Notes to Nepos, De Viris Illustribus, Praef. 2-8

hi refers to the readers mentioned in the previous sentence, who will criticize Nepos for writing that a great Greek general was also skilled in dancing and playing the flute.
fere adverb
usually, generally, as a rule.
qui: subject of the verb putabunt; understand hi [homines] as the antecedent.
expers, -tis + genitive
lacking in experience or knowledge of .
litterae, -arum, f. pl.
literature.
nihil, n. indeclinable
nothing; nihil [esse] rectum is an indirect statement following putabunt.
rectus, -a, -um
right; correct.
qui, quae, quod relative pronoun
who; what. Understand id as antecedent.
ipse, -a, -um pronoun
self; one's own, referring back to hi.
mos, moris, m.
custom, practice.
convenio, -ire, -veni, -ventum
agree; agree with, be fitting to. The verb is subjunctive because this is a subordinate clause within an indirect statement (nihil [esse] rectum).
disco, -ere, didici
learn, get to know; future perfect indicative in a factual condition; the verb in the conclusion is admirabuntur. Didicerunt introduces two indirect statements: eadem esse and omnia iudicari.
idem, eadem, idem pronoun
the same; neuter plural accusative.
omnis, -e
all, every. This is a dative of reference; understand hominibus.
honestus, -a, -um
honorable, respectable.
turpis, -e
base, disgraceful.
maiores, -orum, m. pl.
ancestors; forefathers.
institutum, -i, n.
tradition, custom; usage. This is an extension of the ablative of means, best translated as “in accordance with.”
iudico, -are, -avi, -atum
judge, evaluate.
admiror, -ari, -atus sum
wonder at; be surprised at. This verb introduces an indirect statement: nos . . . secutos [esse].
nos: Nepos means himself; he speaks in the editorial “we.”
Graius, -a, -um
Greek.
expono, -ponere, -posui, -positum
set forth, display; exponendis is a gerundive modifying virtutibus.
is, ea, id pronoun
he, she, it. Eorum refers to the Greeks; Nepos will write about the virtues of Greek men in accordance with their own customs, not those of his Roman readers.
sequor, sequi, secutus sum
follow; follow the authority of, adhere to, use as a guide; indirect statement, understand esse.
enim conjunction
for instance.
Cimon, -onis, m.
Cimon was a fifth-century BCE Athenian statesman, general, and admiral, the subject of one of Nepos's biographies. Cimoni is dative of reference.
Atheniensis, -e
of or connected with Athens; an Athenian.
summus, -a, -um
highest; most important; in apposition with Cimoni. The Romans used the phrase summi viri to describe their most distguished leaders.
germanus, -a, -um
having the same father and mother; having the same father. Soror can refer to a full or half sister, but soror germana would usually designate a full sister. Apparently Nepos here uses the term for a half sister with the same father, since his biography of Cimon states that Cimon had married Elpinice, daughter of Cimon's father (Miltiades) and a different wife. Nepos claims that this was acceptable in Athens, but scholars debate whether Cimon married Elpinice and whether marriage between half siblings with the same father was acceptable in classical Athens.
habere in matrimonio
have as wife. The infinitive is used here as a verbal noun, the subject of fuit turpe.
quippe adverb
certainly, of course.
cum conjunction
since; the clause is causal and so has a subjunctive verb.
civis, -is, m/f.
citizen; fellow-citizen. Eius refers to Cimon.
utor, uti, usus sum + ablative
use; practice; enjoy.
at conjunction
but; on the other hand. Id refers to marriage to a half sister.
quidem adverb
in fact; certainly.
nefas n. indeclinable
crime; wickedness; abomination.
habeo, -ere, -ui, -itum
regard, consider. Nostris moribus is an extension of the ablative of means, best translated as “in accordance with.”
contra preposition + accusative
contrary to; in opposition to; ea refers to Greek customs that seem disgraceful to Romans.
plerusque, -aque, -umque
most; very many, referring to customs or practices; nostris moribus is an extension of the ablative of means, best translated as “in accordance with.”
decorus, -a, -um
proper; honorable.
apud preposition + accusative
among; in the opinion of; illos refers to the Greeks.
Romanus, -a, -um
Roman; a Roman; partitive genitive (genitive of the whole) with quem.
pudet, -ere, -uit, -itum est impersonal verb
fill with shame, shame, make ashamed; the subject is the infinitive ducere used as a verbal noun.
uxor, -oris, f.
wife.
duco, -ere, duxi, ductum
lead, bring, take; uxorem ducere is not used here in the idiomatic sense of “to marry.”
convivium, -ii, n.
dinner party; banquet. As Nepos emphasizes, it was considered perfectly respectable for Roman women to recline with men at dinner, whether at home or at banquets.
mater familias: literally “mother of the household.” This was a cultural rather than a legal title given to Roman wives, emphasizing their chastity, respectability, and honor within the household.
locus, -i, m.
place; room. The atrium was the primus locus in a Roman house, being the “first” room one entered from the street and the “principal” public room in the house.
teneo, -ere, -ui, tentum
hold; occupy. The mater familias occupied a place of honor in the most public room of the Roman house.
aedes, -is, f.
temple; in the plural, as here and again below, this word is used to mean “house.”
celebritas, -atis, f.
crowd; Nepos refers to the crowd of clients who gathered in the atrium every morning for the salutatio, during which the patron greeted them and gave them gifts.
versor, -ari, -atus sum
be active; come and go frequently; be busy. In the active, this verb means “keep turning,” so it gives a vivid picture of the mater familias busily moving among and speaking with the clients in the atrium as they wait to see their patron.
qui, quae, quod relative pronoun
who, which; The antecedent is the whole previous section, so it would be best to translate here as “this” or “this state of affairs.”
multo adverb
by far, very (modifies aliter).
fio, fieri, factum
happen; take place.
aliter adverb
differently, otherwise.
adhibeo, -ere, -ui, -itum
bring, summon; understand “the Greek wife” as subject.
propinquus, -a, -um
related; a relative; understand in convivium. Nepos says that Greek women do not dine with anyone except their close relatives.
sedeo, -ere, sedi, sessum
sit; be situated. This verb suggests inactivity, in contrast with the lively motion of versatur.
interior, -oris
innermost; private. In a Greek house, the women's quarters were located as far as possible from the entrance and public places in a home.
gynaeconitis, -idis, f.
women's quarters. The Romans had no word for “women's quarters” since women frequented every part of Roman houses; thus Nepos must use a Greek term here.
appello, -are, -avi, atum
call, name.
quo adverb
where, to which place.
nemo, -inis, m./f.
no one, nobody.
accedo, -edere, -essi, -essum
come, go to.
cognatio, -onis, f.
blood relationship, kinship; ablative of means. By modifying this word with an adjective that has the same meaning (propinqua), Nepos stresses that only very close relatives are able to enter the women's quarters.
coniungo, -ere, iunxi, iunctum
yoke, join together; the gender of the participle coniunctus indicates that nemo refers specifically to males.