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III. Peroratio

chaps11_13

The consul may be charged with remissness; but he has been biding his time. For halfway measures would have been useless. Appeal to Jupiter to save Rome.

p110_l2

querimoniam , i.e. for not having suppressed the conspiracy more vigorously.

detester ad deprecer (construed with a me , above), remove by protest and plea.

p110_l4

patria : the personified patria is dramatically introduced as accusing Cicero of remissness in letting Catiline go unharmed.

p110_l6

M. Tulli (voc.): the regular way of formal address; the use of the family name ( Cicero) is more familiar.

p110_l9

evocatorem servorum , a summoner of slaves, i.e. to enlist under him against the state. To the Romans (as to all peoples who, having a large slave population, are in constant fear of servile revolts) such an accusation was the most violent reproach conceivable.

p110_l12

duci, rapi, mactari ; § 563 , a, N. (311, a, N.1); Cf. B. 295, 4, N.; G. 546, N.3; H. 614 (535, ii); H-B. 587, b.

p110_l16

[28] rogatae sunt : the magistrate who proposed a law formally asked the people whether they would accept it; hence rogo was the word regularly used for this act, and the proposition itself was called rogatio. The leges in question, Valeria, Porcia, and Sempronia (of Caius Gracchus), were enacted to protect — like our laws securing the habeas corpus and trial by jury — the life and liberty of citizens against the arbitrary power of magistrates, which in this case would apparently be used by Cicero.

at numquam , etc.: as a fact, however, the precedents here referred to had been really violations of the constitution.

p110_l18

praeclaram. . . gratiam , you show a noble gratitude (cf. habere gratiam and agere gratias ).

p110_l20

nulla commendatione majorum : though by the Roman constitution the higher offices were open to all citizens, yet it was rare that a man whose ancestors had not held these offices could succeed in attaining them himself. If, like Cicero, he did so, he was called a novus homo, and his descendants belonged to the nobility.

tam mature : Cicero attained the quaestorship, the praetorship, and the consulship ( honorum gradiis) at the earliest age possible in each case. This was a mark of public confidence which had never happened to a novus homo before.

p110_l22

invidiae , i.e. the odium which might attach to the consuls apparently exceeding his constitutional authority. In fact Cicero was later brought to trial and exiled on this very charge.

p110_l24

[29] num est , pray is (implying strong negation): § 332 , b (210, c); B. 162,2, b; G. 464, R.; H. 378(351, I, N.8); H-B. 231, I, (1.

p110_l25

inertiae , (sc. invidia), the reproach .

an belongs with non existimas .

p110_l27

conflagraturum , will be consumed (lit. will burn up ). 110.29

idem sentiunt , have the same views.

mentibus , thoughts.

p110_l30

factu , the rare "latter supine": § 510 (303); B. 340, 2; G. 436; H. 635 and 4 (547 and N.1); H-B. 619, I.

p110_l31

gladiatori : the gladiators were trained slaves owned by rich men, and were often employed as bullies in political campaigns. Hence the word came almost to mean ruffian, "bruiser," "thug."

p111_l1

si . . . honestarunt : notice that the simple condition here expresses cause; § 515 , a, N. (306, a, N.).

p111_l2

superiorum , before them.

The variety of the conditional sentences in sects. 29 , 30 is instructive: si judicarem . . . non dedissem (cont. to fact), p. 110, l. 30 , p. 111, l. 1 ; si . . . honestarunt, verendum non erat (nothing implied), p.111,ll.1-4; si impenderet, fui (mixed), 11.6, 7; si animadvertissem, dicerent (cont. to fact), 11.13, 14; si pervenerit , fore (fut., indir. disc.), ll. 15, 16; hoc interfecto , posse (fut., indir. disc., protasis disguised), ll. 18-20; si ejecerit, exstinguetur (fut., more vivid), ll.20-22.

p111_l6

maxime , ever so much.

p111_l7

ut . . . putarem , result clause explaining hoc (not a subst. clause).

partam (from pario), acquired (a very common meaning).

p111_l8

[30] non nulli , etc.: it should be remembered that there were many well-intentioned citizens who either doubted the existence of a conspiracy or thought Cicero's fears of it greatly exaggerated; and that' even among those who admitted the fact there was considerable variety of partisan feeling.

