7:neque—postea: i.e.,nam quae post a te commissa sunt, ea neque obscura sunt, neque panca.
8:Consulem designatum: seenote 9, § 11.
9:petitiones: seenote 7, § 11.
10:ita—effugi: “aimed in such a way that they seemed impossible to be parried have I avoided by a slight side movement, and, as they term it, by (a deflection of) the body.” —petitio,declinatio,corpus,effugio, are terms of the fencing school purposely used by Cicero to show that Catiline was no better than a gladiator: cp. Cic. Cat. II. 2. —ut aiunt: cp.ὡς ϕασί: “as the saying is.”
§ 16.—1:tibi: ethical dative: H. 389. —jam: “ere now.” —demanibusis explanatory (epexegetical) totibi.
2:excidit, distinguishexcīdit,excĭdit.
3:quae—defigere: the position of the relative and the indirect interrogation is foreign to our idiom, and must be avoided in translation:quae=et haec, scil.sica: “and I know not by what (unhallowed) rites it has been consecrated and devoted to its purpose by you that you deem it necessary to plunge it in the body of the consul.” Cicero here refers to the fact that a human sacrifice took place at the house of Catiline, and that the dagger used on that occasion was dedicated to the purpose of slaying the consuls: cp. Sallust, Cat. C. 23.
4:tua—ista vita: “that life that you lead.”
5:sed ut: construesed (tecum loquar) ut misericordia (permotus esse videar).
6:nulla: stronger thannon: “not at all,” “not a particle.”
7:paullo ante: “a moment ago.”
8:frequentia: “throng,”: cp.frequens senatus: “a crowded senate,”: —necessarii: cp.ἀναγκαῖοι. —salutavit: among the Romans it was customary when they saw their friends or eminent men approaching to rise up, and salute or courteously address them.
9:post—memoriam: “within the memory of men”: cp. Thucy. I. 7:ἀϕ᾽ οὗ Ἕλληνες μέμνηνται.
contigit: generally means, “it befalls” of fortunate occurences, but not always.
10:vocis—contumeliam ... judicio taciturnitatis: Chiasmus. —vocis—taciturnitatis=loquentium—tacitorum: “are you waiting for reproofs from those speaking, when you are overpoweredby the most solemn sentence of those, though they are silent.” The reference is to the fact that the Senate had declared Catilinepatriae hostis, and had received him with silence on entering the Senate.
11:quid?scil.dicam. We often findquid? quodused by Cicero in rapid rhetorical questions: Madvig., 479, d. obs. 1.
12:adventu tuo: seenote 9, § 7:abl. time.
13:ista subsellia: “the benches near you.” The seats of the senators (subsellia) were beneath that of the consul (sella curulis), which was on a platform.
14:qui fuerunt: “who have been often destined for slaughter by you.” —tibi: dat. for abl. withabs=abs te. Distinguishconstituti suntandconstituti fuerunt.
15:nudam atque inanem: “completely bare:” Cicero often uses two epithets of nearly the same meaning to emphasize the idea to be conveyed.
16:tandem: seenote 1, § 1.
§ 17.—1:servi—arbitraris: a fine example of the argumenta fortiori. The Latins call thisamplificatio(Quint. 8, 4, 9), the Greeksἐνθύμημα, a rhetorical conclusion, drawn from opposites.
2:me hercule: either (1)me, Hercules juvet, or (2)me, Hercules, juves. We also findme hercules,mehercle,mercule, varieties of the same oath. For the tendency to dropsfinal: cp. Peile (Greek and Latin Etymology, p. 355).
3:isto pacto: “in the way.” —istohere does duty for the article or may be =eodem.
omnes: the fellow-conspirators are no longer regarded as citizens by Cicero.
4:urbem: scil.,relinquendam.
5:injuria: “without any just cause.”
6:offensum=invisum,odiosum.
7:infestis: another form isinfensis: “menacing.”
8:agnoscas: distinguishagnosco,ignosco,cognosco,recognosco, in meaning.
