Cornelius Nepos

by Cornelius Nepos, John Carew Rolfe (Translator)

Cornelius Nepos was born in Cisalpine Gaul but lived in Rome and was a friend of Cicero, Atticus, and Catullus. Most of his writings, which included poems, moral examples from history, a chronological sketch of general history, a geographical work, Lives of Cato the Elder and Cicero, and other biographies, are lost. Extant is a portion of his 'De Viris Illustribus': (i) part of his parallel lives of Roman and non-Roman famous men, namely the portion containing lives of non-Roman generals (all Greeks except three) and a chapter on kings; and (ii) two lives from the class of historians. The lives are short popular biographies of various kinds, written in a usually plain readable style, of value today because of Nepos's use of many good sources.

Genres: History, Classics, Biography, Nonfiction, Classical Studies

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 10

About the author

Cornelius Nepos (c. 110 BC – c. 25 BC) was Gallic Roman biographer.

Reviews

[Timons Esaias · Rating 3 out of 5]

One hates to be harsh on someone whose works have survived for 2,000 years, but the truth is that Cornelius Nepos just wasn't very good. Yeah, I understand that his Latin has often been used for school "blind translation" tests, but that's because his prose is simple, unsophisticated, and mostly unadorned. It isn't because he was a good historian.

What has survived from Nepos is his Book on the Great Generals of Foreign Nations, a couple of pieces from his Latin Historians (Cato and Atticus), and a few quoted fragments. These are brief, summary biographies for a popular, uneducated audience. Don't think Plutarch, or even Suetonius. Think one tenth of Suetonius, per person, without much colorful detail.

Oh, and think poorly researched. The Loeb translation is filled with footnotes on Nepos's factual errors. One footnote even wonders why he has to guess at a consulship, since the person being discussed is Nepos's best friend, and still alive when the piece was written. Why couldn't he bother to send a slave over to ask???

I'm happy to have read the book. It's useful to see journeyman Latin. But there's little I found memorable in here, even in the bios of some of my favorite characters. He does mention Hannibal's trick of locating the enemy commander by sending a messenger under flag of truce, with an insulting letter; Eumenes's trick for exercising horses while under close siege; and another case where Eumenes slowed down an army's advance by having a few men light the campfires of a whole army, to suggest that such an army was waiting for the enemy to arrive.

But, really, read Plutarch.

[Орест Лук'янчук · Rating 4 out of 5]

Читав книгу у перекладі Володимира Литвинова від видавництва Дніпро. Сам переклад читався доволі легко, і я отримав від нього задоволення, але мушу зауважити, що траплялися різні одруки, які збивали з пантелику. Наприклад, Аттік в одному й тому ж абзаці ставав Аттиком; те саме траплялося і з іншими іменами. Також помітні пропущені відступи, неправильне написання слів та інші, як мені здається, редакторські упущення.

Проте саме видання мені швидше не сподобалося. Найбільший мінус — це відсутність приміток. Цифри, що відсилають до них, у тексті є, але самих коментарів я так і не знайшов. Це трохи компенсується великим словником наприкінці, проте не повністю. Зображення, якими ілюструється текст, неймовірно малі — часом їх буквально важко розгледіти. Окрім цього, є проблеми з папером: книга точно нова, але при цьому на сторінках багато дірок або плям від фарби. І наостанок — виникли труднощі навіть із замовленням, адже видавець зробив усе, щоб книгу отримали лише обрані. На сайті оформити покупку неможливо (просто немає змоги ввести дані для відправлення), тож довелося зв’язуватися через фб і замовляти вже там.

[Zachary Rudolph · Rating 3 out of 5]

“As for Epaminondas himself, when he found that he had received a mortal wound, and also that if he drew out the iron head of the dart, which had stuck in his body, he would instantly die, he kept it in until it was told him that 'the Boeotians were victorious.' When he heard these words, he said 'I have lived long enough; for I die unconquered.'”

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not perhaps, a particularly gripping work, - one might even call it tedious - but for the student of Latin it represents an accessible stepping stone towards things of greater savour. Per aspera ad astra, after all.

[Franio · Rating 3 out of 5]

dość męczący na dłuższą metę styl

[Tighearnan John Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little reference book with little bits and pieces of history scattered within, not really the best book for the historian who wants a comprehensive view of the classical world. More a helpful guide to personalities of the age with some tidbits you won't find elsewhere, because the tids and bits no longer exist elsewhere.