Verum ingenium ejus haud absurdum; posse versus facere, jocum movere, sermone uti vel modesto vel molli vel procaci; prorsus multae facetiae multusque lepos inerat. 26 His rebus comparatis Catilina nihilo minus) in proximum annum1 consulatum petebat, sperans, si designatus foret, facile se ex voluntate Antonio usurum. Neque interea quietus erat, sed omnibus modis insidias parabat Ciceroni. Neque illi tamen ad cavendum dolus aut astutiae deerant. Namque a principio consulatus sui multa pollicendo per Fulviam effecerat, ut Q. Curius, de quo paulo ante memoravi, consilia Catilinae sibi proderet. Ad hoc collegam suum Antonium pactione provinciae perpulerat, ne contra rem publicam sentiret; circum se praesidia amicorum atque clientium occulte habebat. Postquam dies comitiorum venit, et Catilinae neque petitio neque insidiae, quas consuli in Campo fecerat, prospere cessere, constituit bellum facere et extrema omnia experiri, quoniam quae occulte temptaverat aspera foedaques eve nerant. S 27. Igitur G. Manlium Faesulas atque in eam partem Etruriae, Septimium quendam Camertem in agrum Picenum, G. Julium in Apuliam dimisit; praeterea alium alio, quem ubique opportunum sibi fore credebat. Interea Romae multa simul moliri, consuli insidias tendere, parare incendia, oppor 1 Namely, for the year beginning with the first of January, в. с. 62. The elections took place about the middle of the preceding year, consequently, in the present instance, about the middle of the year в. с. 63. 2 Ad hoc is a common expression in Sallust for praeterea. 3 Pactione provinciae, by coming to an understanding with him about the provinces which were assigned to the consuls after the expiration of their year of office at Rome. Cicero had obtained by lot the lucrative province of Macedonia, and exchanged it for Gallia Cisalpina, which had fallen to the lot of Antonius; but afterwards he declined the latter also, in order to be able to remain at Rome, which at that time was considered to be a sign that a man did not care for money-continentia, abstinentia. * The Campus Martius, an extensive open plain between the city and the Tiber, was the place for the large assemblies of the people; that is, for the Comitia Centuriata, in which the consuls and praetors were elected. 5 Aspera foedaque might also have been expressed by the adverbs aspere foedeque, his attempts turned out unfavourably and disgracefully.' Compare Zumpt, $ 682. 6 Camers, 'a native of Camerinum' (the capital of the Umbrians), for the inhabitants of that place were called Camertes. Picenum, or ager Picenus, was the Roman territory on the Adriatic between the mouths of the rivers Aesis and Aternus, with the capitals of Ancona and Asculum. tuna loca armatis hominibus, obsidere, ipse cum telo esse, item alios jubere, hortari, uti semper intenti paratique essent, dies noctesque festinare, vigilare, neque insomniis neque labore fatigari. Postremo ubi multa agitanti nihil procedit, rursus intempesta nocte conjurationis principes convocat per M. Porcium Laecam, ibique multa de ignavia eorum, questus, docet se Manlium praemisisse ad eam m multitudinem, quam ad capiunda arma paraverat, item alios in alia loca opportuna, qui initium belli facerent, seque ad exercitum proficisci cupere, si prius Ciceronem oppressisset; eum suis consiliis multum officere. 28. Igitur perterritis ac dubitantibus ceteris, G. Cornelius eques Romanus operam suam pollicitus, et cum eo L. Vargunteius senator, constituere ea nocte paulo post cum armatis hominibus sicuti salutatum introire ad Ciceronem ac de improviso domi suae imparatum confodere. Curius ubi intellegit, quantum periculum consuli impendeat, propere per Fulviam Ciceroni dolum, qui parabatur, enuntiat. Ita illi januă prohibiti tantum facinus frustra susceperant. Interea Manlius in Etruria plebem sollicitare, egestate simul ac dolore injuriae, novarum rerum cupidam, quod Sullae dominatione agros bonaque omnia amiserat, praeterea latrones cujusque generis, quorum in ea regione magna copia erat, nonnullos ex Sullanis colonis, quibus libido atque luxuria ex magnis rapinis nihil reliqui fecerant. 29. Ea quum Ciceroni nuntiarentur, ancipiti malo permotus, quod neque urbem ab insidiis privato consilio longius tueri poterat, neque exercitus Manlii quantus aut quo consilio foret satis compertum habebat, rem ad senatum refert, jam antea vulgi rumoribus exagitatam. Itaque, quod plerumque in atroci negotio solet, senatus decrevit, darent operam consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti caperet. Ea potestas per senatum more Romano magistratur maxima permittitur, exercitum parare, bellum gerere, coërcere omnibus modis socios atque cives, domi militiaeque imperium atque judicium 1 1 Sicuti salutatum, as if to offer him his morning salutation,' for such a morning call before sunrise was a common politeness among the Romans. 