τῶν δὲ πρέσβεων παραγενομένων, οἱ Κορίνθιοι, κήδεσθαι μὲν ἀεὶ τῶν ἀποικίδων πόλεων καὶ μάλιστα τῆς Συρακουσίων εἰωθότες, οὐδενὸς δʼ αὐτοὺς τότε τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν κατὰ τύχην παρενοχλοῦντος, ἀλλʼ ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ σχολῇ διάγοντες, ἐψηφίσαντο προθύμως βοηθεῖν.
But when the embassy arrived, the Corinthians, since they were wont to be ever solicitous for their colonial cities and for Syracuse in particular, and since by good fortune there was nothing in Greece at that time to disturb them, but they were enjoying peace and leisure, voted readily to give the assistance desired.
ζητουμένου δὲ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων γραφόντων καὶ προβαλλομένων τοὺς εὐδοκιμεῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει σπουδάζοντας, εἷς ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν ἀναστὰς ὠνόμασε Τιμολέοντα τὸν Τιμοδήμου, μήτε προσιόντα τοῖς κοινοῖς ἔτι μήτε ἐλπίδος τοιαύτης γενόμενον ἢ προαιρέσεως, ἀλλὰ θεοῦ τινος, ὡς ἔοικεν, εἷς νοῦν ἐμβαλόντος τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ·
And while they were seeking for a commander, and the magistrates were writing down the names of those in the city who were eager for the honour and proposing them for election, one of the common people rose to his feet and nominated Timoleon the son of Timodemus, although he no longer took part in public business, and had no expectation or purpose of doing so; but some god, as it would seem, put it into the man’s mind to nominate him,
τοσαύτη καὶ περὶ τὴν αἵρεσιν εὐθὺς ἔλαμψε τύχης εὐμένεια καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις πράξεσιν ἐπηκολούθησε χάρις ἐπικοσμοῦσα τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἀνδρός.
such was the kindliness of Fortune that shone forth at once upon his election, and such the grace that attended his subsequent actions and adorned his virtues.
ἦν μὲν οὖν γονέων ἐπιφανῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, Τιμοδήμου καὶ Δημαρίστης, φιλόπατρις δὲ καὶ πρᾷος διαφερόντως ὅσα μὴ σφόδρα μισοτύραννος εἶναι καὶ μισοπόνηρος.
He was born of parents who were illustrious in the city, Timodemus and Demariste, and he was a lover of his country and exceedingly gentle, except as he was a hater of tyrants and of base men.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς πολέμοις οὕτω καλῶς καὶ ὁμαλῶς ἐκέκρατο τὴν φύσιν ὥστε πολλὴν μὲν ἐν νέῳ σύνεσιν, οὐκ ἐλάττω δὲ γηρῶντος ἀνδρείαν ἐπιφαίνεσθαι ταῖς πράξεσιν.
As a soldier his nature was so well and evenly attempered that great sagacity was manifested in the exploits of his youth, and no less bravery in those of his old age.
ἀδελφὸν δʼ εἶχε Τιμοφάνην, πρεσβύτερον, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ προσόμοιον, ἀλλʼ ἔμπληκτον καὶ διεφθαρμένον ἔρωτι μοναρχίας ὑπὸ φίλων φαύλων καὶ ξένων στρατιωτικῶν ἀεὶ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντων, ἔχειν τι δοκοῦντα ῥαγδαῖον ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις καὶ φιλοκίνδυνον.
He had a brother Timophanes, older than he, and not at all like him, but headstrong and filled with a ruinous passion for absolute power by worthless friends and foreign military adventurers who were ever about him, and having the reputation of being rather impetuous and fond of danger in military service.
ᾧ καὶ τοὺς πολίτας προσαγόμενος ὡς ἀνὴρ πολεμικὸς καὶ δραστήριος ἐφʼ ἡγεμονιῶν ἐτάττετο. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα Τιμολέων αὐτῷ συνήργει, τὰ μὲν ἁμαρτήματα παντάπασιν ἀποκρύπτων ἢ μικρὰ φαίνεσθαι ποιῶν, ἃ δʼ ἡ φύσις ἐξέφερεν ἀστεῖα κατακοσμῶν καὶ συναύξων.
Therefore he won followers among the citizens and as an efficient warrior was given posts of high command. And Timoleon aided him in obtaining these, trying to conceal his mistakes altogether or to make them seem trifling, and embellishing and enhancing his good natural qualities.
ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ἀργείους καὶ Κλεωναίους μάχῃ τῶν Κορινθίων ὁ μὲν Τιμολέων ἔτυχεν ἐν τοῖς ὁπλίταις τεταγμένος, τὸν δὲ Τιμοφάνην τῶν ἱππέων ἡγούμενον καταλαμβάνει κίνδυνος ὀξύς.
In the battle fought by the Corinthians against the Argives and Cleonaeans, Timoleon was stationed among the men-at-arms, and Timophanes, who commanded the cavalry, was overtaken by extreme peril.
ὁ γὰρ ἵππος αὐτὸν ἀπεσείσατο πληγῇ περιπεσὼν εἰς τοὺς πολεμίους, καὶ τῶν ἑταίρων οἱ μὲν εὐθὺς ἐσκορπίσθησαν φοβηθέντες, οἱ δὲ παραμείναντες ὀλίγοι πρὸς πολλοὺς μαχόμενοι χαλεπῶς ἀντεῖχον.
For his horse was wounded and threw him in among the enemy, and of his comrades, some scattered in panic flight, while the few who remained fought against great numbers and were with difficulty holding their ground.
ὡς οὖν ὁ Τιμολέων κατεῖδε τὸ συμβεβηκός, δρόμῳ προσβοηθήσας καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα τοῦ Τιμοφάνους κειμένου προθέμενος, καὶ πολλὰ μὲν ἀκοντίσματα, πολλὰς δὲ πληγὰς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀναδεξάμενος εἰς τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὰ ὅπλα, μόλις ἐώσατο τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ διέσωσε τὸν ἀδελφόν.
Accordingly, when Timoleon saw what had happened, he came running to the help of Timophanes and held his shield over him as he lay on the ground, and after receiving many javelins and many hand to hand blows upon his person and his armour, at last succeeded in repulsing the enemy and saving his brother.
ἐπεὶ δʼ οἱ Κορίνθιοι δεδιότες μὴ πάθοιεν οἷα καὶ πρότερον ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων ἀποβαλόντες τὴν πόλιν, ἐψηφίσαντο τρέφειν ξένους τετρακοσίους καὶ τούτων ἄρχοντα Τιμοφάνην κατέστησαν,
After this, the Corinthians, fearing lest they should suffer a second loss of their city through the treachery of their allies, voted to maintain four hundred mercenaries, and put Timophanes in command of them;
ὁ δὲ τῶν καλῶν καὶ δικαίων ὑπεριδὼν εὐθὺς ἐπέραινεν ἐξ ὧν ποιήσεται τὴν πόλιν ὑφʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ συχνοὺς ἀνελὼν ἀκρίτους τῶν πρώτων πολιτῶν ἀνέδειξεν αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν τύραννον, βαρέως φέρων ὁ Τιμολέων, καὶ συμφορὰν ποιούμενος ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ἐκείνου κακίαν, ἐπεχείρησε μὲν αὐτῷ διαλέγεσθαι καὶ παρακαλεῖν ἀφέντα τὴν μανίαν καὶ δυστυχίαν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκείνης ζητεῖν τινα τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἐπανόρθωσιν πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας,
but he, without regard for honour and justice, at once took measures to bring the city under his own power, and, after putting to death without a trial great numbers of the leading citizens, declared himself tyrant. At this, Timoleon was greatly distressed, and considering his brother’s baseness to be his own misfortune, he attempted to reason with him and exhort him to renounce that unfortunate and mad ambition of his and seek to make some amends for his transgressions against his fellow citizens.
ἀπωσαμένου δʼ ἐκείνου καὶ καταφρονήσαντος, οὕτω παραλαβὼν τῶν μὲν οἰκείων Αἰσχύλον, ἀδελφόν ὄντα τῆς Τιμοφάνους γυναικός, τῶν δὲ φίλων τὸν μάντιν ὃν Σάτυρον μὲν Θεόπομπος, Ἔφορος δὲ καὶ Τίμαιος Ὀρθαγόραν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ διαλιπὼν ἡμέρας ὀλίγας αὖθις ἀνέβη πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν·
But when his brother rejected his appeals with scorn, he took his kinsman Aeschylus, who was a brother of the wife of Timophanes, and his friend the seer whose name, according to Theopompus, was Satyrus, but according to Ephorus and Timaeus, Orthagoras, and after waiting a few days went up again to his brother;
καὶ περιστάντες αὐτὸν οἱ τρεῖς καθικέτευον ἀλλὰ νῦν γε χρησάμενον λογισμῷ μεταβαλέσθαι.
and the three, surrounding him, besought him even now to listen to reason and change his mind.
