M. Tullius Cicero, In Catilinam, ed. Albert Curtis Clark, 2.1

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[1] 1 tandem aliquando, Quirites, L. L ucium Catilinam, furentem audacia, scelus anhelantem, pestem patriae nefarie molientem, vobis atque huic urbi ferro flammaque¹ minitantem ex urbe vel eiecimus vel emisimus vel ipsum egredientem verbis prosecuti sumus. abiit², excessit, evasit, erupit. nulla iam pernicies a monstro illo atque prodigio moenibus ipsis intra moenia comparabitur³. atque hunc quidem unum huius belli domestici ducem sine controversia vicimus. non enim iam inter latera nostra sica illa versabitur, non in campo, non in foro, non in curia, non denique intra domesticos parietes pertimescemus⁴. loco ille motus est, cum est ex⁵ urbe depulsus. palam iam cum hoste nullo impediente bellum iustum⁶ geremus. sine dubio perdidimus hominem magnificeque vicimus, cum illum ex occultis insidiis in apertum latrocinium coniecimus.

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

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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.) — 2.1 focus

[1]
At length, O Romans, we have dismissed from the city, or driven out, or, when he was departing of his own accord, we have pursued with words, Lucius Catiline, mad with audacity, breathing wickedness, impiously planning mischief to his country, threatening fire and sword to you and to this city. He is gone, he has departed, he has disappeared, he has rushed out. No injury will now be prepared against these walls within the walls themselves by that monster and prodigy of wickedness. And we have, without controversy, defeated him, the sole general of this domestic war. For now that dagger will no longer hover about our sides; we shall not be afraid in the campus, in the forum, in the senate-house,—yes, and within our own private walls, he was moved from his place when he was driven from the city. Now we shall openly carry on a regular war with an enemy without hindrance. Beyond all question we ruin the man; we have defeated him splendidly when we have driven him from secret treachery into open warfare.

Notes on the current edition

In Catilinam

1. ferro flammaque α: ferrum flammamque cett. minitantem CAah: minantem V cett.

2. abit C

3. comparatur ah

4. pertimescemus ahl αγ ( o2): pertimescimus CAVo1: perhorrescemus b

5. cum ex (ex sup. lin. in l) urbe est expulsus αβ

6. iustum om. bs gerimus Abx

Commentary

Commentary on Second 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

ejecimus , expelled (with violence);

emisimus , let [him] go. The words vel . . . vel ( or, if you like) imply that the same act may be called by either name.

ipsum , of his own accord.

verbis prosecuti may apply as well to kind words of dismissal as to invective.

abiit , simply, is gone;

excessit , has retreated before the storm;

evasit , has escaped by stealth;

erupit , has broken forth with violence, — a climax of expression, but nearly identical in sense.

moenibus (dat. following comparabitur), against, etc.

atque (adding with emphasis), and so.

hunc quidem , him at any rate.

sine controversia , without dispute unquestionably.

versabitur , will be busy.

campo ,

foro ,

curia ,

parietes : observe the narrowing climax.

loco motus est , he lost his vantage-ground: a military expression, hence the simple abl.; § 428 , f (258, a, N.2); cf. B. 229, I; G. 390, 2, N.2; H. 463 (414, ii); H-B. 408, 2, a.

nullo impediente , i.e. his defenders till now could screen him by forms of law.

justum (if retained in the text), regular, in due form; cf. note on latrocinio, p. 109,1. I.

M. Tullius Cicero In Catilinam 2.1

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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