Bellum Catilinae 26

Cat. 26.1Hīs rēbus conparātīs Catilīna nihilō minus in proxumum annum cōnsulātum petēbat, spērāns, sī dēsignātus foret, facile sē ex voluntāte Antōniō ūsūrum.

With these preparations made, Catiline was nonetheless standing for the consulship for the following year, hoping that if he were elected he would easily use Antonius as he pleased.

Note. His rebus conparatis: ablative absolute, 'these things having been prepared'. nihilo minus: 'by nothing less', i.e. nevertheless. si designatus foret ... se ... usurum: indirect statement after sperans; foret = esset, and usurum (esse) is a future infinitive of the deponent utor, which takes the ablative (Antonio). The consular elections for 62 BC were held in the autumn of 63; Catiline's colleague in hope was C. Antonius Hybrida, Cicero's colleague as consul.

Cat. 26.1Neque intereā quiētus erat, sed omnibus modīs īnsidiās parābat Cicerōnī.

Nor was he idle in the meantime, but he was laying traps for Cicero in every way.

Note. Sallust likes neque ... sed and short balanced clauses. insidias parabat Ciceroni: dative of the person aimed at.

Cat. 26.2Neque illī tamen ad cavendum dolus aut astūtiae dēerant.

Cicero, however, did not lack cunning and craft to guard against them.

Note. illi = Ciceroni (dative of possession with deerant: 'cunning was not lacking to him'). ad cavendum: ad + gerund expresses purpose.

Cat. 26.3Namque ā prīncipiō cōnsulātūs suī multa pollicendō per Fulviam effēcerat, ut Q. Curius, dē quō paulō ante memorāvī, cōnsilia Catilīnae sibi prōderet;

For from the beginning of his consulship, by promising a great deal through Fulvia, he had brought it about that Quintus Curius, whom I mentioned a little earlier, betrayed Catiline's plans to him;

Note. pollicendo: ablative of the gerund, 'by promising'. effecerat ut ... proderet: a result clause after efficio. Fulvia, a noblewoman, was the mistress of Q. Curius, a senator expelled from the senate for bad conduct; through her Cicero learned the conspirators' plans.

Cat. 26.4ad hoc collēgam suom Antōnium pactiōne prōvinciae perpulerat, nē contrā rem pūblicam sentīret;

besides this, he had driven his colleague Antonius, by a bargain over a province, not to take a stand against the state;

Note. Ad hoc: 'in addition'. suom: Sallust's archaic spelling of suum (also vostra, novom). pactione provinciae: Cicero gave up to Antonius the rich province of Macedonia that had fallen to him, to keep Antonius from siding with Catiline.

Cat. 26.4circum sē praesidia amīcōrum atque clientium occultē habēbat.

around himself he secretly kept bodyguards of friends and clients.

Cat. 26.5Postquam diēs comitiōrum vēnit et Catilīnae neque petītiō neque īnsidiae quās cōnsulibus in campō fēcerat prosperē cessēre, cōnstituit bellum facere et extrēma omnia experīrī, quoniam quae occultē temptāverat aspera foedaque ēvēnerant.

After the day of the elections came, and neither Catiline's candidacy nor the ambush he had set for the consuls in the Campus turned out well, he decided to make war and to try every extreme measure, since what he had attempted in secret had turned out harsh and shameful.

Note. cessere = cesserunt: the -ere ending of the 3rd person plural perfect is a favourite of Sallust (also fuere, decrevere). quae ... temptaverat: the antecedent (ea) is left out; quae is both object of temptaverat and, understood, subject of evenerant. foeda here is the adjective foedus, -a, -um 'foul', not foedus 'treaty'.