CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

B.C.

108.

73.

Birth of Catiline.

Catiline is tried for incest with the Vestal, Fabia.

66. In the summer Catiline returns to Rome, but, being charged with extortion, is not permitted to be a candidate for the consulship.

In December he conspires with Piso and Autronius to murder the consuls.

65. Jan. 1st. The plot fails.

Feb. 5th. A second attempt is unsuccessful.

Toward the end of the year Catiline is brought to trial for extor

tion, but is acquitted.

64. Catiline forms another plot, and calls a meeting of the conspirators in June.

Cicero and Antonius are elected consuls, defeating Catiline and four other candidates.

63. Catiline is again a candidate for consul.

In July the Senate assembles to consider Catiline's seditious speech, and decides to postpone the consular election. At the meeting next day Catiline defies the Senate, but escapes with a mild rebuke.

The election results in Catiline's defeat.

Catiline continues his secret preparations, but Cicero is kept informed of them through Curius and Fulvia.

Oct. 21st. The Senate meets and takes vigorous measures to protect the state.

Oct. 27th.

Manlius raises the standard of rebellion in Etruria. Nov. 6th. The conspirators meet at the house of Laeca. Attempt to murder Cicero.

Nov. 7th.

B.C. 63 (continued).

Nov. 8th.

Cicero delivers his First Oration against Catiline before the Senate. Catiline leaves the city at night. Nov. 9th. Cicero delivers his Second Oration before the people. Toward the close of November the Senate declares Catiline and Manlius to be public enemies, and commissions Antonius to lead an army against them.

Dec. 2d. Volturcius and the ambassadors of the Allobroges leave Rome at night and are arrested.

Dec. 3d. Arrest of the chief conspirators at Rome. Meeting of the Senate. Cicero delivers his Third Oration before the people.

Dec. 4th. Rumors of plans to rescue the conspirators.

Dec. 5th. Meeting of the Senate, at which Cicero delivers his Fourth Oration against Catiline. The conspirators are condemned and executed.

62. January. Battle of Pistoria, in which Catiline is defeated and

slain.

GAI SALLUSTI CRISPI

BELLUM CATILINAE.

1. Omnis hominēs, qui sēsē student praestare cēterīs animālibus, summā ope nītī decet, nē vītam silentiō transeant veluti pecora, quae nātūra prōna atque ventrī oboedientia finxit. Sed nostra omnis vīs in animo et corpore sita est; animī imperio, corporis servitiō magis 5 ūtimur; alterum nobis cum dīs, alterum cum bēluis commune est. Quō mihi rectius vidētur ingenī quam vīrium opibus glōriam quaerere, et, quoniam vīta ipsa, qua fruimur, brevis est, memoriam nostri quam māxumē longam efficere. Nam divitiarum et fōrmae gloria fluxa 10 atque fragilis est, virtus clāra aeternaque habetur.

Sed diu magnum inter mortālīs certamen fuit, vīne corporis an virtute animī rēs mīlitāris magis prōcēderet. Nam et prius quam incipias cōnsultō et ubi cōnsulueris mātūrē factō opus est. Ita utrumque per sẽ indigēns 15 alterum alterius auxiliō eget.

2. Igitur initiō rēgēs nam in terrīs nōmen imperī id prīmum fuit — dīvorsī pars ingenium, alii corpus exercebant; etiam tum vita hominum sine cupiditate agitābātur, sua cuique satis placebant. Postea vērō 20 quam in Asia Cyrus, in Graecia Lacedaemonii et Atheniēnsēs coepēre urbis atque natiōnēs subigere, lubīdinem dominandi causam bellī habēre, māxumam glōriam in māxumō imperiō putare, tum demum periculō atque

negotiis compertum est in bellō plūrumum ingenium posse. Quod si rēgum atque imperatōrum animi virtūs in pace ita ut in bellō valeret, aequabilius atque cōnstantius sēsē rēs hūmānae habērent, neque aliud aliō 5 ferri neque mūtārī ac miscērī omnia cernerēs. Nam imperium facile iis artibus retinetur, quibus initiō partum est. Vērum ubi prō labōre desidia, prō continentiā et aequitate lubīdō atque superbia invasere, fortūna simul cum mōribus immūtātur. Ita imperium semper 10 ad optumum quemque à minus bonō transfertur.

Quae homines arant, nāvigant, aedificant, virtūtī omnia parent. Sed multī mortālēs, dēditī ventrī atque somnō, indocti incultique vitam sicuti peregrinantēs transēgere; quibus profecto contrā nātūram corpus voluptātī, anima 15 oneri fuit. Eōrum ego vitam mortemque iūxtā aestumō, quoniam de utraque siletur. Vērum enim vērō is dēmum mihi vivere atque frui animā vidētur, qui aliquō negōtiō intentus praeclārī facinoris aut artis bonae fāmam quaerit.

20

3. Sed in magnā cōpiā rērum aliud aliī nātūra iter ostendit. Pulchrum est bene facere reī pūblicae, etiam bene dicere haud absurdum est; vel pace vel bellō clārum fieri licet; et qui fecere et qui facta aliōrum scripsere, multi laudantur. Ac mihi quidem, tametsī haudquā25 quam pār gloria sequitur scriptorem et auctōrem rērum, tamen in prīmīs arduum vidētur rēs gestas scribere: primum quod facta dictis exaequanda sunt, dehinc quia plerique quae delicta reprehenderis malivolentia et invidia dicta putant, ubi dē māgnā virtute atque glōriā 30 bonōrum memorēs, quae sibi quisque facilia factù putat, aequo animō accipit, supra ea veluti ficta pro falsīs ducit.

Sed ego adulescentulus initiō sicuti plerique studiō ad rem publicam lātus sum, ibique mihi multa advorsa fuere. Nam prō pudōre, prō abstinentia, pro virtute, audacia, largītiō, avaritia vigebant. Quae tametsi animus aspernābātur insolēns malārum artium, tamen inter 5 tanta vitia imbecilla aetās ambitione corrupta tenēbātur; ac me, cum ab reliquorum malis mōribus dissentirem, nihilō minus honoris cupīdō eadem, qua cēterōs, fāmā atque invidia vēxābat.

4. Igitur ubi animus ex multis miseriis atque perīcu- 10 līs requievit et mihi reliquam aetatem ā rē publică procul habendam dēcrēvī, nōn fuit consilium sōcordia atque dēsidia bonum ōtium conterere, neque vērō agrum colundō aut vēnandō· servilibus officiis-intentum aetātem agere; sed à quo incepto studioque me ambitiō 15 mala dētinuerat, eōdem regressus statuī rēs gestās populī Rōmānī carptim, ut quaeque memoriā dīgna vidēbantur, perscribere, eō magis, quod mihi ā spē, metū, partibus rei publicae animus līber erat.

Igitur de Catilinae coniūrātiōne, quam vērissumē poterō, 20 paucis absolvam; nam id facinus in primis ego memorăbile exīstumō sceleris atque periculī novitāte. Dē cuius hominis mōribus pauca prius explananda sunt quam initium narrandī faciam.

5. L. Catilina, nobili genere natus, fuit māgnā vī et 25 animi et corporis, sed ingenio malo prāvōque. Huic ab adulescentia bella intestina, caedes, rapinae, discordia cīvīlis grāta fuere, ibique iuventutem suam exercuit. Corpus patiens inediae, algōris, vigiliae suprā quam cuiquam credibile est. Animus audax, subdolus, varius, 30 cuius rei lubet simulator ac dissimulator; aliēnī appetēns, suī profūsus, ārdēns in cupiditātibus; satis ēlo