In Catilinam 2.9

2.19Alterum genus est eōrum quī, quamquam premuntur aere aliēnō, dominātiōnem tamen exspectant, rērum potīrī volunt, honōrēs quōs quiētā rē pūblicā dēspērant perturbātā sē cōnsequī posse arbitrantur.

The second kind is of those who, although they are weighed down by debt, still look for power; they want to be masters of the state, and they think that the offices they despair of while the state is at peace they can win once it is thrown into turmoil.

Note. Class 2: debtors who want power. rērum potīrī: 'to get control of affairs'; potior takes the genitive here. quiētā rē pūblicā … perturbātā: ablative absolutes, 'while the state is quiet … once it is in turmoil'.

2.19Quibus hoc praecipiendum vidētur, ūnum scīlicet et idem quod reliquīs omnibus, ut dēspērent id quod cōnantur sē cōnsequī posse: prīmum omnium mē ipsum vigilāre, adesse, prōvidēre reī pūblicae;

To them, it seems, this advice must be given, one and the same, of course, as to all the rest: to despair of being able to achieve what they are attempting. First of all, I myself am awake, at hand, and watching over the state;

Note. praecipiendum vidētur: impersonal gerundive, 'it seems that this warning must be given'. ut dēspērent: explains hoc. From prīmum omnium the infinitives (vigilāre, adesse, prōvidēre) are indirect statement giving the reasons they should despair.

2.19deinde magnōs animōs esse in bonīs virīs, magnam concordiam ōrdinum, maximam multitūdinem, magnās praetereā mīlitum cōpiās;

next, there is great courage in loyal men, great harmony among the orders, a vast crowd of citizens, and large forces of soldiers besides;

2.19deōs dēnique immortālīs huic invictō populō, clārissimō imperiō, pulcherrimae urbī contrā tantam vim sceleris praesentis auxilium esse lātūrōs.

finally, the immortal gods will bring help to this unconquered people, this most glorious empire, this most beautiful city, against so great a force of crime close at hand.

Note. Note the tricolon (three parallel phrases) invictō populō, clārissimō imperiō, pulcherrimae urbī, each a dative with lātūrōs (esse) auxilium.

2.19Quod sī iam sint id quod summō furōre cupiunt adeptī, num illī in cinere urbis et in sanguine cīvium, quae mente cōnscelerātā ac nefāriā concupīvērunt, cōnsulēs sē aut dictātōrēs aut etiam rēgēs spērant futūrōs?

And even if they had already got what they long for in their utter madness, surely they do not hope to be consuls or dictators or even kings among the ashes of the city and the blood of citizens, which they have longed for with criminal and wicked minds?

Note. num … spērant …?: num expects the answer 'no'. Quod sī … sint adeptī: 'even if they had obtained'.

2.19Nōn vident id sē cupere quod, sī adeptī sint, fugitīvō alicui aut gladiātōrī concēdī sit necesse?

Do they not see that they are longing for something which, if they got it, would have to be handed over to some runaway slave or gladiator?

Note. fugitīvō alicui aut gladiātōrī: Cicero means that in the chaos of revolution power would fall to someone like Spartacus, the runaway gladiator whose slave revolt ended in 71 BC.

2.20Tertium genus est aetāte iam adfectum, sed tamen exercitātiōne rōbustum;

The third kind is now worn by age, but still strong from exercise;

Note. Class 3: Sulla's veterans. Sulla, dictator 82-79 BC, settled his soldiers on land taken from Italian towns; many ran through their new wealth.

2.20quō ex genere iste est Mānlius cui nunc Catilīna succēdit.

of this kind is that Manlius whom Catiline is now succeeding.

Note. Manlius commanded the rebel army at Faesulae in Etruria; Catiline is on his way to join him.

2.20Hī sunt hominēs ex eīs colōniīs quās Sulla cōnstituit;

These are men from the colonies that Sulla founded;

2.20quās ego ūniversās cīvium esse optimōrum et fortissimōrum virōrum sentiō, sed tamen eī sunt colōnī quī sē in īnspērātīs ac repentīnīs pecūniīs sūmptuōsius īnsolentiusque iactārunt.

I regard these colonies as made up entirely of excellent and very brave citizens, but still these are the colonists who have behaved too lavishly and arrogantly in their sudden and unexpected wealth.

2.20Hī dum aedificant tamquam beātī, dum praediīs lēctīs, familiīs magnīs, convīviīs apparātīs dēlectantur, in tantum aes aliēnum incidērunt ut, sī salvī esse velint, Sulla sit eīs ab īnferīs excitandus: quī etiam nōn nūllōs agrestīs hominēs tenuīs atque egentīs in eandem illam spem rapīnārum veterum impulērunt.

These men, while they build as if they were rich, while they take delight in choice estates, large households of slaves and lavish banquets, have fallen into such great debt that, if they wanted to be saved, Sulla would have to be raised for them from the dead. They have even driven some country people, poor and needy men, into that same hope of the old plunder.

Note. Sulla sit eīs ab īnferīs excitandus: 'Sulla would have to be raised for them from the dead', since only a new Sulla, with new confiscations, could rescue them. The dum clauses list their extravagance: estates, slaves, banquets.

2.20Quōs ego utrōsque in eōdem genere praedātōrum dīreptōrumque pōnō, sed eōs hoc moneō, dēsinant furere ac prōscrīptiōnēs et dictātūrās cōgitāre.

Both of these I put in the same class of robbers and plunderers; but I give them this warning: let them stop raving and dreaming of proscriptions and dictatorships.

Note. dēsinant: jussive subjunctive, 'let them stop'. prōscrīptiōnēs: Sulla published lists of enemies whose lives and property were forfeit; Romans remembered it with horror.

2.20Tantus enim illōrum temporum dolor inūstus est cīvitātī ut iam ista nōn modo hominēs sed nē pecudēs quidem mihi passūrae esse videantur.

For the pain of those times has been branded so deep on the state that now, it seems to me, not only men but not even cattle will put up with them again.

Note. nē pecudēs quidem: 'not even cattle'. passūrae (esse): future participle of the deponent patior, agreeing with pecudēs.