9:dubitas—vitare: whendubitomeans “to doubt:”non dubitois properly construed withquinand the subjunctive, rarely with the infinitive. But whendubitomeans “to scruple,” “to hesitate,” and the sentence following contained the same subject,non dubitois generally construed with the infinitive.
10:mentes sensusque: “souls and senses.”
11:aliquo: “to some place or other.”
12:nunc=νῦν δέ, “but now, as it is,” used to contrastactualandimaginedcondition.
13:jamdiu—cogitare: “and for a long time has it come to the conclusion that you have been planning nothing but her ruin.” —nihil = de nulla re. —parricidio=interitu, becausepatriais regardedcommunis parens. According to Roman lawparricidiumincluded the murder of intimate friends as well as of parents.
14:verebere:vereor, a religious reverence due to a superior:pertimesco, an excessive dread of impending calamity.
§ 18.—1:quae—loquitur: a fine personification. Note theoxymoronintacita—loquitur.
2:nullum: note the emphatic positions ofnullum—nullum.
3:neces: alluding to the murders which Catiline perpetrated as a partisan of Sulla, during the dictatorship of the latter.
4:sociorum: in 67 B.C. Catiline was propraetor of Africa. In 65 B.C. he was accused by P. Clodius Pulcher, the inveterate enemy of Cicero, for cruel oppression of the provincials, but he succeeded in buying off the accuser, and the persecution cametonothing.
5:tu—valuisti: “you had power enough not only to disregard the judicial trials, but also to subvert them and weaken their power.” Distinguishjus, what the law ordains, or the obligations it imposes, fromlex, a written statute or ordinance. —quaestiones: thepraetor urbanusandpraetor peregrinusdispensed justice in private and less important cases. In case of any magnitude the people acted as jury themselves, or appointed one or more to preside at the trial. Those appointed were calledquaesitoresorquaestores. In 150 B.C.fourpermanent praetors were appointed to aid thepraetor urbanusandpraetorperegrinus. One had charge of all cases of extortion; another, of bribery; another, of treason; another, of frauds against the public treasury. These four classes of trials were calledquaestiones perpetuae.
superiora: “former acts of yours.”
6:nunc—ferendum: “but now that I should be wholly on your account the slave of fear, that in every, even the least rumour, Catiline should be dreaded, that no plot seems possible to be entered into, in which your villany has no share (these things, I say), are not to be endured.” —totam: fem: referring topatriam.
7:ne—opprimar: scil.discede, atque hunc mihi timorem eripe.
§ 19.—1:Impetrare: “to obtain its request:” i.e.ut ex urbe exeas.
2:quid? quod: seenote 11, § 16.
3:custodiam: when a person of rank was suspected of any treasonable act, he generally surrendered himself into the hands of some responsible person, to be guarded until his guilt or innocence was established. This was calledcustodia libera.
4:apud M’: another reading isad M.The person was Manius (not Marcus) Lepidus who held the office of consulship with Volcatius Tullus B.C. 68.
domi meae: woulddomiwith other adjectives be allowable?
5:isdem parietibus: here the idea ofmeansis combined with that of place: H. 425, II., 1.1.
qui—essem=quippe qui—essem: “inasmuch as I was in great danger.”
quod—contineremur: when doesquodtake the indicative and when the subjunctive: H. 516, I., II.?
6:sodalem: “your boon companion:” distinguishsocius(rootsec, to follow, hencesequor), a follower:consors, a partner in lot:comes, a companion on a journey:sodalis, a boon companion.
7:virum optimum: probably ironical: nothing is known of him, except that he was weak and simple.
8:videlicetandscilicet: “no doubt”: both introduce an explanation with the difference, that the former generally indicates the true, the latter, the wrong explanation, though sometimes, as in the present passage, the meanings are reversed. Z. 345.
9:ad vindicandum: “in bringing you to punishment.”
a vinculis: the state prison which was used to detain prisoners, not for penal imprisonment in opposition to (custodia libera) private custody.
10:qui=quippe qui: H., 517.
§ 20.—1:quae cum ita sint: see note.
2:emori: another reading ismorari, antithetical toabire.
