SECOND ORATION AGAINST CATILINE DELIVERED BEFORE THE PEOPLE IN THE FORUM, ON THE NINTH OF NOVEMBER, 63 B.C. INTRODUCTION THE effect of the oration which we have just read was perfectly electrical. Catiline was for the moment paralyzed, but, quickly recovering his self-possession and assuming the tone of injured innocence, he implored the senate not to trust the base slanders which the consul had heaped upon him; he even ventured upon harsh and abusive language against Cicero, but his voice was at once drowned with cries of “Enemy," "Traitor," from the whole assembly. That night he left the city. On the following day, the ninth of November, Cicero delivered his Second Oration against Catiline before the people in the Forum.1 His object was to justify the course which he had pursued in relation to the conspiracy, to allay the general excitement, and to intimidate the conspirators who had not yet left the city. In the meantime, Catiline had repaired to the camp of Manlius, and had assumed the fasces and other insignia of consular power. The senate accordingly declared him an outlaw, ordered new levies of troops, and dispatched able leaders to different parts of the country where danger was apprehended. Cicero was directed to guard the city, and Antonius was appointed to the command of the army destined against Catiline. ANALYSIS I. REJOICING OVER THE DEPARTURE OF CATILINE, I. II. CICERO'S DEFENSE: 1. AGAINST THE CHARGE OF TOO GREAT LENIENCY IN HAVING ALLOWED CATILINE TO LEAVE THE CITY, 2-5. 2. AGAINST THE CHARGE OF TOO GREAT SEVERITY IN HAVING DRIVEN CATILINE INTO EXILE, 6, 7. 1 This oration was not delivered before the comitia, but before the less formal assembly called contio; see 140. III. THE FORCES OF CATILINE, 8-10. IV. THE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC IN CONTRAST WITH THESE, II. EXORDIUM, I Rejoice, fellow-citizens, Catiline, the traitor, the conspirator, is no longer within our walls. I. Tandem aliquandō, Quirītēs, L. Catilīnam furentem audāciā, scelus anhēlantem, pestem patriae nefāriē mōlientem, vōbis atque huic urbi ferro flammaque minitantem.ex urbe vel ēiecimus vel ēmīsimus vel ipsum egredientem verbis prōsecūti sumus. Abiit, excessit, ēvāsit, ērūpit. Nulla 5 iam perniciēs ā mōnstrō illō atque prōdigiō moenibus ipsīs intra moenia comparabitur. Atque hunc quidem ūnum huius belli domestici ducem sine controversia vicimus. Nōn enim iam inter latera nostra sīca illa versābitur; nōn in campō, nōn in forō, nōn in cūriā, nōn dēnique intra do- io mesticōs parietes pertimēscēmus. Locō ille mōtus est, cum est ex urbe depulsus. Palam iam cum hoste nullō impediente bellum iūstum gerēmus. Sine dubiō perdidimus hominem magnificēque vicimus, cum illum ex occultis insidiis in apertum latrocinium coniecimus. Quod vērō nōn cru- 15 entum mücrōnem, ut voluit, extulit, quod vivis nōbīs ēgressus est, quod ei ferrum ē manibus extorsimus, quod incolumēs cīvēs, quod stantem urbem reliquit, quantō tandem illum maerōre esse adflictum et prōflīgātum putatis? Iacet ille nunc prōstrātus, Quirītēs, et sẽ perculsum 20 atque abiectum esse sentit et retorquet oculos profecto saepe ad hanc urbem, quam ē suīs faucibus ēreptam esse lūget; quae quidem mihi laetārī vidētur, quod tantam pestem ēvomuerit forasque prōiecerit. NARRATIO, 2-II It was not expedient to put Catiline to death, as all were not yet convinced of his guilt. 