M. Tullius Cicero, In Catilinam, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 1.20

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[20] quae cum ita sint, Catilina, dubitas, si emori aequo animo non potes, abire in aliquas terras et vitam istam multis suppliciis iustis debitisque ereptam fugae solitudinique mandare?

refer inquis ad senatum; id enim postulas et, si hic ordo placere sibi¹ decreverit te ire in exsilium, obtemperaturum te esse dicis. non referam, id quod abhorret a meis moribus, et tamen faciam ut intellegas quid hi de te sentiant. egredere ex urbe², Catilina, libera rem publicam metu, in exsilium, si hanc vocem exspectas, proficiscere. quid est? ecquid attendis, ecquid³ animadvertis horum silentium? patiuntur, tacent. quid exspectas auctoritatem loquentium, quorum voluntatem tacitorum perspicis?

In Catilinam. M. Tullius Cicero. ed. Albert Curtis Clark. Oxford. 1908.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by National Endowment For The Humanities (NEH).

Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (1)

Against L. Catiline Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 1.20 focus

[20]
Since, then, this is the case, do you hesitate, O Catiline, if you cannot remain here with tranquillity, to depart to some distant laud, and to trust your life, saved from just and deserved punishment, to flight and solitude? Make a motion, say you, to the senate, (for that is what you demand) and if thus body votes that you ought to go into banishment, you say that you will obey. I will not make such a motion, it is contrary to my principles, and yet I will let you see what these men think of you. Be gone from the city, O Catiline, deliver the republic from fear; depart into banishment, if that is the word you are waiting for. What now, O Catiline? Do you not perceive, do you not see the silence of these men; they permit it, they say nothing; why wait you for the authority of their words when you see their wishes in their silence?

Notes on the current edition

In Catilinam

1. placere sibi CAV: om. sibi a: sibi placere cett.

2. ex urbe de urbe t: de turba CAV

3. quid est α: quid est Catilina cett.

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

refer . . . ad senatum : the technical term for the action of the presiding officer (regularly the consul) in bringing a matter before the Senate for action. See general Introduction, p. lvii.

si hic ordo placere , etc.: fut. cond. in indir. disc.

placere (sc. sibi): the subject is te . . . exsilium .

abhorret , is contrary to: because the Senate would have no legal power to pronounce such a judgment.

faciam ut , etc.: § 568 (332); B. 297, I G. 553, I ; H. 568 (498, ii); H.-B. 502, 3, a. To make the feelings of the Senate clear, Cicero formally commands Catiline to leave the city ( egredere, etc.); then pauses to allow the Senators a chance to protest, and then points out that no objections are heard.

ecquid attendis , are you listening? The adverbial ecquid ( at all) can hardly be idiomatically rendered, but gives an emphasis to the question.

patiuntur , they tolerate this, i.e. they make no objection to this extreme exercise of authority on my part.

quid exspectas , etc.: why do you wait for those to express their opinion in words whose wishes you see clearly by their silence? The Latin idiom is quite different: why do you wait for the expressed opinion ( auctoritatem ) of [those] speaking whose wishes you see [when] silent?

M. Tullius Cicero In Catilinam 1.20

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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