Nepos, Themistocles 8

Them. 8.1Tamen nōn effūgit cīvium suōrum invidiam.

Even so he did not escape the jealousy of his fellow citizens.

Note. invidiam: 'jealousy, ill will' — a theme of all Nepos's lives of great Athenians.

Them. 8.1Namque ob eundem timōrem, quō damnātus erat Miltiadēs, testulārum suffrāgiīs ē cīvitāte ēiectus Argōs habitātum concessit.

For out of the same fear by which Miltiades had been condemned, he was driven from the state by the votes of the potsherds and went off to live at Argos.

Note. testulārum suffrāgiīs: ostracism. Each year the Athenians could vote by writing a name on a potsherd (ostrakon, Latin testula); the man with most votes was exiled for ten years, without loss of property. Themistocles was ostracised about 471 BC. Argōs habitātum: accusative of place to which and a supine of purpose, 'to Argos to live'.

Them. 8.2Hīc cum propter multās virtūtēs magnā cum dignitāte vīveret, Lacedaemoniī lēgātōs Athēnās mīsērunt, quī eum absentem accūsārent, quod societātem cum rēge Persē ad Graeciam opprimendam fēcisset.

While he was living there with great honour because of his many virtues, the Spartans sent envoys to Athens to accuse him in his absence of having made an alliance with the Persian king to crush Greece.

Note. rēge Persē: 'the Persian king'. Persēs is a singular form, 'a Persian'. quod … fēcisset: subjunctive because it gives the Spartans' charge, not Nepos's own statement.

Them. 8.3Hōc crīmine absēns damnātus est.

On this charge he was condemned in his absence.

Them. 8.3Id ut audīvit, quod nōn satis tūtum sē Argīs vidēbat, Corcȳram dēmigrāvit.

When he heard this, since he saw that he was not safe enough at Argos, he moved to Corcyra.

Note. Argīs: locative, 'at Argos'. Corcȳram dēmigrāvit: accusative of place to which.

Them. 8.3Ibi cum eius prīncipēs īnsulae animadvertisset timēre, nē propter sē bellum iīs Lacedaemoniī et Athēniēnsēs indīcerent, ad Admētum, Molossum rēgem, cum quō eī hospitium nōn erat, cōnfūgit.

There, when he noticed that the leading men of the island were afraid that the Spartans and Athenians would declare war on them because of him, he fled to Admetus, king of the Molossians, with whom he had no tie of hospitality.

Note. nē … indīcerent: after a verb of fearing (timēre), nē means 'that'. Admētus had once been refused help by Themistocles, which is why there was no hospitium (guest-friendship) between them.

Them. 8.4Hūc cum vēnisset et in praesentiā rēx abesset, quō maiōre religiōne sē receptum tuērētur, fīlium eius parvulum arripuit et cum eō sē in sacrārium, quod summā colēbātur caerimōniā, coniēcit.

When he arrived there and the king happened to be away, in order to be protected by a stronger religious bond once he was received, he snatched up the king's little son and threw himself with him into the shrine, which was honoured with the deepest reverence.

Note. quō maiōre religiōne: purpose clause with quō and a comparative, 'so that he might be protected by a stronger religious bond'. Holding the king's child at the hearth or altar was a recognised way of claiming sanctuary as a suppliant.

Them. 8.4Inde nōn prius ēgressus est, quam rēx eum datā dextrā in fidem reciperet, quam praestitit.

He did not come out until the king had given him his right hand and taken him under his protection, a promise which he kept.

Note. nōn prius … quam … reciperet: 'not before the king received him' (subjunctive of anticipation). datā dextrā: ablative absolute, 'his right hand having been given' as a pledge.

Them. 8.5Nam cum ab Athēniēnsibus et Lacedaemoniīs exposcerētur pūblicē, supplicem nōn prōdidit monuitque ut cōnsuleret sibi: difficile enim esse in tam propinquō locō tūtō eum versārī.

For when he was formally demanded by the Athenians and Spartans, he did not betray the suppliant, and warned him to look out for himself: it was hard for him to stay safely in a place so near.

Note. cōnsuleret sibi: cōnsulō + dative, 'look after, take care of'. The last clause is in indirect speech: difficile (esse) … eum versārī.

Them. 8.5Itaque Pydnam eum dēdūcī iussit et quod satis esset praesidiī dedit.

So he had him taken to Pydna and gave him a sufficient guard.

Note. quod satis esset praesidiī: 'as much guard as was enough'; praesidiī is a partitive genitive with quod.

Them. 8.6Hīc in nāvem omnibus ignōtus nautīs ēscendit.

Here he went aboard a ship, unknown to all the sailors.

Them. 8.6Quae cum tempestāte maximā Naxum ferrētur, ubi tum Athēniēnsium erat exercitus, sēnsit Themistoclēs, sī eō pervēnisset, sibi esse pereundum.

When the ship was being carried by a great storm towards Naxos, where an Athenian army was then stationed, Themistocles realised that if he got there he must die.

Note. sibi esse pereundum: impersonal passive periphrastic with the dative of agent, 'that he must die'. The Athenian fleet was besieging Naxos, which had tried to leave the Delian League.

Them. 8.6Hāc necessitāte coāctus dominō nāvis, quis sit, aperit, multa pollicēns, sī sē cōnservāsset.

Forced by this necessity, he reveals to the master of the ship who he is, promising much if he saved him.

Note. quis sit, aperit: indirect question. The present tenses here and in the next sentences are historic presents, making the story vivid. sī sē cōnservāsset = cōnservāvisset.

Them. 8.7At ille clārissimī virī captus misericordiā diem noctemque procul ab īnsulā in salō nāvem tenuit in ancorīs neque quemquam ex eā exīre passus est.

And the man, seized with pity for so famous a person, kept the ship at anchor out at sea, far from the island, for a day and a night, and allowed no one to leave it.

Note. diem noctemque: accusative of duration. in salō: 'out in the open sea', off the harbour.

Them. 8.7Inde Ephesum pervēnit ibique Themistoclem expōnit.

From there he reaches Ephesus and puts Themistocles ashore there.

Them. 8.7Cui ille prō meritīs posteā grātiam rettulit.

Later Themistocles thanked him as his service deserved.