Bellum Catilinae 57

Cat. 57.1Sed postquam in castra nūntius pervēnit Rōmae coniūrātiōnem patefactam, dē Lentulō et Cethēgō cēterīsque, quōs suprā memorāvī, supplicium sūmptum, plērīque, quōs ad bellum spēs rapīnārum aut novārum rērum studium illexerat, dīlābuntur;

But after word reached the camp that the conspiracy had been exposed at Rome, and that punishment had been taken on Lentulus, Cethegus and the others I mentioned above, most of those whom the hope of plunder or a passion for revolution had drawn into the war slipped away;

Note. Infinitives in indirect statement after nūntius: coniūrātiōnem patefactam (esse), supplicium sūmptum (esse).

Cat. 57.1reliquōs Catilīna per montīs asperōs magnīs itineribus in agrum Pistōriēnsem abdūcit eō cōnsiliō, utī per trāmitēs occultē perfugeret in Galliam Trānsalpīnam.

the rest Catiline led by forced marches over rough mountains into the territory of Pistoria, with the plan of escaping secretly along by-paths into Transalpine Gaul.

Note. magnīs itineribus: 'by forced marches'. Pistōriēnsem: the territory of Pistoria (Pistoia), north-west of Faesulae, on the way over the Apennines into Cisalpine Gaul. utī … perfugeret: purpose clause.

Cat. 57.2At Q. Metellus Celer cum tribus legiōnibus in agrō Pīcēnō praesidēbat, ex difficultāte rērum eadem illa exīstumāns quae suprā dīximus Catilīnam agitāre.

But Quintus Metellus Celer was on guard in the Picene district with three legions, judging from the difficulty of the situation that Catiline was planning exactly what I said above.

Note. Q. Metellus Celer, praetor, had been sent to the Picene district to raise troops. eadem illa … quae suprā dīximus: 'those same things which I mentioned above'.

Cat. 57.3Igitur ubi iter eius ex perfugīs cognōvit, castra properē mōvit ac sub ipsīs rādīcibus montium cōnsēdit, quā illī dēscēnsus erat in Galliam properantī.

So when he learned of his route from deserters, he moved camp quickly and took up position at the very foot of the mountains, where Catiline would have to come down in his haste to reach Gaul.

Note. quā illī dēscēnsus erat: 'where he would have to come down'; illī is dative of possession. properantī agrees with illī: 'as he hurried'.

Cat. 57.4Neque tamen Antōnius procul aberat, utpote quī magnō exercitū locīs aequiōribus expedītus in fugā sequerētur.

Nor was Antonius far away either, since with his large army he was following on easier ground, lightly equipped, the men in flight.

Note. utpote quī … sequerētur: 'inasmuch as he was following'; utpote quī with the subjunctive gives the reason.

Cat. 57.5Sed Catilīna postquam videt montibus atque cōpiīs hostium sēsē clausum, in urbe rēs advorsās, neque fugae neque praesidī ūllam spem, optumum factū ratus in tālī rē fortūnam bellī temptāre, statuit cum Antōniō quam prīmum cōnflīgere.

But when Catiline saw that he was shut in by the mountains and the enemy's forces, that things had gone against him in the city, and that there was no hope either of escape or of help, he thought it best in such a situation to try the fortune of war, and decided to fight it out with Antonius as soon as possible.

Note. rēs advorsās: 'that things were against him'; advorsus is the older spelling of adversus. optumum factū ratus: 'thinking it best to do', as in 55.1. The digital text prints atqie for atque.

Cat. 57.6Itaque cōntiōne advocātā huiusce modī ōrātiōnem habuit:

So he called an assembly of the troops and made a speech of this kind: