Nepos, Themistocles 10

Them. 10.1Huius rēx animī magnitūdinem admīrāns cupiēnsque tālem virum sibi conciliārī veniam dedit.

The king, admiring his greatness of spirit and wishing to win such a man over to himself, granted his request.

Note. veniam dedit: 'granted his request'. sibi conciliārī: 'to be won over to himself'.

Them. 10.1Ille omne illud tempus litterīs sermōnīque Persārum dedit: quibus adeō ērudītus est, ut multō commodius dīcātur apud rēgem verba fēcisse, quam iī poterant, quī in Perside erant nātī.

He gave all that time to the literature and language of the Persians, and learned them so thoroughly that he is said to have spoken before the king far more fluently than those born in Persia could.

Note. litterīs sermōnīque: dative after dedit, 'devoted to the literature and language'. multō commodius … quam: 'much more fluently than'.

Them. 10.2Hic cum multa rēgī esset pollicitus grātissimumque illud, sī suīs utī cōnsiliīs vellet, illum Graeciam bellō oppressūrum, magnīs mūneribus ab Artaxerxe dōnātus in Asiam rediit domiciliumque Magnēsiae sibi cōnstituit.

After he had promised the king many things, and this most welcome of all, that if he would follow his advice he would crush Greece in war, he was rewarded with great gifts by Artaxerxes, returned to Asia Minor and settled at Magnesia.

Note. illud: points forward to the promise in indirect speech, illum Graeciam bellō oppressūrum (esse). Magnēsiae: locative, 'at Magnesia'.

Them. 10.3Namque hanc urbem eī rēx dōnārat, hīs quidem verbīs, quae eī pānem praebēret (ex quā regiōne quīnquāgēna talenta quotannīs redībant), Lampsacum autem, unde vīnum sūmeret, Myūnta, ex quā obsōnium habēret.

For the king had given him this city with these words, that it should provide him with bread (from this district fifty talents came in each year), and Lampsacus to provide his wine, and Myus his other food.

Note. The gift of three cities for 'bread, wine and relishes' is reported by Thucydides; it was a Persian royal custom. quīnquāgēna: distributive numeral, 'fifty each (year)'. Myūnta: Greek accusative of Myūs.

Them. 10.3Huius ad nostram memoriam monumenta mānsērunt duo: sepulcrum prope oppidum, in quō est sepultus, statua in forō Magnēsiae.

Two memorials of him have survived to our own day: a tomb near the town in which he was buried, and a statue in the market place of Magnesia.

Them. 10.4Dē cuius morte multimodīs apud plērōsque scrīptum est, sed nōs eundem potissimum Thūcȳdidem auctōrem probāmus, quī illum ait Magnēsiae morbō mortuum neque negat fuisse fāmam, venēnum suā sponte sūmpsisse, cum sē, quae rēgī dē Graeciā opprimendā pollicitus esset, praestāre posse dēspērāret.

About his death many have written in different ways, but we accept the same Thucydides above all as our authority, who says that he died of illness at Magnesia, and does not deny there was a story that he took poison of his own accord, because he despaired of being able to deliver what he had promised the king about crushing Greece.

Note. multimodīs: 'in many ways'. auctōrem probāmus: 'we accept as our authority'. venēnum … sūmpsisse: the story of suicide by poison was already told in antiquity; Thucydides reports it only as a rumour.

Them. 10.5Īdem ossa eius clam in Atticā ab amīcīs sepulta, quoniam lēgibus nōn concēderētur, quod prōditiōnis esset damnātus, memoriae prōdidit.

The same writer recorded that his bones were buried secretly in Attica by his friends, since this was not allowed by law, because he had been condemned for treason.

Note. memoriae prōdidit: 'handed down to memory', i.e. recorded. quod prōditiōnis esset damnātus: genitive of the charge with verbs of condemning.