2 Or according to the common orthography, intelligit. 3 Exagitatam for agitatam; but the preposition ex gives to the word the idea of something brought out of its obscurity to light. The matter had already been discussed on the ground of certain rumours. 4 About decrevit, with the mere subjunctive, without ut, see Zumpt, $ 624. 5 Parare should properly be parandi; but see Zumpt, $598. summum habere; aliter sine populi jussu nulli earum rerum consuli jus est. 30. Post paucos dies L. Saenius senator in senatu litteras recitavit, quas Faesulis allatas sibi dicebat, in quibus scriptum erat, G. Manlium arma cepisse cum magna multitudine ante diem VI. Kalendas Novembres.1 Simul, id quod in tali re solet, alii portenta atque prodigia nuntiabant, alii conventus, fieri, arma portari, Capuae atque in Apulia servile bellum, moveri. Igitur senati decreto Q. Marcius Rex, Faesulas, Q. Metellus Creticus in Apuliam circumque ea loca missi; hi utrique ad urbem imperatores erant, impediti ne triumpharent calumnia paucorum, quibus omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos erat. Sed praetores Q. Pompeius Rufus Capuam, Q. Metellus Celer in agrum Picenum, hisque permissum, uti pro tempore atque periculo exercitum compararent. Ad hoc, si quis indicavisset de conjuratione, quae contra rem publicam facta erat, praemium servo libertatem et sestertia centum, libero impunitatem ejus rei et sestertia ducenta; itemque That is, on the 6th day before the 1st of November,' or on the 27th of October. In such computations with ante and post, the point of time from which the calculation begins is included. See Zumpt, $867. But we here reckon according to the calendar such as it was subsequently reformed and rectified by J. Caesar. 8 2 Portenta are chiefly human beings or animals presenting at their birth anything abnormal or monstrous; prodigia, on the other hand, are strange phenomena in the heavens; and the superstition of the ancients regarded both as signs sent by the gods to warn men. * Senati for senatus. See Zumpt, $ 81. 4 Hi utrique for horum uterque. Zumpt, § 141, note 2. Both had received the military command (imperium) from the senate and people: Marcius Rex as proconsul of Cilicia, and Metellus for the purpose of subduing Crete. After their return from their provinces, they tarried for a time outside the walls of Rome (ad urbem), because, by entering the city, they would have lost their imperium, which they were anxious to retain until their solemn entrance in a military procession (the triumph), to which the senate had not yet given its sanction. Accordingly, as they were still generals in active service, they could legally be intrusted with the military command in the disturbed districts of Italy. The intrigues of some influential members of the senate, who had either received bribes from the opponents of the two commanders, or expected some from the commanders themselves, prevented the resolution of the senate here alluded to. Respecting mos erat vendere, see Zumpt, $ 598. Supply to the two names of places missus est, which is implied in the preceding sentence. 8 Sestertia centum; that is, centum millia sestertiorum, or the ancient census of the citizens of the first class; for the neuter sestertia was used in calculations as an imaginary coin of mille sestertii or ten nummi aurei. 0 decrevere, uti gladiatoriae familiae Capuam et in cetera municipia distribuerentur pro cujusque opibus, Romae per totam urbem vigiliae haberentur, iisque minores magistratus prae essent. 31. Quibus rebus permota civitas atque immutata urbis facies erat; ex summa laetitia atque lascivia, quae diuturna quies pepererat, repente omnes tristitia invasit; festinare, trepidare, neque loco neque homini cuiquam satis credere, neque bellum gerere, neque pacem habere, suo quisque metu pericula metiri. (Ad hoc mulieres, quibus rei publicae magnitudine belli timor insolitus incesserat, afflictare sese, manus supplices ad coelum tendere, miserari parvos liberos, rogitare, omnia pavere, superbia atque deliciis omissis sibi patriaeque diffidere. At Catilinae crudelis animus eadem illa movebat, tametsi praesidia parabantur et ipse lege Plautia interrogatus erat ab L. Paullo. Postremo dissimulandi causa aut sui expurgandi, sicuti jurgio lacessitus foret, in senatum venit. Tum M. Tullius consul, sive praesentiam ejus timens sive ira commotus, orationem habuit luculentam atque utilem rei publicae, quam postea scriptam edidit." Sed ubi ille assedit, According to the means of every town.' As the Roman gladiators might easily be tempted to join in conspiracies, they were quartered at a distance from Rome, in the towns of a certain class of Roman citizens (municipia); and the citizens of such places were ordered to watch over those bands of gladiators, that they might not make their escape. Familiae, in its proper sense, signifies the whole body of slaves belonging to one master. 