1
sicconservatissuisrebusPoenusillisisCretensibusomnibusadPrusiaminPontumpervenit.
3
Grammarconservatis suis rebus is an ablative absolute referring to Hannibal's money; illisis Cretensibus omnibus is a second ablative absolute straight after it, with no et joining them (asyndeton).
VocabularyPoenus 'the Carthaginian': using this label instead of Hannibal's actual name is antonomasia (substituting a description for a proper name), and it underlines here that Hannibal is, first and foremost, Rome's enemy.
ContextPrusias I was King of Bithynia, on the south coast of the Black Sea (sometimes called Pontus), roughly modern North Turkey. He was a ruthless military leader — on one occasion he had women and children put to death and let his soldiers loot freely — but he did at least grant Hannibal asylum, even while staying neutral in Rome's war against Antiochus.
2–3
apudquemeodemanimofuitergaItaliamnequealiudquicquamegitquamregemarmavitetexercuitadversusRomanos.
2
Grammarapud quem is a connecting relative referring to Prusias's court; eodem animo is an ablative of quality, literally 'he was of the same mind'.
Vocabularyadversus 'against'; scholars have noted this is one of Nepos's favourite words, which makes sense given how often he's writing about people fighting Rome.
4
quemcumvideretdomesticisopibusminusesserobustum,conciliabatceterosreges,adiungebatbellicosasnationes.
2
Grammarquem cum videret is a connecting relative.
Litotesminus ... robustum literally 'less strong', a negative-sounding phrase used to make a stronger point: Prusias was actually pretty weak.
5–6
dissidebatabeoPergamenusrexEumenes,Romanisamicissimus,bellumqueintereosgerebaturetmarietterra;
1
Vocabularyamicissimus this isn't simply casual friendliness; it's a term with real political weight, marking Eumenes out as one of Rome's official allies in the region.
7
sedutrobiqueEumenesplusvalebatpropterRomanorumsocietatem.
2
Vocabularyutrobique 'on both sides', a slightly unusual word, more or less a synonym for terra marique ('by land and sea').
ContextEumenes had actually been rewarded with extra territory after Rome's defeat of Antiochus, so he and Prusias were never really going to be 'friends' — Rome had made sure of that.
7–8
quomagiscupiebateumHannibalopprimi;quemsiremovisset,faciliorasibiceteraforearbitrabatur.
1
StyleHannibal's own name is deliberately held back until the middle of the sentence (Hannibal opprimi), which puts extra weight on it when it finally arrives — a small but deliberate delay for emphasis.
9
adhuncinterficiundumtaleminiitrationem.
1
Grammarad ... interficiundum a gerundive of purpose; interficiundum is simply an older spelling of interficiendum.
1
When he had saved his goods in this way, and tricked all the Cretans, the Carthaginian reached Prusias in Pontus.
2–3
At Prusias's court he had the same attitude towards Italy and did nothing other than arm and train the king against the Romans.
4
When he saw the king was less strong in his own resources, he won over other kings and allied himself with warlike nations.
5–6
King Eumenes of Pergamum, on very friendly terms with the Romans, disagreed with Prusias, and war was being waged between them both by sea and by land;
7
But Eumenes was stronger on both fronts because of his alliance with the Romans.
7–8
So the more Hannibal was eager for Eumenes to be crushed; he thought that if he got rid of him, everything else would be easier for himself.
9
For the purpose of killing him, he came up with the following plan.