1
talicohortationemilitumfactaclassisabutrisqueinproeliumdeducitur.
2
Grammartali cohortatione militum facta an ablative absolute, literally 'with such an encouragement of the soldiers having been made'.
Grammardeducitur present tense, used here to make the narrative feel more vivid.
1–3
quarumacieconstituta,priusquamsignumpugnaedaretur,Hannibal,utpalamfaceretsuis,quolocoEumenesesset,tabellariuminscaphacumcaduceomittit.
4
Grammarquarum refers to the ships; priusquam ... daretur priusquam ('before') takes the (imperfect) subjunctive here because there's an idea of purpose behind it.
Grammarmittit present tense.
Contextcum caduceo the caduceus was the standard kit of a recognised messenger, a kind of ancient white flag; it's mostly associated today with the god Mercury purely because, as messenger of the gods, he would have carried one too.
Contextin scapha scapha can mean various kinds of small boat; here it must be small enough to row out from the shore to a larger ship.
4–5
quiubiadnavesadversariorumpervenitepistulamqueostendensseregemprofessusestquaerere,statimadEumenemdeductusest,
1
Grammarqui a relative pronoun referring to the herald.
5–6
quodnemodubitabat,quinaliquiddepaceessetscriptum.
6
tabellariusducisnavedeclaratasuiseodem,undeerategressus,serecepit.
7
atEumenessolutaepistulanihilinearepperit,nisiquaeadirridendumeumpertinerent.
2
Contextsoluta epistula important letters were sometimes written on papyrus with a proper seal, but a quick note like this was probably just a couple of wax tablets tied together with string, given the letter turned out to be worthless.
StyleThe whole trick is a small, self-contained piece of comic misdirection in the middle of a war narrative: a herald, a peace flag, an urgent errand — all for a joke at Eumenes's expense. It shows Nepos is happy to slow down and enjoy the cleverness of the deception, not just report the battle.
8–9
cuiusetsicausammirabaturnequereperiebat,tamenproeliumstatimcommitterenondubitavit.
1
When the soldiers had been encouraged in such a way, the fleets from both sides were brought out for battle.
1–3
When their battle line had been drawn up, before the signal for battle could be given, Hannibal, so that he could make it clear to his men in what place Eumenes was, sent a messenger in a small boat with a herald's staff.
4–5
When the herald reached the enemies' ships, and showing a letter, announced that he was looking for the king, at once he was taken to Eumenes,
5–6
since no one doubted that it was some communication about peace.
6
The messenger, having pointed out the commander's ship to his men, returned to the place from which he had set out.
7
But when the letter was opened, Eumenes discovered nothing in it except what was designed to mock him.
8–9
Although he wondered about the reason for this and could not work it out, he nevertheless did not hesitate to join battle at once.