note. exercitūs is accusative plural (fourth declension), object of dēvīcisset.

Milt. 2.3Erat enim inter eōs dignitāte rēgiā, quamquam carēbat nōmine, neque id magis imperiō quam iūstitiā cōnsecūtus.

For he held among them the standing of a king, although he lacked the name, and he had won it no more by power than by justice.

Note. dignitāte rēgiā: ablative of description, 'of kingly standing'. neque id … cōnsecūtus (erat): supply erat. magis … quam: 'more … than'.

Milt. 2.3Neque eō sētius Athēniēnsibus, ā quibus erat profectus, officia praestābat.

None the less he went on performing his duties to the Athenians, from whom he had set out.

Note. eō sētius: 'any the less (for that)'; eō is an ablative of the measure of difference.

Milt. 2.3Quibus rēbus fīēbat ut nōn minus eōrum voluntāte perpetuum imperium obtinēret, quī mīserant, quam illōrum, cum quibus erat profectus.

Because of these things it came about that he held his power for life no less with the goodwill of those who had sent him than of those with whom he had set out.

Milt. 2.4Chersonēsō tālī modō cōnstitūtā Lēmnum revertitur et ex pactō postulat ut sibi urbem trādant: sē enim domum Chersonēsī habēre.

When the Chersonese had been settled in this way, he returns to Lemnos and demands, according to the agreement, that they hand over their city to him: for, he said, his home was now in the Chersonese.

Note. revertitur and postulat are historic presents. Chersonēsī is locative: 'he had his home in the Chersonese'. The agreement was the Lemnians' joke from chapter 1: now he had literally sailed to Lemnos from home on a north wind.

Milt. 2.5Cārēs, quī tum Lēmnum incolēbant, etsī praeter opīniōnem rēs ceciderat, tamen nōn dictō, sed secundā fortūnā adversāriōrum captī resistere ausī nōn sunt atque ex īnsulā dēmigrārunt.

The Carians, who then lived on Lemnos, although things had turned out beyond their expectation, nevertheless, caught not by the words but by the good fortune of their opponents, did not dare to resist and moved away from the island.

Note. nōn dictō sed secundā fortūnā … captī: 'caught not by the word but by the luck of their opponents' (the Carians felt trapped by their own promise and by Miltiades' good fortune). dēmigrārunt = dēmigrāvērunt.

Milt. 2.5Parī fēlīcitāte cēterās īnsulās, quae Cycladēs nōminantur, sub Athēniēnsium redēgit potestātem.

With equal good fortune he brought the remaining islands, which are called the Cyclades, under the power of the Athenians.

Note. The Cyclades are the islands 'in a circle' (Greek kyklos) around Delos.