3:refer ad senatum: “bring up (the matter scil.rem) before the Senate.” —referreis the technical term to express the laying of the subject for debate before the Senate, which was done by the consul or presiding magistrate:deferre, denotes the simple announcement of anything:placere, is the usual term to express the decision of the Senate. The aristocratic party hadadvised Catiline to go into exile, preferring that he should take this course rather than that they should have an open conflict with him.
4:sibi—decreverit: “shall decree by their vote.” The senators voted “yea” or “nay” by sayingplacetornon placet.
5:abhorret—moribus: “is inconsistent with my character.” The fact is the Senate could not pass a sentence of exile.
6:si—expectas: “if it is this word (exile) you are waiting for.”
7:patiuntur—tacent: i.e., they suffer me to use this bold language to you and still they raise no word on your behalf.
8:quid—perspicis?“why do you wait for the sentence of these in words, where will you perceive, though they are silent?”
§ 21.—1:huic: “who is present.” P. Sestius Gallus was quaestor to the consul Antonius who astribunus plebisin 57 B.C. was active for Cicero’s recall from banishment. Cicero defended him in 56 B.C. in an actionde vi.
2:vim—intulisset: “would have laid violent hands on me:” a species of hendiadys. Even his dignity as consul, and the sacred shrine of Juppiter Stator would not have shielded him.
3:quiescunt probant:patiuntur,decernunt:tacent,clamant: note these examples ofoxymoron.
4:cives, scil.idem faciunti.e.silentio probant. Theequitesformed the second or middle order of the Roman State.
5:prosequantur: those who went into voluntary exile were often accompanied to the gates by their friends. An escort is promised Catiline to express the delight in getting rid of him.
§ 22.—1:quamquam: cp.καίτοι; “and yet,” used here as a corrective particle.
2:te; scil.sperandumne sit fore ut: “is it to be expected that anything will break your resolve?” Note the emphatic positions ofte,tu,tu,tu. What feelings do these interrogations express?
3:duint=dent: often used in religious formulas. Give the construction ofutinam: H., 483, I.
4:animum induxeris: Cicero uses the formanimum inducere(except in Pro Sulla, 30, 83) and Livy alwaysin animum in pucere.
5:quanta—impendeat: “what a storm of unpopularity threatens me, if not at present, on account of the memory of your crimes being fresh, still in the future time.”recenti=memoria: abl. of cause.in posteritatem=in posterum tempus.impendeat: indirect question.
6:sed—sejungatur: “but (the unpopularity you threaten) willingly will I undergo (literally, pays me well) provided the loss which you forbode is confined to myself and does not involve danger to the State.”tanti: genitive of price. The subject ofestisinvidiam istam mihi impendere.
7:ut—ut—ut: these three clauses are explained by the three beginning withaut, aut, aut.pudor=αἰδώς; “a sense of shame, or modesty.”
§ 23.—1:conflare: a metaphor taken from metals: literally, “to smelt together:” hence “to heap upon.”
2:recta, scil.via: “straightway.”
3:vix—vix: note the emphatic positions: “hard will it be for me to bear the weight of the unpopularity caused by you, if you go into exile by the order of the consul,” —sermones: “the censure:” cp. our expression “to be the talk of the town.”feceris: seenote 4, § 6.
4:sui—mavis: “but if, however, you prefer to consult my praise and glory.”laus—gloriaare originally derived from the same root CLU, “to hear:”laus=(c)lau(d)s:gloria = clu-oria.
5:exsulta—latrocinio: “triumph in your impious bandit war.”latro: properly a mercenary soldier who serves for pay (λατρεία): afterwards, “a brigand.”impio: as being against his native land: cp.pietas erga patriam, “patriotism.”
§ 24.—1:quamquam: seenote 1, § 22.invitem: rhetorical question: H. 529.
2:qui—armati?“to wait foryou armsnear Forum Amelium.”adbefore the name of towns denotes (1) direction; (2) proximity, as in this passage. Towns were calledFora, by the Romans, where the praetor held his circuits for administering justice and where markets were established. The town mentioned here was in Etruria between the Armenta (Fiora) and Marta, not from the sea. It is now calledMonte Alto. It derived its name from one Aurelius, who built theVia Aureliafrom Rome to Pisa.
praestolarentur: the wordpraestolari, is “to wait for” said of a subordinate who performs some services for a superior.