τοῦ δὲ Τιμοφάνους πρῶτον μὲν αὐτῶν καταγελῶντος, ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐκφερομένου καὶ χαλεπαίνοντος, ὁ μὲν Τιμολέων ἀποχωρήσας μικρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ συγκαλυψάμενος εἱστήκει δακρύων, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὰ ξίφη σπασάμενοι ταχὺ διαφθείρουσιν αὐτόν.
But Timophanes first mocked them, and then lost his temper and was violent, whereupon Timoleon withdrew a little space from him and stood weeping with muffled head, while the other two, drawing their swords speedily despatched him.
τῆς δὲ πράξεως διαβοηθείσης οἱ μὲν κράτιστοι τῶν Κορινθίων ἐπῄνουν τὴν μισοπονηρίαν καὶ μεγαλοψυχίαν τοῦ Τιμολέοντος, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὢν καὶ φιλοίκειος ὅμως τὴν πατρίδα τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τὸ καλὸν καὶ δίκαιον προετίμησε τοῦ συμφέροντος, ἀριστεύοντα μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος διασώσας τὸν ἀδελφόν, ἐπιβουλεύσαντα δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ καταδουλωσάμενον ἀποκτείνας.
The deed having been noised abroad, the most influential Corinthians applauded Timoleon for his hatred of baseness and greatness of soul, in that, although a kindly man and fond of his family, he had nevertheless set his country before his family, and honour and justice before expediency; for when his brother was fighting valiantly for his country, Timoleon had saved his life, but after he had plotted against her and enslaved her, Timoleon had slain him.
οἱ δὲ μὴ δυνάμενοι ζῆν ἐν τῇ δημοκρατίᾳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς δυνάστας ἀποβλέπειν εἰωθότες τῷ μὲν θανάτῳ τοῦ τυράννου προσεποιοῦντο χαίρειν, τὸν δὲ Τιμολέοντα λοιδοροῦντες ὡς ἀσεβὲς ἐξειργασμένον καὶ μυσῶδες ἔργον εἰς ἀθυμίαν περιέστησαν.
However, those who were unable to live in a democracy and were accustomed to pay court to men in power, while they pretended to rejoice at the death of the tyrant, still, by their abuse of Timoleon as the perpetrator of an impious and abominable deed, drove him into despondency.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν μητέρα δυσφορεῖν πυθόμενος καὶ φωνάς τε δεινὰς καὶ κατάρας ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀρᾶσθαι φρικώδεις ἐβάδιζε παραμυθησόμενος, ἡ δὲ προσιδεῖν οὐχ ὑπέμεινε τὴν ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπέκλεισε, τότε δὴ παντάπασι περίλυπος γενόμενος καὶ συνταραχθεὶς τὴν διάνοιαν ὥρμησε μὲν ὡς διαφθερῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀπέχεσθαι τροφῆς,
And now he learned that his mother was angry with him and uttered dreadful reproaches and fearful imprecations against him, and went to plead his cause with her; but she could not endure to see his face, and closed her house against him. Then indeed he became altogether a prey to grief and disordered in mind, and determined to starve himself to death;
τῶν δὲ φίλων οὐ περιϊδόντων, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν δέησιν καὶ πᾶσαν ἀνάγκην προσενεγκαμένων ἔγνω ζῆν καθʼ ἑαυτὸν, ἐκ μέσου γενόμενος· καὶ πολιτείαν μὲν ἅπασαν ἀφῆκε, τοὺς δὲ πρώτους χρόνους οὐδὲ κατιὼν εἰς πόλιν, ἀλλʼ ἀδημονῶν καὶ πλανώμενος ἐν τοῖς ἐρημοτάτοις τῶν ἀγρῶν διέτριβεν.
but his friends would not suffer this, and brought all manner of entreaty and constraint to bear upon him, so that he made up his mind to live by himself, apart from the world. So he gave up all public life, and for a long while did not even return to the city, but spent his time wandering in great distress of mind among the most desolate parts of the country.
Cite This Text