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 historical and biographical work provides a concise account of the lives, characters, and ultimate fates of prominent foreign kings. The author begins by outlining the achievements and personalities of Spartan King Agesilaus and several great Persian monarchs, including Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, and the Artaxerxes. The narrative then progresses to the formidable rulers of the Greek and Macedonian worlds, such as Philip II and Alexander the Great of Macedon, Pyrrhus of Epirus, and Dionysius I of Sicily. Finally, the work examines the tragic ends of the successor kings who vied for power after Alexander's death, before transitioning into the accounts of the Carthaginian generals Hamilcar and Hannibal. Through these brief portraits, the text highlights both the historical impact and the personal destinies of these foreign rulers.