p111_l9

videant , dissimulent: subj. of charact. (not coord. with dicerent ), expressing the character of the men referred to, while aluerunt , etc. (l. 11), merely gives additional facts about them (hence indic.).

p111_l14

regie , despotically: the Roman idea of a king and kingly government was associated with Tarquinius Superbus. Here the word also implies the assumption of unlawful power (= tyrannice), as well as its abuse.

p111_l15

nunc , as it is

quo : § 308 , g (201,f 2); cf. G. 611, R.1; the antecedent is in castra .

p111_l17

improbum , dishonest

p111_l18

hoc . . . interfecto , disguised fut. protasis; § 521 , a (310, a); B. 305, I; G. 600, I; H. 575, 9 (507, N.7); H-B. 578, 6; the apod. posse is fut. in sense: § 516 , d, 584, b (307, d); G. 248, R.; H.-B. 472, d.

p111_l20

ejecerit : for tense, see § 516 , c (307, c); G. 244, 2; H. 574, 2 (508, 2); Cf. H.-B. 577, a.

p111_l21

eodem , to the same place.

p111_l22

adulta , full-grown, as opposed to stirps , the root (properly the stock from which new shoots may spring out), and semen, the seed. 13

p111_l25

[31] jam diu : the conspiracy was ready to break out B.C. 65 (see note on p. 105, l. 15 ).

p111_l26

versamur , have lived.

nescio quo pacto , somehow or other; § 575 , d (344, a); B. 253, 6; G. 467, N.; Cf. H. 512, 7 (455, 2); H-B. 537, e.

p111_l27

veteris (sharply contrasted with nostri), i.e. the disease is of long standing, but its outbreak has occurred just in my consulship.

p111_l32

visceribus , vitals (properly the great interior organs, as the heart, lungs, etc.).

p112_l1

aestu febrique , the heat of fever (hendiadys).

p112_l4

reliquis vivis : abl. absolute.

p112_l8

[32] circumstare , hang round, for the purpose of intimidation: the praetor urbanus had his tribunal in the Forum.

p112_l15

patefacta , laid bare; inlustrata , set in full light; oppressa , crushed; vindicata , punished. Observe the climax.

p113_l1

[33] ominibus , prospects. What Cicero has just said (p.112,11. I 1-16) makes the omen under which Catiline is to depart, — an omen of good for the state, but of evil for him.

p113_l4

Juppiter : thus the oration closes with a prayer to Jupiter Stator, in whose temple the Senate was now assembled.

p113_l6

Statorem , the Stay. The name was apparently first given to Jupiter as the Stayer ( sto , sisto) of flight (see note to sect. 11, p.104, 1. I), but it is here applied to him as the Stay (supporter) of the Roman state, a meaning which the word may well have from its derivation.

p113_l8

arcebis , used as a mild imperative; § 449 , b (269,f); B. 261, 3; G. 2651; H. 560, 4, N. (487, 4); H.-B. 572.

p113_l9

latrones : cf. latrocinium in sect. 27 ( p. 109, l. 32 ).

Commentary on First Oration against Catiline. James Bradstreet Greenough. ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge. Boston. 1897.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

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

Editions (1)

In L. Catilinam Perseus (Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 1. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908.) — 1.27 focus

[27] tantum profeci¹, cum te a consulatu reppuli, ut exsul potius temptare quam consul vexare rem publicam posses, atque ut id quod esset² a te³ scelerate susceptum latrocinium potius quam bellum nominaretur.

11 nunc, ut a me, patres conscripti, quandam prope iustam patriae querimoniam detester ac deprecer, percipite, quaeso, diligenter⁴ quae dicam, et ea penitus animis vestris mentibusque mandate. etenim si mecum patria⁵, quae mihi vita mea multo est carior, si cuncta Italia, si omnis res publica loquatur⁶: M. M arce Tulli, quid agis? tune eum quem esse hostem comperisti, quem ducem belli futurum vides, quem exspectari imperatorem in castris hostium sentis, auctorem sceleris, principem coniurationis, evocatorem servorum et civium perditorum, exire patiere, ut abs te non emissus ex urbe, sed immissus in urbem esse videatur? nonne⁷ hunc in vincla⁸ duci, non ad mortem rapi, non summo supplicio mactari imperabis? quid tandem te impedit? mosne maiorum?

