Nepos, Themistocles 6

Them. 6.1Magnus hōc bellō Themistoclēs fuit neque minor in pāce.

Themistocles was great in this war, and no less so in peace.

Them. 6.1Cum enim Phalēricō portū neque magnō neque bonō Athēniēnsēs ūterentur, huius cōnsiliō triplex Pīraeī portus cōnstitūtus est iīsque moenibus circumdatus, ut ipsam urbem dignitāte aequiperāret, ūtilitāte superāret.

For since the Athenians were using the harbour of Phalerum, which was neither large nor good, on his advice the triple harbour of the Piraeus was built and surrounded with walls, so that it equalled the city itself in grandeur and surpassed it in usefulness.

Note. Phalērum was the old open roadstead of Athens; the Piraeus had three natural harbours (hence triplex). Themistocles began fortifying it in 493 BC. aequiperāret: 'should equal'; the subject is the Piraeus.

Them. 6.2Īdem mūrōs Athēniēnsium restituit praecipuō suō perīculō.

He also rebuilt the walls of the Athenians, at great risk to himself.

Note. praecipuō suō perīculō: ablative of attendant circumstance, 'at particular risk to himself'.

Them. 6.2Namque Lacedaemoniī causam idōneam nactī propter barbarōrum excursiōnēs, quā negārent oportēre extrā Peloponnēsum ūllam urbem mūrōs habēre, nē essent loca mūnīta, quae hostēs possidērent, Athēniēnsēs aedificantēs prohibēre sunt cōnātī.

For the Spartans, having found a suitable excuse in the raids of the barbarians, by which they could argue that no city outside the Peloponnese ought to have walls, so that there should be no fortified places for the enemy to occupy, tried to stop the Athenians from building.

Note. nactī: perfect participle of the deponent nancīscor, 'having found'. quā negārent: relative clause of purpose or characteristic, 'by which they might argue'. negāre … oportēre: 'to say that it was not right'. prohibēre sunt cōnātī: the main verb comes at the very end, a typical Latin period.

Them. 6.2Hoc longē aliō spectābat atque vidērī volēbant.

Their aim was very different from what they wished it to seem.

Note. longē aliō spectābat atque: 'looked to something quite different from what'; atque after words of likeness or difference means 'than' or 'as'.

Them. 6.3Athēniēnsēs enim duābus victōriīs, Marathōniā et Salamīniā, tantam glōriam apud omnēs gentēs erant cōnsecūtī, ut intellegerent Lacedaemoniī dē prīncipātū sibi cum iīs certāmen fore.

For the Athenians, through their two victories, Marathon and Salamis, had won such glory among all peoples that the Spartans understood that they would have a contest with them for the leadership.

Note. dē prīncipātū … certāmen fore: indirect statement after intellegerent; fore = futūrum esse.

Them. 6.4Quārē eōs quam īnfirmissimōs esse volēbant.

So they wanted them as weak as possible.

Note. quam īnfirmissimōs: quam + superlative, 'as weak as possible'.

Them. 6.4Postquam autem audiērunt mūrōs struī, lēgātōs Athēnās mīsērunt, quī id fierī vetārent.

When they heard that the walls were going up, they sent envoys to Athens to forbid it.

Note. audiērunt = audīvērunt. quī … vetārent: relative clause of purpose, 'to forbid'.

Them. 6.4Hīs praesentibus dēsiērunt ac sē dē eā rē lēgātōs ad eōs missūrōs dīxērunt.

While these were present, the Athenians stopped, and said they would send envoys to them about the matter.

Note. Hīs praesentibus: ablative absolute, 'while these were there'. The subject of dēsiērunt is the Athenians.

Them. 6.5Hanc lēgātiōnem suscēpit Themistoclēs et sōlus prīmō profectus est: reliquī lēgātī ut tum exīrent, cum satis altī tuendō mūrī exstrūctī vidērentur, praecēpit: interim omnēs, servī atque līberī, opus facerent neque ūllī locō parcerent, sīve sacer sīve prīvātus esset sīve pūblicus, et undique, quod idōneum ad mūniendum putārent, congererent.

Themistocles took on this embassy and at first set out alone: he instructed the other envoys to leave only when the walls seemed to have been raised high enough for defence; meanwhile everyone, slave and free, was to work, sparing no place, whether sacred, private or public, and to gather from every side whatever they thought fit for building fortifications.

Note. The orders are in indirect speech depending on praecēpit: ut … exīrent, then (without ut) facerent, parcerent, congererent. tuendō: dative of the gerund expressing purpose, 'high enough for defending'. sīve … sīve … sīve: 'whether … or … or'.

Them. 6.5Quō factum est ut Athēniēnsium mūrī ex sacellīs sepulcrīsque cōnstārent.

So it came about that the walls of the Athenians were made of shrines and tombs.

Note. Thucydides (1.93) says stones from tombs and statues could still be seen built into the wall in his day.