Latin authors

Read Cornelius Nepos in Latin

Nepos writes short, clear biographies, which makes him one of the gentler authors of the classical period.

About the Latin

Nepos's Lives are straightforward narrative: who someone was, what they did, how it ended. The sentences are shorter and the syntax plainer than in Caesar or Cicero, so he has long been a favourite for readers just past a beginner course.

The catalog's score puts him at the easier end of authentic classical prose, which is the point of starting here.

How hard is it?

Difficulty 5.9, intermediate.

Every reading in the library has a difficulty score, on a scale that runs from about 1 to 11. Beginner texts sit below 3.5 and Advanced texts above 6.8.

Most demanding here: Sentence length, Rare vocabulary, Very rare vocabulary, Unseen vocabulary, Proper names, Nonfinite constructions, Subordination.

What you can read

The reading, each with help on every word.

Librorum Capsula currently offers one reading, on Hamilcar and the boyhood oath that shaped his son Hannibal.

Intermediate2,597 words

Hannibal's Inheritance

Hamilcar passes his hatred of Rome to his son Hannibal, who carries that inheritance into a lifetime of war against the Roman Republic.

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Where to start

Hannibal's Inheritance

It is the only Nepos in the catalog so far. Open it and the reader gives you the Latin with a definition for every word, so you can read at the pace that suits you and look up only what you need.

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Questions

A few things worth knowing.

Which works by Cornelius Nepos can I read on Librorum Capsula?

Librorum Capsula currently offers one reading, on Hamilcar and the boyhood oath that shaped his son Hannibal. That is one reading.

How hard is Cornelius Nepos in Latin?

On Librorum Capsula's difficulty scale, Cornelius Nepos's readings here score 5.9, which puts them at Intermediate level. The heaviest factors are sentence length, rare vocabulary, very rare vocabulary, unseen vocabulary, proper names, nonfinite constructions, subordination.

Where should I start with Cornelius Nepos?

Hannibal's Inheritance. It is the only Nepos in the catalog so far.

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