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In Catilinam 2.12

Precautions, and a warning to those left behind

Cicero, In Catilinam II. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.

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2.26Quae cum ita sint, Quirītēs, vōs, quem ad modum iam anteā dīxī, vestra tēcta vigiliīs custōdiīsque dēfendite;

Since this is so, citizens, defend your homes, as I said before, with watches and guards;

Note. Quae cum ita sint: 'since this is so', a favourite phrase of Cicero. dēfendite: imperative.

2.26mihi ut urbī sine vestrō metū ac sine ūllō tumultū satis esset praesidī cōnsultum atque prōvīsum est.

for my part, I have seen to it and provided that there will be enough protection for the city without alarm for you and without any uproar.

Note. mihi … cōnsultum atque prōvīsum est: impersonal passive, 'it has been seen to and provided by me'. praesidī: partitive genitive with satis.

2.26Colōnī omnēs mūnicipēsque vestrī certiōrēs ā mē factī dē hāc nocturnā excursiōne Catilīnae facile urbīs suās fīnīsque dēfendent;

All your colonists and townsmen, informed by me of Catiline's night departure, will easily defend their cities and territories;

2.26gladiātōrēs, quam sibi ille manum certissimam fore putāvit, quamquam animō meliōre sunt quam pars patriciōrum, potestāte tamen nostrā continēbuntur.

the gladiators, the band he thought would be most reliable for him, although they are better disposed than some of the patricians, will nevertheless be held in check by our power.

Note. Gladiators were kept in training schools; the senate had ordered them moved out of Rome to Capua and other towns so Catiline could not use them.

2.26Q. Metellus quem ego hoc prōspiciēns in agrum Gallicum Pīcēnumque praemīsī aut opprimet hominem aut eius omnīs mōtūs cōnātūsque prohibēbit.

Quintus Metellus, whom, foreseeing this, I sent ahead into the Gallic and Picene territory, will either crush the man or block all his movements and attempts.

Note. Q. Metellus Celer, praetor, had been sent to raise troops in Picenum and the ager Gallicus, the Adriatic coast of Italy.

2.26Reliquīs autem dē rēbus cōnstituendīs, mātūrandīs, agendīs iam ad senātum referēmus, quem vocārī vidētis.

As for the other matters to be settled, hastened and done, I shall now refer them to the senate, which you see being summoned.

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2.27Nunc illōs quī in urbe remānsērunt atque adeō quī contrā urbis salūtem omniumque vestrum in urbe ā Catilīnā relictī sunt, quamquam sunt hostēs, tamen, quia nātī sunt cīvēs, monitōs etiam atque etiam volō.

Now, those who have stayed in the city, or rather who have been left in the city by Catiline to destroy the city and all of you, although they are enemies, still, because they were born citizens, I want to warn again and again.

Note. monitōs … volō: 'I want them warned', a perfect participle with volō. nātī sunt cīvēs: they are still citizens by birth, though enemies in fact.

2.27Mea lēnitās adhūc sī cui solūtior vīsa est, hoc exspectāvit ut id quod latēbat ērumperet.

If my mildness has seemed to anyone rather too lax until now, it has been waiting for this: for what was hidden to break out.

2.27Quod reliquum est, iam nōn possum oblīvīscī meam hanc esse patriam, mē hōrum esse cōnsulem, mihi aut cum hīs vīvendum aut prō hīs esse moriendum.

As for what remains, I cannot now forget that this is my country, that I am the consul of these people, that I must either live with them or die for them.

Note. Quod reliquum est: 'as for what remains'. vīvendum … moriendum: impersonal gerundives with mihi, 'I must live … I must die'.

2.27Nūllus est portīs custōs, nūllus īnsidiātor viae: sī quī exīre volunt, cōnīvēre possum;

There is no guard on the gates, no one lying in wait on the road: if any wish to leave, I can shut my eyes to it;

Note. cōnīvēre: 'to shut my eyes', i.e. let them go.

