Bellum Catilinae 23

Cat. 23.1Sed in eā coniūrātiōne fuit Q. Curius, nātus haud obscūrō locō, flāgitiīs atque facinoribus coopertus, quem cēnsōrēs senātū probrī grātiā mōverant.

But in that conspiracy was Quintus Curius, a man of no obscure birth, buried in scandals and crimes, whom the censors had removed from the senate for his disgraceful conduct.

Note. The censors could strike a senator off the roll for disgraceful conduct (probrī grātiā).

Cat. 23.2Huic hominī nōn minor vānitās inerat quam audācia: neque reticēre quae audierat, neque suāmet ipse scelera occultāre, prōrsus neque dīcere neque facere quicquam pēnsī habēbat.

There was in this man no less vanity than recklessness: he could neither keep quiet what he had heard nor hide even his own crimes; in short, he cared nothing about what he said or did.

Note. pēnsī habēbat: genitive of value, 'counted (anything) of weight', i.e. he cared nothing for. suāmet: = sua, with emphatic -met.

Cat. 23.3Erat eī cum Fulviā, muliere nōbilī, stuprī vetus cōnsuētūdō.

He had a long-standing affair with Fulvia, a woman of noble family.

Cat. 23.3Quoi cum minus grātus esset, quia inopiā minus largīrī poterat, repente glōriāns maria montīsque pollicērī coepit et minārī interdum ferrō, nī sibi obnoxia foret, postrēmō ferōcius agitāre quam solitus erat.

When he was less welcome to her because through lack of money he could be less generous, he suddenly began boasting and promising her seas and mountains, and sometimes threatening her with the sword if she did not submit to him; in short, he behaved more wildly than he used to.

Note. Quoi = cui (connecting relative: 'to her'). maria montīsque pollicērī: proverbial, 'to promise seas and mountains'. nī … foret: 'unless she submitted to him'.

Cat. 23.4At Fulvia īnsolentiae Curī causā cognitā tāle perīculum reī pūblicae haud occultum habuit, sed sublātō auctōre dē Catilīnae coniūrātiōne quae quōque modō audierat complūribus narrāvit.

But Fulvia, once she learned the cause of Curius' arrogance, did not keep such a danger to the state hidden, but, without naming her source, told several people what she had heard about Catiline's conspiracy and how.

Note. sublātō auctōre: 'leaving out (the name of) her informant'. quae quōque modō audierat: 'what she had heard and how' (quōque = et quō).

Cat. 23.5Ea rēs in prīmīs studia hominum accendit ad cōnsulātum mandandum M. Tulliō Cicerōnī.

This above all kindled people's eagerness to entrust the consulship to Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Note. Cicero was elected consul in the summer of 64 BC. Sallust suggests the nobles accepted him only because they feared Catiline.

Cat. 23.6Namque anteā plēraque nōbilitās invidiā aestuābat, et quasi polluī cōnsulātum crēdēbant, sī eum quamvīs ēgregius homō novos adeptus foret.

For before, most of the nobility had seethed with jealousy and believed the consulship would be, so to speak, polluted if a new man, however outstanding, obtained it.

Note. homō novus: a 'new man', the first of his family to reach the consulship. The nobles thought such a man 'polluted' the office. foret = esset (adeptus foret = adeptus esset).

Cat. 23.6Sed ubi perīculum advēnit, invidia atque superbia post fuēre.

But when danger came, jealousy and pride took second place.

Note. post fuēre: 'came second, were set aside'.