IV. Peroratio (§§ 26-29)

26_29

Citizens need not fear: the consul will protect the City. The conspirators warned. There shall be no disturbance. The gods will lend their aid.

p125_l2

monitos . . . volo : 497, c, N. (292, d, N.); G. 537; H.-B. 605, 3.

p125_l3

solutior : for compar., see § 291 , a (93, a); B. 240, I G. 297; H. 498 (444, I); H.-B. 241, 2.

p125_l4

quod , etc., as for the rest, i.e. what remains to be done.

p125_l5

horum and his relate to the citizens by whom he is surrounded, and imply a gesture.

p125_l8

cujus : referring, like qui, to the subject of sentiet. 13

p125_l17

[28] me , etc., abl. abs.

togato , in perfect peace, i.e. without any military demonstration: the toga was the regular dress of the Roman in time of peace.

p125_l22

illud : in appos. with ut . . . possitis : I will secure that, etc.

p125_l24

neque. . . -que , not... and .

p125_l28

quibus . . . ducibus , under whose guidance.

p126_l3

quam urbem... hanc , this city which: § 307 , b, N. (200, b, N.); G. 616; H. 399, 5(445, 9); or (repeating the noun) the city which, etc.,— that city.

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

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Current edition Perseus

Commentary on Second 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.) — 2.27 focus

[27] nunc illos qui in urbe remanserunt atque adeo qui contra urbis salutem omniumque vestrum in urbe a Catilina relicti sunt, quamquam sunt hostes, tamen, quia nati¹ sunt cives, monitos² etiam atque etiam volo. mea lenitas adhuc si cui solutior visa est, hoc exspectavit³ ut id quod latebat erumperet. quod reliquum est, iam non possum oblivisci meam hanc esse patriam, me horum esse consulem, mihi aut cum his vivendum aut pro his esse moriendum. nullus est portis⁴ custos, nullus insidiator viae: si qui exire volunt, conivere⁵ possum; qui vero se in urbe commoverit cuius ego non modo factum sed vel⁶ inceptum ullum conatumve contra patriam deprehendero, sentiet in hac urbe esse consules vigilantis⁷, esse egregios magistratus, esse fortem senatum, esse arma, esse carcerem quem vindicem nefariorum ac manifestorum scelerum maiores nostri esse voluerunt.

[28] 13 atque haec omnia sic agentur⁸ ut maximae res minimo motu, pericula summa nullo tumultu, bellum intestinum ac domesticum post hominum memoriam crudelissimum et maximum me uno togato duce et imperatore sedetur. quod ego sic administrabo, Quirites, ut, si ullo modo fieri poterit, ne improbus quidem quisquam in hac urbe poenam sui sceleris sufferat. sed si vis manifestae audaciae, si impendens patriae periculum me necessario de hac animi lenitate deduxerit, illud profecto perficiam quod in tanto et tam insidioso bello vix optandum videtur⁹, ut neque bonus quisquam intereat paucorumque poena vos omnes salvi esse possitis.

[29] quae quidem ego neque mea prudentia neque humanis consiliis fretus polliceor vobis, Quirites, sed multis et non dubiis deorum immortalium significationibus, quibus ego ducibus in hanc spem sententiamque sum ingressus; qui iam non procul, ut quondam solebant, ab externo hoste atque longinquo, sed hic praesentes suo numine atque auxilio sua templa atque urbis tecta defendunt. quos vos, Quirites, precari, venerari, implorare debetis ut, quam urbem pulcherrimam florentissimam potentissimamque¹⁰ esse voluerunt, hanc omnibus hostium copiis terra marique superatis a perditissimorum civium nefario scelere defendant.

Translations (1)

Against L. Catiline Perseus (Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 2. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Bell, 1856.) — 2.27 focus

[27]
Now once more I wish those who have remained in the city, and who, contrary to the safety of the city and of all of you, have been left in the city by Catiline, although they are enemies, yet because they were born citizens, to be warned again and again by me. If my lenity has appeared to any one too remiss, it has been only waiting that that might break out which was lying hid. As to the future, I cannot now forget that this is my country, that I am the consul of these citizens; that I must either live with them, or die for them. There is no guard at the gate, no one plotting against their path; if any one wishes to go, he can provide for himself; but if any one stirs in the city, and if I detect not only any action, but any attempt or design against the country, he shall feel that there are in this city vigilant consuls, eminent magistrates, a brave senate, arms, and prisons; which our ancestors appointed as the avengers of nefarious and convicted crimes.

[28]
And all this shall be so done, O Romans, that affairs of the greatest importance shall be transacted with the least possible disturbance; the greatest dangers shall be avoided without any tumult; an internal civil war the most cruel and terrible in the memory of man, shall be put an end to by me alone in the robe of peace acting as general and commander-in-chief. And this I will so arrange, O Romans, that if it can be by any means managed, even the most worthless man shall not suffer the punishment of his crimes in this city. But if the violence of open audacity, if danger impending over the republic drives me of necessity from this merciful disposition, at all events I will manage this, which seems scarcely even to be hoped for in so great and so treacherous a war, that no good man shall fall, and that you may all be saved by the punishment of a few.

[29]
And I promise you this, O Romans, relying neither on my own prudence, nor on human counsels, but on many and manifest intimations of the will of the immortal gods; under whose guidance I first entertained this hope and this opinion; who are now defending their temples and the houses of the city, not afar off, as they were used to, from a foreign and distant enemy, but here on the spot, by their own divinity and present help. And you, O Romans, ought to pray to and implore them to defend from the nefarious wickedness of abandoned citizens, now that all the forces of all enemies are defeated by land and sea, this city which they have ordained to be the most beautiful and flourishing of all cities.

James Bradstreet Greenough Commentary on Second Oration against Catiline IV

ed. James Bradstreet Greenough, ed. George Lyman Kittredge

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IV. Peroratio (§§ 26-29)

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