2.27quī vērō sē in urbe commōverit cuius ego nōn modo factum sed vel inceptum ūllum cōnātumve contrā patriam dēprehenderō, sentiet in hāc urbe esse cōnsulēs vigilantīs, esse ēgregiōs magistrātūs, esse fortem senātum, esse arma, esse carcerem quem vindicem nefāriōrum ac manifestōrum scelerum maiōrēs nostrī esse voluērunt.

but whoever stirs in the city, if I catch not only any deed of his but even any undertaking or attempt against his country, will find that in this city there are watchful consuls, there are excellent magistrates, there is a brave senate, there are weapons, there is a prison, which our ancestors intended as the avenger of wicked and flagrant crimes.

Note. quī … commōverit … dēprehenderō: future perfects in a general condition about the future, 'whoever has stirred …, if I have caught'. carcerem quem vindicem … maiōrēs nostrī esse voluērunt: 'which our ancestors wished to be the avenger', a double accusative with esse.

Vocabulary

quī, quae, quod, rel. pron.who, which
cum, conj.when, while, after; since; although
ita, adv.in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as
sum, esse, fuī, futūrusbe
Quirītēs, -ium m. pl.Quirites, the Roman citizens in their civil capacity (used in addressing the people)
vōsplur. of tū
ad, prep. with acc.to, toward; at, near; for
modus, -ī, m.way, manner
iam, adv.now, already
anteā, adv.before
dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictussay, speak; diem dīcere, to appoint or set a day
vester, -tra, -trumyour
tēctum, -ī n.roof; house
vigilia, -ae, f.watch
custōdia, -ae f.guard, protection
que, enclitic conj.and
dēfendō, -fendere, -fendī, -fēnsusward off; defend
ego, meī, pers. pron.I
ut, conj.as; when; that; ita ut, as
urbs, urbis, f.city
sine, prep. with abl.without
metus, -ūs m.fear, dread
atque, ac (conj.)and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants)
ūllus, -a, -umany
tumultus, -ūs m.uproar, uprising
satis, adv.enough, sufficiently
praesidium, -ī, n.protection; guard, escort
cōnsulō, -ere, -uī, -tusconsult
prōvideō, -ēre, -vīdī, -vīsumforesee; provide for
colōnus, -ī m.settler, colonist; farmer
omnis, -eall, every
mūniceps, -cipis m.citizen of a municipium, townsman
certus, -a, -umdetermined, fixed, certain; certiōrem facere, to make more certain, inform
ā, ab (prep. + abl.)away from, from; by (ā only before consonants)
faciō, facere, fēcī, factusmake, do; iter facere, see iter
dē, prep, with abl.down from, from, out of; about, concerning, of
hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron.this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter
nocturnus, -a, -umof night, nocturnal; nocturnum tempus, night-time
excursiō, -ōnis f.sally, raid
facile, adv.easily
suus, -a, -umhis, her, its, or their own; his, her, its, their
fīnis, -is, m.end, boundary; plur., borders, territory, country
gladiātor, -ōris m.gladiator; as an insult: cutthroat, ruffian
suī, sibi, sē or sēsē, reflexive pron.himself, herself, itself, themselves
ille, illa, illud, dem. pron.that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc
manus, -ūs, f.hand
putō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusthink
quamquam, conj.however much, although
animus, -ī, m.mind; heart; spirit, courage
bonus, -a, -umgood
quam, adv.how? as; than; with superl., as ... as possible
pars, partis, f.part, side, direction
patricius, -ī m.patrician, member of the old Roman nobility
potestās, -ātis f.power, authority
tamen, adv.however, yet, nevertheless
noster, -tra, -trumour
contineō, -tinēre, -tinuī, -tentushold together, keep within, shut up in; bound
quīntus, -a, -umfifth
prōspiciō, -ere, -spexī, -spectumlook ahead, provide for (+ dat.)
in, prep. with acc. and abl.with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on
ager, agri, m.field, land
Gallicus, -a, -umGallic, of Gaul
Pīcēnus, -a, -umof Picenum, a district on the Adriatic coast of Italy