2. Ac sĩ quis est tālis, quālēs esse omnēs oportēbat, qui in hoc ipsō, in quo exsultat et triumphat ōrātiō mea, mē vehementer accuset, quod tam capitālem hostem non comprehenderim potius quam ēmīserim, non est ista mea. 5 culpa, Quirītēs, sed temporum. Interfectum esse L. Catilinam et gravissimō suppliciō adfectum iam prīdem oportebat, idque ā mē et mōs maiōrum et huius imperii sevēritās et res publica postulabat. Sed quam multōs fuisse putatis, qui quae ego dēferrem nōn crēderent, quam 10 multōs qui etiam defenderent! Ac si illō sublātō dēpelli ā vōbis omne perīculum iūdicārem, iam pridem ego L. Catilinam nōn modo invidiae meae, vērum etiam vitae periculō sustulissem. Sed cum viderem, nē vōbīs quidem omnibus rē etiam tum probātā sī illum, ut erat meritus, morte 15 multāssem, fore ut eius socios invidia oppressus persequi nōn possem, rem hūc dēdūxī, ut tum palam pūgnāre possētis, cum hostem apertē vidērētis. Quem quidem ego hostem, Quirītēs, quam vehementer forīs esse timendum putem, licet hinc intellegatis, quod 20 etiam illud moleste ferō, quod ex urbe parum comitatus exierit. Utinam ille omnēs sēcum suās cōpiās ēdūxisset! Tongilium mihi eduxit, quem amare in praetexta coeperat, Publicium et Minucium, quōrum aes aliēnum contractum in popīnā nūllum rei pūblicae mōtum adferre poterat; 25 reliquit quōs virōs, quantō aere aliēnō, quam valentēs, quam nōbilēs! His army outside is no match for ours, but those who remain are the real danger. 3. Itaque ego illum exercitum prae Gallicānīs legiōnibus et hōc dīlēctū quem in agrō Pīcēnō et Gallicō Q. Metellus habuit, et his copiis quae a nōbīs cotidie comparantur, māgnō opere contemnō conlectum ex senibus dēspērātīs, ex agrestī lūxuriā, ex rūsticīs dē- 5 coctōribus, ex iis qui vadimōnia deserere quam illum exercitum māluērunt; quibus ego non modo si aciem exercitus nostri, vērum etiam si ēdictum praetōris ostenderō, concident. Hōs, quōs videō -volitāre in forō, quos stāre ad curiam, quos etiam in senatum venire, qui 10 nitent unguentis, qui fulgent purpurā, māllem sēcum suōs mīlitēs ēdūxisset; qui si hīc permanent, mementōte nōn tam exercitum illum esse nōbīs quam hōs, qui exercitum deseruerunt, pertimēscendōs. Atque hoc etiam sunt timendi magis, quod, quid cogitent, mē scire sentiunt 15 neque tamen permoventur. Video cui sit Apūlia attribūta, quis habeat Etrūriam, quis agrum Pīcēnum, quis Gallicum, quis sibi hās urbānās īnsidias caedis atque incendiōrum dēpopōscerit. Omnia superiōris noctis cōnsilia ad mē perlāta esse sentiunt; patefēci in senātū hesternō diē. 20 Catilina ipse pertimuit, profūgit; hi quid exspectant? Nē illi vehementer errant, si illam meam pristinam lēnitātem perpetuam spērant futūram. Let them follow their leader, for all the worst elements in the city are among his adherents. 4. Quod exspectāvī, iam sum adsecutus, ut vōs omnēs factam esse aperte coniūrātiōnem contra rem publicam 25 vidērētis; nisi vērō si quis est qui Catilinae similēs cum Catilīnā sentire non putet. sevēritātem rēs ipsa flagitat. Non est iam lēnitāti locus; Unum etiam nunc concēdam : exeant, proficiscantur, nē patiantur desiderio sui Catilinam 5 miserum tabescere. Dēmonstrābō iter; Aurēliā via profectus est; si accelerare volent, ad vesperam consequen IO AMPHITHEATER AT POMPEI tur. O fortūnātam rem publicam, si quidem hanc sentīnam urbis eiecerit! Unō mehercule Catilīnā exhaustō levāta mihi et recreāta rēs publica videtur. Quid enim mali aut Io sceleris fingi aut cōgitārī potest, quod non ille conceperit? Quis tōta Italia veneficus, quis gladiator, quis latro, quis sīcārius, quis parricīda, quis testamentōrum subiector, quis circumscriptor, quis ganeo, quis nepos, quis adulter, quae mulier infāmis, quis corruptor iuventutis, quis corruptus, |