[28] at persaepe etiam privati in hac re publica perniciosos civis morte multarunt. an leges quae de civium Romanorum supplicio rogatae sunt? at numquam in hac urbe qui⁹ a re publica defecerunt civium iura tenuerunt. an invidiam posteritatis times? praeclaram vero populo Romano refers¹⁰ gratiam qui te, hominem per te cognitum, nulla commendatione maiorum tam mature ad summum imperium per omnis honorum gradus extulit, si propter invidiam aut alicuius periculi metum salutem civium tuorum neglegis.

[29] sed si quis est invidiae metus, non¹¹ 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 factu¹² iudicarem, patres conscripti, Catilinam morte multari, unius usuram horae gladiatori isti ad vivendum non dedissem. etenim si summi¹³ viri et clarissimi cives Saturnini et Gracchorum et Flacci et superiorum complurium sanguine non modo se non contaminarunt sed etiam honestarunt, certe verendum mihi¹⁴ non erat ne quid hoc parricida civium interfecto invidiae mihi¹⁵ in posteritatem redundaret. quod si ea mihi maxime impenderet, tamen hoc animo fui semper¹⁶ ut invidiam virtute partam gloriam, non invidiam putarem.

[30] quamquam non nulli sunt in hoc ordine qui aut ea quae imminent non videant aut ea quae vident¹⁷ dissimulent; qui spem Catilinae mollibus sententiis aluerunt coniurationemque nascentem non credendo conroboraverunt; quorum auctoritate multi¹⁸ non solum improbi verum etiam imperiti, si in hunc animadvertissem, crudeliter et regie factum esse dicerent. nunc intellego, si iste, quo intendit, in Manliana castra pervenerit, neminem tam stultum fore qui non¹⁹ videat coniurationem esse factam²⁰, neminem tam improbum qui non fateatur. hoc autem uno interfecto intellego hanc rei publicae pestem paulisper reprimi, non in perpetuum comprimi posse. quod si sese²¹ eiecerit secumque suos eduxerit et eodem ceteros undique conlectos naufragos adgregarit, exstinguetur atque delebitur non modo haec tam adulta rei publicae pestis verum etiam stirps ac semen malorum omnium.

[31] 13 etenim iam diu, patres conscripti, in his periculis coniurationis insidiisque versamur, sed nescio quo pacto omnium scelerum ac veteris furoris et audaciae maturitas in nostri consulatus tempus erupit. nunc²² si ex tanto latrocinio iste unus tolletur, videbimur fortasse ad breve quoddam tempus cura et metu esse relevati, periculum autem residebit et erit inclusum penitus in venis atque in visceribus rei publicae. Vt saepe homines aegri morbo gravi, cum aestu febrique iactantur, si aquam gelidam biberunt²³, primo relevari videntur, deinde multo gravius vehementiusque adflictantur, sic hic morbus qui est in re publica relevatus istius poena vehementius reliquis vivis ingravescet²⁴.

[32] qua re secedant improbi, secernant se a bonis, unum in locum congregentur, muro denique, quod²⁵ saepe iam dixi, secernantur²⁶ a nobis; desinant insidiari domi suae consuli, circumstare tribunal praetoris urbani²⁷, obsidere cum gladiis curiam, malleolos et faces ad inflammandam urbem comparare; sit denique inscriptum in fronte unius cuiusque quid de re publica sentiat. polliceor hoc vobis, patres conscripti, tantam in nobis consulibus fore diligentiam, tantam in vobis auctoritatem, tantam in equitibus Romanis virtutem, tantam in omnibus bonis consensionem ut Catilinae profectione omnia patefacta, inlustrata, oppressa, vindicata esse videatis.

[33] hisce ominibus²⁸, Catilina, cum summa rei publicae salute, cum tua²⁹ peste ac pernicie cumque eorum exitio qui se tecum omni scelere parricidioque iunxerunt, proficiscere ad impium bellum ac nefarium. tu³⁰, Iuppiter, qui isdem quibus haec urbs auspiciis a Romulo es constitutus, quem Statorem huius urbis atque imperi vere nominamus, hunc et huius socios a tuis³¹ ceterisque templis, a tectis urbis ac moenibus, a vita fortunisque civium omnium³² arcebis et homines bonorum inimicos, hostis patriae, latrones Italiae scelerum foedere inter se ac nefaria societate coniunctos aeternis suppliciis vivos mortuosque mactabis.

