In Catilinam 1.12

1.29Hīs ego sānctissimīs reī pūblicae vōcibus et eōrum hominum quī hoc idem sentiunt mentibus pauca respondēbō.

To these most solemn words of the republic, and to the thoughts of those who feel the same, I shall make a brief reply.

Note. Cicero now answers the fatherland in his own voice.

1.29Ego, sī hoc optimum factū iūdicārem, patrēs cōnscrīptī, Catilīnam morte multārī, ūnīus ūsūram hōrae gladiātōrī istī ad vīvendum nōn dedissem.

If I judged it the best thing to do, senators, for Catiline to be punished with death, I would not have given that gladiator one hour's use of life.

Note. factū: supine in -ū with optimum, 'best to do'. gladiātōrī: a common insult, 'cutthroat'. ūnīus ūsūram hōrae: 'the use of a single hour'.

1.29Etenim sī summī virī et clārissimī cīvēs Sāturnīnī et Gracchōrum et Flaccī et superiōrum complūrium sanguine nōn modo sē nōn contāminārunt sed etiam honestārunt, certē verendum mihi nōn erat nē quid hōc parricīdā cīvium interfectō invidiae mihi in posteritātem redundāret.

For if the greatest men and most famous citizens were not only not stained but even honoured by the blood of Saturninus, of the Gracchi, of Flaccus and of many before them, I certainly had no reason to fear that any hatred would flow onto me in the future for killing this murderer of citizens.

Note. Saturninus (100 B.C.), the Gracchi (133 and 121 B.C.) and Fulvius Flaccus (121 B.C.) were all killed for alleged sedition; their killers, Cicero argues, earned honour, not disgrace.

1.29Quod sī ea mihi maximē impendēret, tamen hōc animō fuī semper ut invidiam virtūte partam glōriam, nōn invidiam putārem.

But even if hatred threatened me as much as anything could, I have always been of the view that hatred won by courage is glory, not hatred.

1.30Quamquam nōn nūllī sunt in hōc ōrdine quī aut ea quae imminent nōn videant aut ea quae vident dissimulent;

And yet there are some in this body who either do not see what is coming or pretend not to see what they see;

Note. nōn nūllī: some senators, among them perhaps Caesar and Crassus, were thought to be sympathetic to Catiline or unwilling to believe in the plot.

1.30quī spem Catilīnae mollibus sententiīs aluērunt coniūrātiōnemque nāscentem nōn crēdendō conrōborāvērunt;

who have fed Catiline's hopes with mild proposals and strengthened the growing conspiracy by not believing in it;

Note. mollibus sententiīs: 'mild proposals' in senate debate. nōn crēdendō: gerund, 'by not believing'.

1.30quōrum auctōritāte multī nōn sōlum improbī vērum etiam imperītī, sī in hunc animadvertissem, crūdēliter et rēgiē factum esse dīcerent.

and on their authority many, the ignorant as well as the wicked, would say that it had been done cruelly and like a tyrant, if I had punished him.

Note. rēgiē: 'like a king', a damning word at Rome, where kings meant tyranny. sī … animadvertissem: animadvertere in + acc. means 'to punish'.

1.30Nunc intellegō, sī iste, quō intendit, in Mānliāna castra pervēnerit, nēminem tam stultum fore quī nōn videat coniūrātiōnem esse factam, nēminem tam improbum quī nōn fateātur.

As things are, I understand that if he reaches Manlius' camp, where he is heading, no one will be so stupid as not to see that a conspiracy has been formed, no one so wicked as not to admit it.

Note. Mānliāna castra: Manlius' camp at Faesulae. If Catiline goes there, the conspiracy will be proved beyond denial.

1.30Hōc autem ūnō interfectō intellegō hanc reī pūblicae pestem paulisper reprimī, nōn in perpetuum comprimī posse.

But I understand that if this one man is killed, this plague of the republic can be checked for a little while, but not crushed for good.

1.30Quod sī sēsē ēiēcerit sēcumque suōs ēdūxerit et eōdem cēterōs undique conlēctōs naufragōs adgregārit, exstinguētur atque dēlēbitur nōn modo haec tam adulta reī pūblicae pestis vērum etiam stirps ac sēmen malōrum omnium.

But if he throws himself out, takes his men with him and herds the other castaways gathered from everywhere into the same place, not only this plague of the republic, now grown so strong, will be wiped out and destroyed, but also the root and seed of all our ills.

Note. naufragōs: 'shipwrecked men', a metaphor for the ruined and bankrupt who followed Catiline.