3:pactam—diem: from what verb ispactam? —dies, in the sense of a “fixed day” is usually feminine.
4:aquilam: the same that Marius carried in his Cimbric war. Catiline fell beside it at Pistoria (Gall. Cat. C. 59). A silver eagle with extended wings, and on the top of a spear was the ensign of the whole legion. Thesignawere the standards of themanipuliand thevexillumis the standard of the cavalry.
5:cui—fuit: “for which the secret place where you concocted your crimes was prepared in your house.” The eagle was usually kept in a part of thepraetoriumwhich was consecrated (sacrarium).
6:tu—solebas: scil.credendumne sil fore: “is it to be believed that you could any longer be without this, to which you when setting out to slaughter were wont to pay your vows?”
7:altaribus: only plural in classical Latin.
§ 25.—1:haec res: i.e.hoc bellum contra patriam, haec civium caedes.
2:quandam—voluptatem: “a kind of delight, (really) inconceivable.”
3:ad—servavit: “it was for this mad career that nature gave you being, inclination trained you, fate reserved you:” distinguishamentia, anddementia.
4:non modo, for the omission ofnonafternon modo, see Madvig., § 461, C. When the sentence is negative,non modo = non modo non, the secondnonbeing omitted, if both sentences have the same verb, and if the verb is contained in the second sentence, for the negative is thus considered to belong conjointly to both sentences. Z. 724., b.
5:otium: “peace,” opposed tobellum.
6:nefarium: “unhallowed,” as involvingimpietas contra patriam.
7:nanctus es: “you have got together.” —The orator isatque (ex) derelictis ab non modo omni fortuna, verum etiam (a) spe.
8:conflatam: a metaphor taken from metals, “smelted together,” hence “collected.”
§ 26.—1:hic: i.e.inter ejusmodi hominum gregem. —qua—perfruere: “what gratification will you experience.” Notice the climax in this sentence.
2:ad—tui: “it was for the earnest prosecution of this life that these feats of endurance, which are made so much of, were practised.” —meditari: is used passively: asabominatus, amplexus, confessus, detestatus, dimensus, exsecratus, moderatus, suetus. M. 153. Withmeditari: cp.μελετᾶν.
3:ad—stuprum: “to watch for an opportunity to commit an act of debauchery.” =ad tempus stupro opportunum observandum. The infinitive clausesjacere, vigilare, are in opposition withlabores.
4:ad—obeundum: “to execute some daring deed.”
5:otiosorum: “the peaceable citizens.” Another reading isoccisorum.
6:habes—omnium: “you have (now) an opportunity of showing the renowned endurance you have for withstanding hunger, cold, (and) a need of all things:” cp. Sallust, Cat. C., 5:corpus potiens inediae, vigiliae, algoris, supra quam unquam credibile est.
7:quibus: to be referred tofamis, frigoris, inopiae, not toomnium rerum.
§ 27.—1:tantum confeci: “this much, I gained.”
2:quum—reppuli: at the last election, Cicero adopted these measures especially aimed at Catiline: a bill to increase the penalty against bribery (ambitus); by disarranging the plans of Catiline in putting off the elections, and appearing in the Campus Martius in armour.
3:exul—consul: latrocinium—bellum: note theparonomasia.
4:detester ac deprecer: both these words mean “to seek to remove anything from one, such as blame, &c., by calling the gods to witness (testari deos) and by imploring (precari) their aid.”Note the middle force of these deponents.
5:quaeso: conjugate this verb.
6:loquatur: see § 18.
7:tune: join withexire patiere.
8:evoratorum servorum: Catiline, however, refused the help of slaves (Sallust, Cat. C., 56), though Lentulus urged him to use these.
9:emissus—immissus: paronomasia.
10:hunc—duci: what is the usual construction ofimperari? H. 498, I. The infinitive withimperareis always passive.