praemittō, -ere, -mīsī, -missumsend ahead
aut, conj.or; aut ... aut, either ... or
opprimō, -primere, -pressī, -pressuspress against, overpower, crush
homō, hominis, m.man
is, ea, id, dem. pron.this, that; he, she, it, they
mōtus, -ūs m.motion, movement; uprising
cōnātus, -ūs, m.attempt, effort
prohibeō, -hibēre, -hibuī, -hibitushold back, prevent, hinder
reliquus, -a, -umleft, the remaining, the other, the rest of
autem, conj.moreover; but, however; now
rēs, reī, f.thing, matter, affair, circumstance, situation; rē vērā, in truth, in fact, really
cōnstituō, -stituere, -stituī, -stitūtusset together or up; appoint; determine
mātūrō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusripen; hasten
agō, agere, ēgī, āctusdrive; do; pass, lead; grātiās agere, see grātia
senātus, -ūs m.senate
referō, referre, rettulī, relātusbring or carry back, return; pedem referre, to draw back, retire, retreat; grātiam referre, see grātia
vocō, -āre, -āvī, -ātuscall, summon
videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsussee; pass., seem
nunc, adv.now
remaneō, -ēre, -mānsīstay behind, remain
adeō (adv.)so far, to such a degree; so
contrā, prep, with acc.against, contrary to
salūs, salūtis, f.safety, deliverance, escape
relinquō, -linquere, -līquī, -lictusleave behind, leave
hostis, -is, m. and f.enemy, foe
quia (conj.)because
nāscor, -ī, nātus sumbe born; rise, begin
cīvis, -is, m. and f.citizen, fellow-citizen, subject
moneō, -ēre, -uī, -ituswarn
etiam, adv.and now, also, too, even
volō, velle, voluīwish
meus, -a, -ummy, mine
lēnitās, -ātis f.gentleness, slowness
adhūc, adv.to this point, up to this time, yet, still
sī, conj.if
quis, qua, quid, indef. pron.any one, anybody, anything, some one, somebody, something
solūtus, -a, -umloose, free; lax, easygoing
exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātuslook out for, wait for, await, expect; wait
lateō, -ēre, -uīlie hid, be concealed
ērumpō, -ere, -rūpī, -ruptumburst out, sally
nōn, adv.not
possum, posse, potuībe able, have power, can
oblīvīscor, -līvīscī, -lītusforget
patria, -ae, f.fatherland, country
cōnsul, -ulis m.consul (one of Rome's two chief magistrates)
cum, prep, with abl.with
vīvō, vīvere, vīxī, vīctuslive
prō, prep. with abl.before, in front of; for, in behalf of; for, as; in return for, for
morior, morī, mortuusdie
nūllus, -a, -umnot any, none, no
porta, -ae, f.gate; door
custōs, -ōdis m.guard
īnsidiātor, -ōris m.a man lying in ambush; (pl.) the ambushers
via, -ae, f.road, way
exeō, -īre, -iī, -itusgo out
cōnīveō, -ēre, -nīvī/-nīxīclose the eyes; shut one's eyes to, overlook
vērō, adv.in truth, indeed; however
commoveō, -movēre, -mōvī, -mōtusmove, rouse; disturb
modo, adv.only
factum, -ī n.deed, act
sed, conj.but
velor; vel … vel: either … or
inceptum, -ī n.beginning, attempt, undertaking
dēprehendō, -ere, -hendī, -hēnsuscatch, seize, overtake; detect
sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsusperceive, feel
vigilō, -āre, -āvī, -ātusstay awake, keep watch; be watchful
ēgregius, -a, -umoutstanding, excellent
magistrātus, -ūs m.magistrate, official
fortis, -ebrave
arma, -ōrum, n. plur.arms, weapons
carcer, -eris, m.prison
vindex, -icis m.avenger, punisher; protector
nefārius, -a, -umwicked, criminal
manifestus, -a, -umplain, clear; caught in the act
scelus, sceleris, n.wickedness, crime
maiōrēs, -um m. pl.ancestors
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Cicero, In Catilinam II. Latin text: A. C. Clark, M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes (Oxford, 1908), public domain; digital text from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA. Word analysis: LatinCy, then every word checked and corrected by hand. Vocabulary: F. Ritchie (1903, public domain) and entries written for this app. English translation, notes and grammar hints: written for this app.