379. classe: classis, fleet, navy; the Greeks did in fact defeat the Persians at sea at the decisive battle of Salamis in 480 B.C. under the leadership of the Athenian commander Themistocles.
Cyrsilum:Cyrsilus, an otherwise unknown Athenian.
381. lapidibus: lapis, stone, rock.
videbatur: i.e., sibi.
384. contione: contio, assembly (convened especially to hear a speech by a magistrate).
385. salutare: salutaris, healthful, advantageous.
sciri: i.e., publicly; inf. subj. of the impers. opus esse, to be necessary.
In the stadium. Nec tamen nostrae nobis utilitates omittendae sunt aliisque tradendae, cum iis ipsis egeamus, sed suae cuique utilitati, quod sine alterius iniuria fiat, serviendum est. Scite Chrysippus ut multa, “Qui stadium,” inquit, “currit, eniti et 365 contendere debet quam maxime possit, ut vincat; supplantare eum quocum certet aut manu depellere nullo modo debet. Sic in vita sibi quemque petere quod pertineat ad usum non iniquum est, alteri deripere ius non est.” (III.40–42)
In the Second Punic War. Illa praeclara in quibus publicae 370 utilitatis species prae honestate contemnitur. Plena exemplorum est nostra res publica cum saepe, tum maxime bello Punico secundo; quae, Cannensi calamitate accepta, maiores animos habuit quam umquam rebus secundis: nulla timoris significatio, nulla mentio pacis. Tanta vis est honesti ut speciem utilitatis obscuret.375
The Athenians in 480 B.C. Athenienses cum Persarum impetum nullo modo possent sustinere statuerentque ut urbe relicta, coniugibus et liberis Troezene depositis, naves conscenderent libertatemque Graeciae classe defenderent, Cyrsilum 380 quendam, suadentem ut in urbe manerent Xerxemque reciperent, lapidibus obruerunt. At ille utilitatem sequi videbatur; sed ea nulla erat, repugnante honestate.
Chrysippus 3rd century B.C. Louvre Paris, France
Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY.
Themistocles and Aristides. Themistocles, post victoriam eius belli quod cum Persis fuit, dixit in contione se habere consilium 385 rei publicae salutare, sed id sciri non opus esse; postulavit ut aliquem populus daret quicum communicaret. Datus est Aristides. Huic ille classem Lacedaemoniorum quae subducta esset ad Gytheum clam incendi posse, quo facto frangi Lacedaemoniorum opes necesse esset. Quod Aristides cum audisset, in contionem 390 magna exspectatione venit dixitque perutile esse consilium quod Themistocles adferret, sed minime honestum. Itaque Athenienses, quod honestum non esset, id ne utile quidem putaverunt totamque eam rem, quam ne audierant quidem, auctore Aristide repudiaverunt. (III.47–49)
386. quicum: = quocum.
Aristides: an Athenian statesman so famous for his incorruptibility that he was called “the Just.”
387. ille: sc. dixit.
Lacedaemoniorum:Laecdaemonians, Spartans, with whom the Athenians were in conflict.
subducta esset…esset (389): SUBORDINATE CLS. IN IND. STATE.
388. Gytheum: Gytheum, a Spartan port.
quo facto: ABL. ABS.
389. necesse esset: impers.; here, it was inevitable.
390. exspectatione: i.e., of all the people; ABL. OF ATTENDANT CIRCUMSTANCE.
perutile: note the force of the prefix.
393. auctore Aristide (394): i.e., at his instigation.
395. id: i.e., the issue of the conflict between expediency and moral action.
alias: adv., at another time, other times.
Pyrrhi:Pyrrhus, king of the Greek state of Epirus, championed the Greek cities of southern Italy against Roman imperialism; after victories against Rome in 280 and 279 B.C., in which he won the battles but lost large numbers of his own soldiers (giving us the term “Pyrrhic victory”), he ultimately lost the war and withdrew from Italy.
396. C. Fabricio: Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, consul in 282 and 278 B.C. and censor in 275, became for the Romans an example of frugality and incorruptibility.
iterum: i.e., for the second time.
iudicatum est (397):was decided.
397. ultro: adv., voluntarily, without provocation.
398. certamen: contest, struggle, fight.
generoso:noble.
399. perfuga: deserter.
est pollicitus: polliceri,to promise.
400. ut: just as; with this meaning ut ordinarily takes the indie., but here the vb. is subjunct. in a SUBORDINATE CL. IN IND. STATE.
401. rediturum et…necaturum: sc. esse.
403. si…quaerimus…sustulisset (405): MIXED CONDITION, with a past contrary to fact apodosis following a simple pres. protasis.
406. quicum: the antecedent is eum; for the form, see above on line 386.