11:mactari: the official word of sacrifice, “to slay a victim.” It is connected with old verbmagere: probably “to strike:” cp.μάχη, hence “to kill.”
§ 28.—1:tandem: cp.note 1, § 1. Cicero shews that neither precedent, nor laws, nor the judgment of future generations deter Catiline.
2:At: introduces the objection of an opponent: “Yes, but.” Cicero refers here to the case of P. Scipio Nasica who headed the nobility against Tib. Gracchus.
3:anleges?Principally theleges Valeriae, andleges Porciae. The former were proposed by (1) P. Valerius Poplicola 509 B.C. which enacted that no Roman magistrate should put to death or flog a Roman citizen if he had appealed to the people: (2) in 449 B.C. L. Valerius Potitus enacted that no magistracy should be held with an exemption from appeal: (3) in 300 B.C. M. Valerius Corvus brought in a bill sanctioning the other laws on the subject of appeal. Theleges Porciaewere proposed by three of thePorcii, and exempted from stripes the persons of Roman citizens, and imposed heavy fines on any one who should scourge or kill a Roman citizen.
4:rogatae sunt: “have been passed.” The people at thecomitiawereaskedto pass a law by the presiding magistrate in the words “velitis, jubeatis, Quirites.” Hencerogare legem, “to pass a bill.” When the people votedtwoballots were usually given them, one marked with the letters U R (i.e.uti rogasor “yea”), and the other with A (i.e.antiquo, antiqua probo, “I annul”).
5:praeclaram gratiam: “a fine return:” strongly ironical.
6:hominem—cognitum: i.e.hominem novum: the Romans applied the term (novus homo) to the first of a family who had raised himself to a consul office,tam mature: thelex annalisenacted that no one could obtain thequaetorshiptill he was 31; theaedileshiptill 37; thepraetorshiptill 41; and theconsulshiptill 43. Cicero means that he obtained these offices as soon as he was eligible to hold them.
7:propter invidiam: “because of too disquieting fear of unpopularity.”
§ 29.—1:num—pertimescenda?“Is the ill-will arising from a strict and a firm discharge of duty to be feared rather than that arising from indolence and indifference.”
2:factu: give rules for the use of the supines: H. 547.
3:judicarem: this tense in theprotasiswith the plupf. in theapodosis, denotes that the action is going on simultaneously.
4:unius—horae: “the enjoyment of a single hour.”Usura: properly “interest” paid for theuseof capital.
5:gladiatori isti: contemptuously.
6:etenim: “and (well may I make this assertion), for:” cp.καὶ γάρ.
7:summi viri: referred to themagistratus; clarissimi cives, to theviri privati.
8:honestarunt=decoraverunt: “graced.”
§ 30.—1:quamquam=καίτοι, corrective: “and yet.”
2:qui—dissimulent: “of such a character that they either are blind to those evils which threaten us, or profess blindness in regard to the things they see.”Qui=tales ut: H. 501: this explains thissubjunctive.
3:qui—aluerunt=hi—aluerunt: not to be connected withnonnulli sunt, as this would requirealuerint.
4:si—animadvertissem: “if I had punished him,”: with such a meaning understandsupplicio: the prepositioninis necessary when the meaning is “to punish with an authoritative and steady hand.”regie: “in a tyrannical manner.”
5:pervenerit: fut. perf.
6:paulisper—posse: “may for a season be repressed, butcannotfor ever be suppressed”;reprimo: to hold in check merely for a short time;comprimo: to completely check.
7:se ejeceritscil.ex urbe.
8:ceteros naufragos: “the rest of his shipwrecked band of followers”: i.e., shipwrecked in character and fortune by reason of their excesses.
9:tam adulta pestis: “this fully developed plague-poison”:adulta: from rootul, ol, al, “high.”
§ 31.—1:jamdiu: for the space of three years from the consulate of Lepidus and Tullus, 66 B.C.;nescio quo pacto: “in some way or other”: literally, “I know not on what terms”: cp.οὐκ οἶδα ὅντινα τρόπον,nescio quo modo.