M. Tullius Cicero, In Catilinam, Charles Duke Yonge (Translator), 1.29

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[29] But if you have a fear of unpopularity, is that arising from the imputation of vigour and boldness, or that arising from that of inactivity and indecision most to be feared? When Italy is laid waste by war, when cities are attacked and houses in flames, do you not think that you will be then consumed by a perfect conflagration of hatred?” 12
To this holy address of the republic, and to the feelings of those men who entertain the same opinion, I will make this short answer:—If, O conscript fathers, I thought it best that Catiline should be punished with death, I would not have given the space of one hour to this gladiator to live in. If, forsooth, those excellent men and most illustrious cities not only did not pollute themselves, but even glorified themselves by the blood of Saturninus, and the Gracchi, and Flaccus, and many others of old time, surely I had no cause to fear lest for slaying this parricidal murderer of the citizens any unpopularity should accrue to me with posterity. And if it did threaten me to ever so great a degree, yet I have always been of the disposition to think unpopularity earned by virtue and glory, not unpopularity.

In Catilinam. M. Tullius Cicero. Charles Duke Yonge (Translator). London. 1856.

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Current edition Perseus

Against L. Catiline (English) (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.)

Editions (1)

In L. Catilinam Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 1. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.) — 1.29 focus

[29] sed si quis est invidiae metus, non¹ est vehementius severitatis ac fortitudinis invidia quam inertiae ac nequitiae pertimescenda. an, cum bello vastabitur Italia, vexabuntur urbes, tecta ardebunt, tum te non existimas invidiae incendio conflagraturum? 12 his ego sanctissimis rei publicae vocibus et eorum hominum qui hoc idem sentiunt mentibus pauca respondebo. ego, si hoc optimum factu² iudicarem, patres conscripti, Catilinam morte multari, unius usuram horae gladiatori isti ad vivendum non dedissem. etenim si summi³ viri et clarissimi cives Saturnini et Gracchorum et Flacci et superiorum complurium sanguine non modo se non contaminarunt sed etiam honestarunt, certe verendum mihi⁴ non erat ne quid hoc parricida civium interfecto invidiae mihi⁵ in posteritatem redundaret. quod si ea mihi maxime impenderet, tamen hoc animo fui semper⁶ ut invidiam virtute partam gloriam, non invidiam putarem.

Commentary

Commentary on First Oration against Catiline (Select Orations of Cicero (Allen and Greenough's Edition). Greenough, James Bradstreet; Kittredge, George Lyman, editors. Boston, London: Ginn & Company, 1897.) focus

nunc jam , now at length .

hujus imperi , i.e. that which I now possess: namely, that conferred upon the consuls by the special decree of the Senate dent operant, etc. (see note on p. 100, l. 12 ). Without this decree they possessed imperium, it is true, but it was limited (in the city) by special privileges of Roman citizens.

tu : opposed to comitum.

sentina rei publicae , political rabble; or, keeping the original figure, we might say, bilge-water of the ship of state . 6

M. Tullius Cicero In Catilinam 1.29

Charles Duke Yonge (Translator)

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