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 work is a biography depicting the life and achievements of Timoleon, a general from Corinth. The narrative begins with his agonizing decision to have his own brother, who had become a tyrant, put to death in order to preserve the freedom of his homeland—a choice that plunged him into deep despair due to maternal discord and public controversy. He is later dispatched to Sicily, where he expels the tyrant Dionysius II and defeats various enemies, including the Carthaginian forces, to liberate Syracuse. Timoleon dedicates himself to the reconstruction of war-torn Sicily and the re-establishment of laws and liberty; despite holding absolute power, he relinquishes his authority to live his remaining years as a private citizen. Even after losing his sight in his old age, he maintains his humility, attributes his success to divine favor, and is honored with a grand state funeral upon his death.