Cornelii Nepotis Vitae (Hamilton)/Iphicrates

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 X. Dion XII. Chabrias 
Iphicrates Atheniensis nobilitatus-est non tam
Iphicrates the Athenian was renowned not so much
magnitudine rerum gestarum, quam militari
by greatness of things carried on, as by military
disciplina. Enim fuit tali dux, ut
discipline. For he was such a leader, that
compararetur non solum cum primis suae
he might be compared not only with the first of his own
aetatis, sed ne-quidem quidam de maioribus
age, but not even any one of (his) greaters
natu anteponeretur. Vero
by birth (predecessors) might be preferred. But
versatus-est multum in bello, saepe praefuit
he was employed much in war, often he commanded
exercitibus, nusquam gessit rem male
to armies, nowhere he carried on thing badly
sua culpa; vicit semper consilio, que
by his own fault; he conquered always by counsel, and
eo valuit tantum, ut in militari re
in this he prevailed so much, that in military affair
attulerit (sub.) multa partim nova, fecerit (sub.)
he brought many (things) partly new, made
partim meliora. Namque ille mutavit pedestria
partly better. For he changed the pedestrian (infantry)
arma, quum ante illum
arms, when before him (being)
imperatorem uterentur (sub.) maximis clypeis, brevibus
commander they did use very large shields, short
hastis, minutis gladiis. Ille e-contrario fecit
spears, little swords. He on the contrary made
peltam pro parma (a quo
the half-moon-buckler for the shield (from which
pedites [postea] appellantur πελτασταί,)
the foot soldiers [afterwards] are called peltastae,)
ut essent leviores ad motus que
that they might be lighter to motions and
concursus; duplicavit modum hastae, fecit
onsets; he doubled the measure of the spear, he made
gladios longiores. Idem mutavit genus
the swords longer. The same changed the kind
loricarum, et, pro sertis atque
of coats of mail, and, for connected (rings or chains) and
aeneis, dedit linteas. Quo facto reddidit
brazen, he gave linen. By which deed he rendered
milites expeditiores. Nam, pondere
the soldiers less encumbered. For, the weight
detracto, curavit quod aeque tegeret
being withdrawn, he took care of what equally might cover
corpus, et esset leve.
the body, and might be light.


Gessit bellum cum Thracibus; restituit
He carried on war with the Thracians; he restored
in regnum, Seuthen socium Atheniensium. Apud
into the kingdom, Seuthes the ally of the Athenians. At
Corinthum praefuit exercitui tanta
Corinth he commanded to army with so much
severitate, ut nullae copiae umquam fuerint (sub.) in
strictness, that no forces ever have been in
Graecia neque exercitatiores neque magis
Greece neither more exercised nor more
audientes dicto duci; que adduxit
hearing (obedient) to word to general; and he brought
in eam consuetudinem, ut, quum signum
into that custom, that, when the signal
praelii datum-esset (sub.) ab imperatore,
of battle had been given by the commander,
consisterent, sine opera ducis, sic
they did arrange, without the work of the general, so
ordinate, ut viderentur dispositi singuli ab
regulated, that they might seem disposed one by one by
peritissimo imperatore. Hoc exercitu
the most skilful commander. With this army
intercepit Moram Lacedaemoniorum, quod
he intercepted the battalion of the Lacedemonians, which
celebratum-est maxime tota Graecia. Iterum
was celebrated very much in whole Greece. Again
eodem bello fugavit omnes copias eorum.
in the same war he routed all the forces of them.
Quo facto adeptus-est magnam gloriam. Quum
By which deed he acquired great glory. When
Artaxerxes voluit inferre bellum Aegyptio
Artaxerxes willed to bring on war to the Egyptian
regi, petivit Iphicratem ducem ab Atheniensibus,
king, he sought Iphicrates (as) leader from the Athenians,
quem praeficeret conductitio exercitui, numerus
whom he might set over to hired army, the number
cuius fuit duodecim millium. Quem quidem
of which was of twelve thousands. Which indeed
erudivit omni militari disciplina sic, ut
he instructed in every military discipline so, that
quemadmodum quondam Romani milites appellati-sunt
like as formerly the Roman soldiers were called
Fabiani, sic Iphicratenses fuerint (sub.) in summa
Fabian, so Iphicratensian were in the highest
laude apud Graecos. Idem, profectus
praise among the Greeks. The same, having set out
subsidio Lacedaemoniis, retardavit impetus
to assistance to the Lacedemonians, delayed the assaults
Epaminondae. Nam nisi adventus eius
of Epaminondas. For unless the arrival of him
appropinquasset (sub.), Thebani abscessissent
had approached, the Thebans would have departed
non Sparta priusquam delessent (sub.)
not from Sparta before that they had destroyed (it)
captam incendio.
taken by burning.


Autem fuit et magno animo et corpore,
But he was both with great mind and body,
que imperatoria forma, ut aspectu ipso
and with commanding form, that by appearance itself
iniiceret (sub.) cuivis admirationem sui:
he did cast in to any one admiration of himself:
sed nimis remissus in labore, que parum patiens,
but too remiss in labour, and too little patient,
ut Theopompus prodidit memoriae, vero
as Theopompus has transmitted to memory, but
bonus civis, que magna fide. Quod
a good citizen, and with great faith. Which
declaravit cum in aliis rebus, tum maxime in
he declared as well in other things, as chiefly in
tuendis liberis Amyntae Macedonis.
protecting the children of Amyntas the Macedonian.
Namque Eurydice, mater Perdiccae et
For Eurydice, the mother of Perdiccas and
Philippi, cum his duobus pueris, Amynta
of Philip, with these two boys, Amyntas
mortuo, confugit ad Iphicratem, que
being dead, fled for refuge to Iphicrates, and
defensa-est opibus eius. Vixit ad
was defended by the resources of him. He lived to
senectutem, animis suorum civium placatis
old age, the minds of his own citizens being appeased
in se. Semel dixit caussam capitis,
unto himself. Once he said (pleaded) cause of head,
sociali bello, simul cum Timotheo,
in the confederate war, together with Timotheus,
que absolutus-est eo iudicio. Reliquit
and was acquitted in that trial. He left
filium Menesthea, natum ex Thressa, filia
a son Menestheus, born from a Thracian, daughter
regis Coti. Is, quum interrogaretur (sub.) utrum
of king Cotus. He, when he was asked whether
faceret (sub.) patrem ne matrem pluris,
he did make father or mother of more (account,)
inquit, matrem. Quum id videretur (sub.) mirum
said, mother. When that did seem wonderful
omnibus, at ille inquit, facio merito. Nam
to all, but he said, I do (it) deservedly. For
pater, quantum fuit in se,
father, as far as it was in himself (in his power),
genuit me Thracem; contra ea
begat me a Thracian; contrary to these (things)
mater, Atheniensem.
mother, an Athenian.