M. Tullius Cicero In Catilinam 4.20

ed. Albert Curtis Clark

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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.) — 4.20 focus

Notes on the current edition

In Catilinam

1. turpem iudico scripsi: esse turpem iudico At: iudico esse turpem αβ: esse iudico turpem cett.
2. et infirmam et contemptam add. αβ hx
3. illi illi mihi αβ h: mihi illi x
4. gestae AV αβ
5. conservatae rei p. V αβ

Commentary

Commentary on Fourth 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

non neminem : it is said that the person referred to was Q. Metellus Nepos, brother of Celer (see Cat. 1, sect. 19 ), a partisan of Pompey and an enemy of Cicero.

dedit ,

decrevit ,

adfecit : i.e. gave his vote for these acts. With this, of course, his present action is inconsistent.

qui has for antecedent the subject of

judicarit .

re , the matter (in general);

causa , the issue to be decided.

C. Caesar : the full name gives emphasis, contrasting him with the non nemo ( p. 145, l. 29 ). Caesar votes for a judgment against the conspirators which seems contrary to the Sempronian Law, but he, a true friend of the people ( vere popularis), recognizes that this law applies to Roman citizens only, and that it therefore cannot protect these traitors.

Semproniam : see note on "Crucifixion," etc., p. 61, l. 10 .

latorem , i.e. C. Gracchus.

jussu populi : not strictly true, for C. Gracchus was put to death, not by order of the people, but by virtue of the dictatorial authority conferred upon the consuls by the Senate.

rei publicae : dative.

dependisse : punishment with the Romans was regarded as a penalty paid by the offender to the injured party (hence dare, solvere, pendere of the guilty; capere, petere, repetere, postulare, etc., of the person wronged).

Lentulum : by discussing this conspirator as an example of the would-be popularis, Cicero skillfully throws discredit on the non nemo (p. 145, l.29) and others like him.

largitorem , etc., i.e. however lavish, — a symptom of courting the popular favor.

se jactare , i.e. as a pretended friend of liberty, like the non nemo above.

omnis cruciattis : accusative plural.