2 Minores magistratus are those officers who did not, by virtue of their office, become members of the senate. The quaestors, accordingly, did not belong to them, but they comprised the masters of the mint, the superintendents of the paving of the roads, and especially the superintendents of all matters connected with prisons, and the decemviri litibus judicandis. 3 Quibus. Sallust more frequently uses the accusative in such expressions. See chapter 8. Afflictare sese, 'they worried themselves.' The expression is properly used of that kind of grief which manifests itself in inflicting pain on the body, by pulling the hair, striking the breast or loins, or by throwing one's self on the ground. So also plangere denotes the physical expression of pain. A law de vi enacted in the year B. c. 89, and aimed at those who might attempt by violence to subvert the existing constitution of the state. On the ground of this law Catiline had already been summoned before a court of law, though no formal charge had yet been brought against him. • Sicuti is here used for quasi, velut, or perinde ac si, 'as if.' This is the first of Cicero's speeches against Catiline, which was delivered A. D. 6, Id. Novemb.; that is, on the 8th of November. 8 When he had sat down;' that is, when he had finished his speech, for those who spoke in the senate did so standing. مه + sse P not Catilina, ut erat paratus ad dissimulanda omnia, demisso vultu, voce supplici postulare, "Patre "Patres conscripti "ne quid de se temere crederent; ea familia ortum, ita se ab adolescentia vitam instituisse, ut omnia bona in spe. haberet; ne existimarent, sibi, patricio homini, cujus ipsius atque majorum plurima beneficia in plebem Romanam essent, perdita re publică opus esse, quum eam servaret M. Tullius, inquilinus civis urbis Romae. Ad hoc maledicta alia quum adderet, obstrepere omnes," hostem atque parricidam vocare. Tum ille furibundus: ""Quoniam quidem circumventus, inquit, ab inimicis praeceps agor, incendium meum ruinā restinguam.' republicam 32. Dein se ex curia domum proripuit; ibi multa ipse secum volvens, quod neque insidiae consuli procedebant et ab incendio intellegebat urbem vigiliis munitam, optimum factu credens exercitum augere ac prius quam legiones scriberentur, antecapere quae bello usui forent, nocte intempesta cum paucis in Manliana castra profectus est. Sed Cethego atque Lentulo ceterisque, quorum cognoverat promptam audaciam, mandat, quibus rebus possent opes factionis confirment, insidias consuli maturent, caedem, incendia aliaque belli facinora parent; sese propediem cum magno exercitu ad urbem accessurum. Dum haec Romae geruntur, G. Manlius ex suo numero legatos ad Marcium Regem mittit cum mandatis hujuscemodi: 33. 'Deos hominesque testamur, imperator, nos arma neque contra patriam cepisse, neque quo periculum aliis faceremus, sed uti corpora nostra ab injuria tuta forent, qui miseri, egentes, violentia atque crudelitate feneratorum plerique patriae, sed omnes fama atque fortunis expertes sumus; neque. cuiquam nostrum licuit more majorum lege uti, neque amisso The imprudence of this speech, independent of the audacious denial of facts, consists in his boasting of his patrician descent, and in the insinuation that Cicero, who was born in the municipium of Arpinum, was only an alien at Rome, although in regard to political rights there no longer was any difference between patricians and plebeians, nor between the citizens of Rome and those of a municipium. Respecting the construction of opus est, with the ablative of a participle, see Zumpt, $ 464, note 1. The adjective expers here is joined in the same sentence with two different cases; this is an unusual construction, though expers may be joined with the genit. as well as with the ablat. See Zumpt, 437, note 1. 3 From what he quotes as the substance of the law, we see that he means the lex Papiria Poetelia, which had been passed in B. c. 326, and according to which the property of a debtor served as a security to the creditor, while his person or his personal liberty could not be touched. |