Bellum Catilinae 25

Cat. 25.1Sed in iīs erat Semprōnia, quae multa saepe virīlis audāciae facinora commīserat.

Among them was Sempronia, who had often committed many crimes of masculine daring.

Note. Sempronia, wife of D. Junius Brutus (consul 77 BC), is one of the most famous portraits in Roman history: talented, cultured and reckless. Sallust gives her a set-piece character sketch like Catiline's.

Cat. 25.2Haec mulier genere atque fōrmā, praetereā virō līberīs satis fortūnāta fuit;

This woman was fortunate enough in her birth and her looks, and also in her husband and children;

Cat. 25.2litterīs Graecīs Latīnīs docta, psallere saltāre ēlegantius quam necesse est probae, multa alia, quae īnstrūmenta luxuriae sunt.

educated in Greek and Latin literature, she could play the lyre and dance more elegantly than a respectable woman needs to, and do many other things which are the tools of luxury.

Note. docta: 'learned in' + ablative. psallere, saltāre: infinitives depending on docta. elegantius quam necesse est probae: 'more elegantly than a respectable woman needs to'; Roman moralists disapproved of dancing for well-born women.

Cat. 25.3Sed eī cāriōra semper omnia quam decus atque pudīcitia fuit;

But everything was always dearer to her than honour and chastity;

Cat. 25.3pecūniae an fāmae minus parceret, haud facile discernerēs;

you could not easily decide whether she was less careful of her money or her reputation;

Note. Pecūniae an fāmae … parceret: indirect question; parcō takes the dative. discernerēs: potential subjunctive, 2nd person used generally, 'you could not decide'.

Cat. 25.3lubīdō sīc accēnsa, ut saepius peteret virōs quam peterētur.

her lust was so inflamed that she pursued men more often than she was pursued.

Cat. 25.4Sed ea saepe antehāc fidem prōdiderat, crēditum abiūrāverat, caedis cōnscia fuerat: luxuriā atque inopiā praeceps abierat.

But she had often before this broken her word, denied a loan on oath, been an accomplice to murder: through luxury and poverty she had gone headlong to ruin.

Note. crēditum abiūrāverat: she swore falsely that she had not received a loan.

Cat. 25.5Vērum ingenium eius haud absurdum: posse versūs facere, iocum movēre, sermōne utī vel modestō vel mollī vel procācī;

Yet her talents were far from contemptible: she could write verses, raise a laugh, use language that was modest, or tender, or saucy;

Note. haud absurdum: litotes, 'not at all contemptible'. posse … facere: infinitives of description, 'she could …'.

Cat. 25.5prōrsus multae facētiae multusque lepōs inerat.

in short, there was much wit and much charm in her.