Nepos, Themistocles 1

Them. 1.1Themistoclēs, Neoclī fīlius, Athēniēnsis.

Themistocles, son of Neocles, an Athenian.

Note. Nepos opens each Life with a bare label: name, father (Neoclī, genitive of Neoclēs), city. Supply 'erat' if you like; the style is that of a heading.

Them. 1.1Huius vitia ineuntis adulēscentiae magnīs sunt ēmendāta virtūtibus, adeō ut anteferātur huic nēmō, paucī parēs putentur.

The faults of his early youth were made good by great virtues, so much so that no one is ranked above him and few are thought his equals.

Note. huius = 'of him' (Themistocles). ineuntis adulēscentiae: 'of his beginning youth', i.e. early youth (ineō 'go into'). adeō ut + subjunctive: 'so much that'. Note the asyndeton in the last two clauses: '(and) few are thought equal'.

Them. 1.2Sed ab initiō est ordiendus.

But we must begin from the beginning.

Note. est ordiendus: passive periphrastic (gerundive + sum) expressing obligation, 'he must be begun', i.e. we must start his story from the beginning.

Them. 1.2Pater eius Neoclēs generōsus fuit.

His father Neocles was of good family.

Them. 1.2Is uxōrem Acarnānam cīvem dūxit, ex quā nātus est Themistoclēs.

He married a woman of Acarnania, a citizen there, and from her Themistocles was born.

Note. uxōrem dūcere: 'to marry' (of the man; literally 'to lead a wife' home). Acarnānam: an Acarnanian woman. Because his mother was foreign, Themistocles was of doubtful status at Athens, which Nepos passes over.

Them. 1.2Quī cum minus esset probātus parentibus, quod et līberius vīvēbat et rem familiārem neglegēbat, ā patre exhērēdātus est.

Because he was not well thought of by his parents, since he lived rather too freely and neglected the family property, he was disinherited by his father.

Note. Quī = 'and he' (connecting relative). minus probātus: 'less approved', i.e. disapproved of. quod … vīvēbat: 'because he lived'; quod + indicative gives Nepos's own reason. līberius: comparative adverb, 'too freely'.

Them. 1.2Quae contumēlia nōn frēgit eum, sed ērēxit.

This disgrace did not break him; it roused him.

Note. Quae contumēlia: connecting relative used as an adjective, 'this disgrace'. The neat antithesis nōn frēgit … sed ērēxit is typical of Nepos.

Them. 1.3Nam cum iūdicāsset sine summā industriā nōn posse eam exstinguī, tōtum sē dēdidit reī pūblicae, dīligentius amīcīs fāmaeque serviēns.

For when he had judged that it could not be wiped out without the greatest effort, he gave himself wholly to public life, taking great care to serve his friends and his reputation.

Note. iūdicāsset = iūdicāvisset (syncopated pluperfect). eam = contumēliam. rēī pūblicae: dative with sē dēdidit, 'devoted himself to the state'. serviēns + dative: 'serving'.

Them. 1.3Multum in iūdiciīs prīvātīs versābātur, saepe in cōntiōnem populī prōdībat;

He was often engaged in private lawsuits, and he often came forward before the assembly of the people;

Note. cōntiō: a public meeting called to hear speeches, as opposed to a voting assembly.

Them. 1.3nūlla rēs maior sine eō gerēbātur;

no important business was carried on without him;

Them. 1.3celeriter quae opus erant reperiēbat, facile eādem ōrātiōne explicābat, neque minus in rēbus gerendīs promptus quam excōgitandīs erat, quod et dē īnstantibus, ut ait Thūcȳdidēs, vērissimē iūdicābat et dē futūrīs callidissimē coniciēbat.

he quickly found what was needed, and explained the same easily in speech, and he was no less ready in carrying things out than in thinking them up, because, as Thucydides says, he judged present affairs most truly and guessed the future most shrewdly.

Note. quae opus erant: 'the things that were needed'; opus est takes a nominative of the thing needed. Thūcȳdidēs: Nepos is translating the historian's famous character sketch (Thucydides 1.138). verissimē, callidissimē: superlative adverbs.

Them. 1.4Quō factum est ut brevī tempore illūstrārētur.

As a result he soon became famous.

Note. Quō factum est ut: 'by which it came about that'; a common formula of result. brevī tempore: 'in a short time'.