Nepos, Miltiades 4

Milt. 4.1Dārīus autem, cum ex Eurōpā in Asiam redīsset, hortantibus amīcīs, ut Graeciam redigeret in suam potestātem, classem quīngentārum nāvium comparāvit eīque Dātim praefēcit et Artaphernem iīsque ducenta peditum, decem equitum mīlia dedit, causam interserēns sē hostem esse Athēniēnsibus, quod eōrum auxiliō Iōnēs Sardīs expugnāssent suaque praesidia interfēcissent.

Darius, however, when he had returned from Europe to Asia, and his friends were urging him to bring Greece into his power, got ready a fleet of five hundred ships, put Datis and Artaphernes in command of it, and gave them two hundred thousand infantry and ten thousand cavalry, alleging as his reason that he was an enemy to the Athenians because with their help the Ionians had stormed Sardis and killed his garrison.

Note. hortantibus amīcīs: ablative absolute, 'while his friends urged'. ducenta … mīlia: Nepos' figures for the Persian army are much too large; modern estimates are perhaps 20,000–30,000. The Ionian revolt (499–494 BC), during which Sardis was burned with Athenian help, gave Darius his reason for the expedition.

Milt. 4.2Illī praefectī rēgiī classe ad Euboeam appulsā celeriter Eretriam cēpērunt omnēsque eius gentis cīvēs abreptōs in Asiam ad rēgem mīsērunt.

Those royal commanders, after bringing the fleet to land at Euboea, quickly took Eretria, carried off all the citizens of that people and sent them to the king in Asia.

Note. classe … appulsā: ablative absolute; appellō, -ere, -pulī (third conjugation) means 'to bring to land', not appellō, -āre 'to call'. The Eretrians were deported to Persia, as Herodotus also tells.

Milt. 4.2Inde ad Atticam accessērunt ac suās cōpiās in campum Marathōna dēdūxērunt.

From there they came to Attica and led their forces down into the plain of Marathon.

Note. Marathōna is a Greek accusative ending in -a.

Milt. 4.2Is abest ab oppidō circiter mīlia passuum decem.

It is about ten miles from the town.

Note. mīlia passuum decem: accusative of extent, 'ten miles'. A Roman mile was 1,000 paces, about 1.5 km; Marathon is in fact about 40 km from Athens, so Nepos' figure is too low.

Milt. 4.3Hōc tumultū Athēniēnsēs tam propinquō tamque magnō permōtī auxilium nusquam nisi ā Lacedaemoniīs petīvērunt Phīdippumque cursōrem eius generis, quī hēmerodromoe vocantur, Lacedaemonem mīsērunt, ut nūntiāret quam celerrimō opus esse auxiliō.

Alarmed by this upheaval, so near and so great, the Athenians sought help from no one but the Lacedaemonians, and sent Phidippus, a runner of the kind called day-runners, to Lacedaemon, to report that there was need of help as fast as possible.

Note. quam celerrimō … auxiliō: quam with a superlative means 'as … as possible'. opus esse + ablative: 'there was need of'. The runner's name appears in Greek sources as Philippides or Pheidippides; the story of a run from Marathon to Athens is a later legend.

Milt. 4.4Domī autem creant decem praetōrēs, quī exercituī praeessent, in eīs Miltiadem.

At home, meanwhile, they appoint ten generals to command the army, Miltiades among them.

Note. Domī: locative, 'at home'. creant is a historic present. qui … praeessent: relative clause of purpose. The ten strategoi (generals) were elected one from each Athenian tribe; Nepos calls them praetōrēs, the Roman equivalent.

Milt. 4.4Inter quōs magna fuit contentiō, utrum moenibus sē dēfenderent an obviam īrent hostibus aciēque dēcernerent.

Among them there was a great dispute whether they should defend themselves behind the walls or go to meet the enemy and decide the matter in battle.

Note. utrum … an: 'whether … or', introducing a double indirect question.

Milt. 4.5Ūnus Miltiadēs maximē nītēbātur, ut prīmō quōque tempore castra fierent: id sī factum esset, et cīvibus animum accessūrum, cum vidērent dē eōrum virtūte nōn dēspērārī, et hostēs eādem rē fore tardiōrēs, sī animadverterent audērī adversus sē tam exiguīs cōpiīs dīmicārī.

Miltiades alone pressed hardest for a camp to be made at the first opportunity: if that were done, the citizens would gain courage, seeing that their courage was not despaired of, and the enemy would be slowed by the same thing, if they saw that men dared to fight against them with such small forces.

Note. prīmō quōque tempore: 'at the very first opportunity'. et … et: 'both … and', joining two indirect statements: animum accessūrum (esse) and hostēs fore tardiōrēs. audērī … dīmicārī: impersonal passives, 'that there was daring … to fight'.