Nepos, Lives of Excellent Commanders Preface 3-4

Those who complain about Nepos including supposedly trivial details of Greek commanders’ lives actually reveal their own lack of understanding about Greek customs!

hi si didicerint non eadem omnibus esse honesta atque turpia, sed omnia maiorum institutis iudicari, non admirabuntur nos in Graiorum virtutibus exponendis mores eorum secutos. neque enim Cimoni fuit turpe, Atheniensium summo viro, sororem germanam habere in matrimonio, quippe cum cives eius eodem uterentur instituto. at id quidem nostris moribus nefas habetur.

If these people will learn that the same things are not honourable or dishonourable among all people, but that all things are judged according to one’s forefathers’ ordinances, they will not wonder that we, in setting out the virtues of Greek men, have followed the Greeks’ customs. For it was not a disgrace for Cimon (an eminent man among the Athenians) to marry his half-sister by the same father, since his fellow-citizens followed the same practice. But that would be considered an impious sin according to our customs. 

Nepos, On Kings 2.2

An excerpt from Nepos’ brief biographical run-down of some famous kings.

unus Epirotes, Pyrrhus, qui cum populo Romano bellavit. is cum Argos oppidum oppugnaret in Peloponneso, lapide ictus interiit. unus item Siculus, Dionysius prior. nam et manu fortis et belli peritus fuit et, id quod in tyranno non facile reperitur, minime libidinosus, non luxuriosus, non avarus, nullius denique rei cupidus nisi singularis perpetuique imperii ob eamque rem crudelis. nam dum id studuit munire, nullius pepercit vitae, quem eius insidiatorem putaret.

There was one king of Epirus, Pyrrhus, who went to war with the Roman people. When he was attacking the town of Argos in the Peloponnese, he was struck by a rock and died. Likewise there was one king of Sicily [i.e. who went to war with the Roman people], the first Dionysius. For he was both strong of hand and skilled in war, and – something not easily found in a tyrant – he was not in the least libidinous, not extravagant, not greedy, desirous of nothing, in fact, apart from his sole and perpetual power; for this reason was he cruel. For during the time when he was keen to maintain his power, he spared the life of no one whom he thought to be a conspirator.

Nepos, Life of Hannibal 1

Nepos offers his assessment of Hannibal’s abilities.

Hannibal, Hamilcaris filius, Carthaginiensis. si verum est (quod nemo dubitat) ut populus Romanus omnes gentes virtute superarit, non est infitiandum Hannibalem tanto praestitisse ceteros imperatores prudentia, quanto populus Romanus antecedat fortitudine cunctas nationes. nam quotienscumque cum eo congressus est in Italia, semper discessit superior. quod nisi domi civium suorum invidia debilitatus esset, Romanos videtur superare potuisse.

Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar, was a Carthaginian. If it is true – and no one doubts that it is – that the Roman people has excelled all other races in courage, it is undeniable that Hannibal excelled other commanders in his shrewdness by as much as the Roman people surpasses all nations in bravery. For whenever when he joined battle with the Romans in Italy, he always left with the upper hand. And, were it not for his being damaged by his citizens’ envy at home, he would, it seems, have been able to conquer the Romans.