Translations (1)

Against L. Catiline Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 1.27 focus

[27] All this I effected when I procured your rejection from the consulship, that you should be reduced to make attempts on your country as an exile, instead of being able to distress it as consul, and that that which had been wickedly undertaken by you should be called piracy rather than war. 11
Know that I may remove and avert, O conscript fathers, any in the least reasonable complaint from myself; listen, I beseech you, carefully to what I say, and lay it up in your inmost hearts and minds. In truth, if my country, which is far dearer to me than my life,—if all Italy ,—if the whole republic were to address me, “Marcus Tullius, what are you doing? will you permit that man to depart whom you have ascertained to be an enemy? whom you see ready to become the general of the war? whom you know to be expected in the camp of the enemy as their chief; the author of all this wickedness, the head of the conspiracy, the instigator of the slaves and abandoned citizens, so that he shall seem not driven out of the city by you, but let loose by you against the city? Will you not order him to be thrown into prison, to be hurried off to execution, to be put to death with the most prompt severity? What hinders you? is it the customs of our ancestors?

[28] But even private men have often in this republic slain mischievous citizens.—Is it the laws which have been passed about the punishment of Roman citizens? But in this city those who have rebelled against the republic have never had the rights of citizens.—Do you fear odium with posterity? You are showing fine gratitude to the Roman people which has raised you, a man known only by your own actions, of no ancestral renown, through all the degrees of honour at so early an age to the very highest office, if from fear of unpopularity or of any danger you neglect the safety of your fellow-citizens.

[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.

[30]
Though there are some men in this body who either do not see what threatens, or dissemble what they do see; who have fed the hope of Catiline by mild sentiments, and have strengthened the rising conspiracy by not believing it; influenced by whose authority many, and they not wicked, but only ignorant, if I punished him would say that I had acted cruelly and tyranically. But I know that if he arrives at the camp of Manlius to which he is going, there will be no one so stupid as not to see that there has been a conspiracy; no one so hardened as not to confess it. But if this man alone were put to death, I know that this disease of the republic would be only checked for awhile, not eradicated for ever. But if he banishes himself; and takes with him all his friends, and collects at one point all the ruined men from every quarter, then not only will this full-grown plague of the republic be extinguished and eradicated, but also the root and seed of all future evils

[31]
We have now for a long time, O conscript fathers, lived among these dangers and machinations of conspiracy; but somehow or other, the ripeness of all wickedness, and of this long-standing madness and audacity, has come to a head at the time of my consulship. But if this man alone is removed from this piratical crew, we may appear, perhaps, for a short time relieved from fear and anxiety, but the danger will settle down and lie hid in the veins and bowels of the republic. As it often happens that men afflicted with a severe disease, when they are tortured with heat and fever, if they drink cold water, seem at first to be relieved, but afterwards stiffer more and more severely; so this disease which is in the republic, if relieved by the punishment of this man, will only get worse and worse, as the rest will be still alive.

[32]
Wherefore, O conscript fathers, let the worthless be gone,—let them separate themselves from the good,—let them collect in one place,—let them, as I have often said before, be separated from us by a wall; let them cease to plot against the consul in his own house,—to surround the tribunal of the city praetor,—to besiege the senate-house with swords,—to prepare brands and torches to burn the city; let it, in short, be written on the brow of every citizen, what are his sentiments about the republic. I promise you this, O conscript fathers, that there shall be so much diligence in us the consuls, much authority in you, so much virtue in the Roman knights, so much unanimity in all good men, that you shall see everything made plain and manifest by the departure of Catiline,—everything checked and punished.

[33]
With these omens, O Catiline, be gone to your impious and nefarious war, to the great safety of the republic, to your own misfortune and injury, and to the destruction of those who have joined themselves to you in every wickedness and atrocity. Then do you, O Jupiter, who were consecrated by Romulus with the same auspices as this city, whom we rightly call the stay of this city and empire, repel this man and his companions from your altars and from the other temples,—from the houses and walls of the city,—from the lives and fortunes of all the citizens; and overwhelm all the enemies of good men, the foes of the republic, the robbers of Italy, men bound together by a treaty and infamous alliance of crimes, dead and alive, with eternal punishments.

James Bradstreet Greenough Commentary on First Oration against Catiline III

ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge

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III. Peroratio

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