Source edition
Cornelius Nepos. Cornelii Nepotis Vitae. Fleckeisen, Alfred; Halm, Karl, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1886.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This biographical work depicts the life, ambitious pursuit of power, and ultimate downfall of Lysander, the Spartan general who brought the Peloponnesian War to an end. Following his victory over Athens, Lysander attempts to establish his own tyrannical hegemony by imposing decarchies (ten-man rules) on the defeated cities. However, his rule is characterized by extreme cruelty and duplicity, as demonstrated by his treacherous treatment of the people of Thasos. Driven by boundless ambition, he even plots to abolish the traditional Spartan kingship by attempting to bribe various oracles, though this scheme fails. In an effort to dispel rumors of his misconduct, he seeks a letter of recommendation from the Persian satrap Pharnabazus, only to be outwitted and handed a letter of denunciation instead. By presenting this letter himself to the Spartan ephors, Lysander unwittingly seals his own ruin, and his conspiratorial designs are fully exposed after his death in battle.