Transcript CORNELIUS NEPOS: VITA ARISTIDIS

CORNELIUS NEPOS:
VITA ARISTIDIS
Cornelius Nepos (c. 100 – 25 B.C.), like the poets Catullus and Virgil and the
historian Livy, was born near Verona in Cisalpine Gaul, i.e. the Po Valley, which until
42 B.C. was not legally part of Italy but a separate province. He took no part in
politics but lived on his own estate concentrating on his writing. His universal history
(Chronica) and a life of his friend Cicero have been lost but we still have 24 of his
biographies, including the `Life of Aristides.’
Cui dono lepidum novum libellum
to whom do I dedicate this new, charming little book
arida modo pumice expolitum?
just now polished with a dry pumice stone?
Corneli, tibi: namque tu solebas
to you , Cornelius, for you were accustomed
meas esse aliquid putare nugas.
to think my nonsense was something
Iam tum, cum ausus es unus Italorum
then already when you alone of Italians dared
omne aevum tribus explicare cartis,
to explain every age in three papyrus rolls
doctis, Iuppiter, et laboriosis!
learned, Jupiter, and full of labour.
The poet Catullus’ dedication of his volume of poems to Cornelius
Nepos, who was a personal friend. The papyrus rolls referred to are the
three volumes of the author’s Chronica, which was highly thought of by
contemporaries but has not survived.
At the time of the great conflict with Persia, Greece was divided into many small city
states, of which the most important were Athens and Sparta. Aristides (c.525-468
B.C.) was born into an aristocratic Athenian family but pursued his career after the
city had become a democracy in the last years of the 6th century.
In 499 B.C. the Greek cities of Ionia (the western coastal region of Asia
Minor), many of which were believed to have originally been Athenian
colonies, revolted against the Persian Empire and were supported by
Athens The revolt was eventually suppressed and the Persian king, Darius,
vowed he would punish the Athenians..
In 490 B.C. a Persian force landed at Marathon, north-east of Athens. An Athenian messenger ran
to Sparta to seek help but the Spartans did not set off immediately. The messenger himself ran
back to Athens in time to fight in the battle, in which the Athenians, with Aristides one of the
generals, defeated the invaders. He then supposedly ran back to the city – a distance of 27
miles – announced the victory and immediately fell dead from exhaustion. His final run is
commemorated still in the marathon event of modern athletics.
During the 480s Athenian politics was dominated by rivalry between Aristides and
Themistocles (c. 515 – 459 B.C. , a man of humbler birth. Aristides aligned himself with
the aristocracy and the richer citizens, who formed the core of the Athenian army.
Themistocles argued for a military strategy putting more emphasis on naval strength,
which as well as providing a counter to the Persian fleet would give a greater role to the
ordinary citizens who manned the ships.
When a new deposit of silver was found at Laurium in SE Attica (the region
controlled by Athens), Aristides argued for the proceeds to be divided between
the ciitzens but Themistocles successfully persuaded the assembly to use it
instead for the construction of new ships.