4.14Sed ea quae exaudiō, patrēs cōnscrīptī, dissimulāre nōn possum.But what I hear, members of the senate, I cannot pretend not to hear.Note. Cicero turns to rumors that he lacks the force to carry out a death sentence. 4.14Iaciuntur enim vōcēs quae perveniunt ad aurīs meās eōrum quī verērī videntur ut habeam satis praesidī ad ea quae vōs statueritis hodiernō diē trānsigenda.For remarks are being thrown about that reach my ears, from those who seem to fear that I may not have enough force to carry out what you decide today.Note. verērī … ut habeam: after verbs of fearing, ut means 'that … not': 'they fear that I may not have enough protection'. satis praesidī: partitive genitive. 4.14Omnia et prōvīsa et parāta et cōnstitūta sunt, patrēs cōnscrīptī, cum meā summā cūrā atque dīligentiā tum multō etiam maiōre populī Rōmānī ad summum imperium retinendum et ad commūnīs fortūnās cōnservandās voluntāte.Everything has been foreseen, prepared and arranged, members of the senate, both by my own utmost care and diligence and also by the much greater will of the Roman people to keep its supreme power and to preserve the common fortunes of all.Note. cum … tum …: 'both … and especially'. ad … retinendum, ad … cōnservandās: gerundives expressing purpose. 4.14Omnēs adsunt omnium ōrdinum hominēs, omnium generum, omnium dēnique aetātum;All are here, men of all orders, of all classes, in short of all ages;Note. ōrdinēs: the 'orders' of Roman society, the senators, the knights (equitēs), the treasury tribunes, the clerks and so on. Cicero's ideal was concordia ōrdinum, harmony between the orders. 4.14plēnum est forum, plēna templa circum forum, plēnī omnēs aditūs huius templī ac locī.the Forum is full, full are the temples around the Forum, full are all the approaches to this temple and place.Note. The senate was meeting in the temple of Concord at the foot of the Capitol, so huius templī is a pointed reference to harmony. Note the asyndeton and repeated plēnum … plēna … plēnī.
4.14Causa est enim post urbem conditam haec inventa sōla in quā omnēs sentīrent ūnum atque idem praeter eōs quī, cum sibi vidērent esse pereundum, cum omnibus potius quam sōlī perīre voluērunt.For this is the only cause found since the founding of the city in which all felt one and the same thing, except those who, since they saw that they must perish, preferred to perish with everyone rather than alone.Note. post urbem conditam: 'since the founding of the city' (a participle phrase, literally 'after the city founded'). sentīrent: subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic. sibi … esse pereundum: passive periphrastic, 'that they must perish'. 4.15Hōsce ego hominēs excipiō et sēcernō libenter, neque in improbōrum cīvium sed in acerbissimōrum hostium numerō habendōs putō.These men I gladly except and set apart; I think they should be counted not among wicked citizens but among the bitterest enemies.Note. Hōsce: hōs with the strengthening suffix -ce, 'these men here'. 4.15Cēterī vērō, dī immortālēs!But the rest, immortal gods!Note. An exclamation that breaks the sentence: Cēterī is picked up by the verb cōnsentiunt in the next sentence. 4.15quā frequentiā, quō studiō, quā virtūte ad commūnem salūtem dignitātemque cōnsentiunt!with what numbers, what zeal, what courage they unite for the common safety and honour!Note. quā … quō … quā: exclamatory adjectives, 'with what numbers, what zeal, what courage!' 4.15Quid ego hīc equitēs Rōmānōs commemorem?Why should I mention the Roman knights here?Note. Quid … commemorem?: deliberative subjunctive, 'why should I mention?' This is praeteritiō, pretending to pass over what one in fact mentions. 4.15quī vōbīs ita summam ōrdinis cōnsilīque concēdunt ut vōbīscum dē amōre reī pūblicae certent;They yield to you first place in rank and counsel in such a way that they compete with you in love for the state;Note. summam ōrdinis cōnsilīque concēdunt: the knights grant the senate precedence. certent: result clause after ita … ut. 4.15quōs ex multōrum annōrum dissēnsiōne huius ōrdinis ad societātem concordiamque revocātōs hodiernus diēs vōbīscum atque haec causa coniungit.after many years of quarrelling with this order, they have been called back to partnership and harmony, and this day and this cause unite them with you.Note. The senate and the knights had quarreled for decades, especially over who sat on the juries of the law courts. Cicero, himself born a knight, makes their reconciliation the theme of his consulship.
4.15Quam sī coniūnctiōnem in cōnsulātū cōnfirmātam meō perpetuam in rē pūblicā tenuerimus, cōnfirmō vōbīs nūllum posthāc malum cīvīle ac domesticum ad ūllam reī pūblicae partem esse ventūrum.If we hold on to this union, confirmed in my consulship, and keep it permanent in public life, I assure you that no civil or internal evil will ever again reach any part of the state.Note. Quam … coniūnctiōnem: a relative adjective at the head of the sentence, 'if we hold this union'. tenuerimus: future perfect. esse ventūrum: future infinitive in indirect statement after cōnfirmō. 4.15Parī studiō dēfendendae reī pūblicae convēnisse videō tribūnōs aerāriōs, fortissimōs virōs;I see that the treasury tribunes, the bravest of men, have come together with the same zeal for defending the state;Note. tribūnōs aerāriōs: a wealthy class just below the knights, who also sat on juries. 4.15scrībās item ūniversōs quōs, cum cāsū hic diēs ad aerārium frequentāsset, videō ab exspectātiōne sortis ad salūtem commūnem esse conversōs.likewise all the clerks, whom, though chance had brought them in crowds to the treasury on this day, I see have turned from waiting for their allotments to the common safety.Note. The clerks had come to the treasury for the drawing of lots that assigned them to the magistrates for the coming year (5 December fell just before the new officials took office). frequentāsset = frequentāvisset. 4.16Omnis ingenuōrum adest multitūdō, etiam tenuissimōrum.The whole crowd of the freeborn is here, even the very poorest.Note. ingenuōrum: of the freeborn, as opposed to freed slaves. tenuissimōrum: 'the poorest'. 4.16Quis est enim cui nōn haec templa, aspectus urbis, possessiō lībertātis, lūx dēnique haec ipsa et commūne patriae solum cum sit cārum tum vērō dulce atque iūcundum?For who is there to whom these temples, the sight of the city, the possession of liberty, and finally this very daylight and the common soil of the fatherland are not both dear and also sweet and pleasant?Note. cum … tum: 'both … and especially'. The list of subjects (templa, aspectus, possessiō, lūx, solum) takes a singular verb sit, agreeing with the nearest.