Bellum Catilinae 58

Cat. 58.1"Compertum ego habeō, mīlitēs, verba virtūtem nōn addere, neque ex ignāvō strēnuom neque fortem ex timidō exercitum ōrātiōne imperātōris fierī.

"I know for certain, soldiers, that words do not add courage, and that an army is not made energetic out of lazy, or brave out of fearful, by a general's speech.

Note. The speech that follows is Sallust's composition, in the ancient manner. compertum habeō: 'I have found out for certain', perfect participle with habeō. strēnuom: older spelling of strēnuum.

Cat. 58.2Quanta quoiusque animō audācia nātūrā aut mōribus inest, tanta in bellō patēre solet.

However much daring each man has in his heart by nature or by habit, that much it usually shows in war.

Note. quanta … tanta: correlatives, 'as much … so much'. quoiusque: = cuiusque, from quisque.

Cat. 58.2Quem neque glōria neque perīcula excitant, nēquīquam hortēre: timor animī auribus officit.

A man whom neither glory nor dangers rouse, you would urge in vain: fear in the heart blocks the ears.

Note. hortēre: 2nd singular present subjunctive of hortor (= hortēris), the generalising 'you': 'you would urge in vain'.

Cat. 58.3Sed ego vōs, quō pauca monērem, advocāvī, simul utī causam meī cōnsilī aperīrem.

But I have called you together to give a few words of advice, and at the same time to lay open the reason for my plan.

Note. quō pauca monērem: quō introduces a purpose clause, here without a comparative. cōnsilī: contracted genitive of cōnsilium.

Cat. 58.4Scītis equidem, mīlitēs, sōcordiā atque ignāviā Lentulī quantam ipsī nōbīsque clādem attulerit, quōque modō, dum ex urbe praesidia opperior, in Galliam proficīscī nequīverim.

You know, soldiers, what a disaster the sloth and cowardice of Lentulus brought on himself and on us, and how, while I waited for reinforcements from the city, I was unable to set out for Gaul.

Note. quantam … attulerit, quōque modō … nequīverim: indirect questions after scītis. quōque: = et quō, 'and in what way', not the adverb quoque. dum … opperior: dum with the present, 'while I waited'.

Cat. 58.5Nunc vērō quō locō rēs nostrae sint, iūxtā mēcum omnēs intellegitis.

But now you all understand as well as I do in what position our affairs stand.

Note. iūxtā mēcum: 'as well as I do'.

Cat. 58.6Exercitūs hostium duo, ūnus ab urbe, alter ā Galliā obstant;

Two enemy armies block us, one on the side of the city, the other on the side of Gaul;

Cat. 58.6diūtius in hīs locīs esse, sī maxumē animus ferat, frūmentī atque aliārum rērum egestās prohibet;

to stay longer in these parts, even if our courage were to allow it, the lack of grain and of other supplies forbids;

Note. sī maxumē animus ferat: 'even if our courage were fully to allow it'. The subject of prohibet is egestās, with the infinitive esse as its object.

Cat. 58.6quōcumque īre placet, ferrō iter aperiundum est.

wherever we choose to go, a way must be opened with the sword.

Note. aperiundum est: gerundive of obligation, 'must be opened'; -undum is the older form of -endum.

Cat. 58.8Quāpropter vōs moneō, utī fortī atque parātō animō sītis et, quom proelium inībitis, meminerītis vōs dīvitiās, decus, glōriam, praetereā lībertātem atque patriam in dextrīs vostrīs portāre.

So I urge you to be of brave and ready spirit, and when you go into battle, to remember that you carry in your right hands riches, honour, glory, and freedom and your country besides.

Note. utī … sītis et … meminerītis: indirect command after moneō. dextrīs: 'right hands'.

Cat. 58.9Sī vincimus, omnia nōbīs tūta erunt: commeātus abundē, mūnicipia atque colōniae patēbunt;

If we win, everything will be safe for us: supplies in plenty, the towns and colonies will open to us;

Cat. 58.9sī metū cesserimus, eadem illa advorsa fīent, neque locus neque amīcus quisquam teget quem arma nōn tēxerint.

if we give way through fear, those same things will turn against us, and no place and no friend will protect the man whom his arms have not protected.

Note. cesserimus: future perfect. quem arma nōn tēxerint: 'whom his arms have not protected', a generalising relative clause in the subjunctive.

Cat. 58.11Praetereā, mīlitēs, nōn eadem nōbīs et illīs necessitūdō inpendet: nōs prō patriā, prō lībertāte, prō vītā certāmus;

Besides, soldiers, the same necessity does not hang over us and them: we are fighting for our country, for freedom, for our lives;

Cat. 58.11illīs supervacuāneum est pugnāre prō potentiā paucōrum.

for them it is pointless to fight for the power of a few.

Note. illīs: dative, 'for them'. prō potentiā paucōrum: Catiline's propaganda casts the senate as a narrow clique.

Cat. 58.12Quō audācius aggredīminī memorēs prīstinae virtūtis.

So attack all the more boldly, remembering your former courage.

Cat. 58.13Licuit vōbīs cum summā turpitūdine in exiliō aetātem agere, potuistis nōnnūllī Rōmae āmissīs bonīs aliēnās opēs expectāre: quia illa foeda atque intoleranda virīs vidēbantur, haec sequī dēcrēvistis.

You could have spent your lives in exile in utter disgrace; some of you could have lost your property at Rome and waited on other men's wealth: because those things seemed foul and unbearable to men, you decided to follow this course.

Note. licuit vōbīs … agere: 'you could have spent'. potuistis nōnnūllī: 'some of you could have'. intoleranda: gerundive used as an adjective, 'unbearable'.

Cat. 58.15Sī haec relinquere voltis, audāciā opus est: nēmō nisi victor pāce bellum mūtāvit.

If you want to leave these things behind, you need daring: no one but the victor has exchanged war for peace.

Note. audāciā opus est: opus est with the ablative, 'there is need of daring'.

Cat. 58.16Nam in fugā salūtem spērāre, quom arma, quibus corpus tegitur, ab hostibus āvorteris, ea vērō dēmentia est.

For to hope for safety in flight, when you have turned away from the enemy the arms that protect the body, that is truly madness.

Note. quom arma … āvorteris: 'when you have turned away your arms', the generalising 'you'; a fleeing soldier exposes his unprotected back. ea vērō dēmentia est: ea refers back to the whole infinitive phrase, agreeing with dēmentia.

Cat. 58.17Semper in proeliō iīs maxumum est perīculum, quī maxumē timent: audācia prō mūrō habētur.

In battle the greatest danger is always for those who are most afraid: daring serves as a wall.

Cat. 58.18Quom vōs cōnsīderō, mīlitēs, et quom facta vostra aestumō, magna mē spēs victōriae tenet.

When I look at you, soldiers, and when I weigh your deeds, a great hope of victory holds me.

Note. aestumō: older spelling of aestimō. vostra: older spelling of vestra.

Cat. 58.19Animus aetās virtūs vostra mē hortantur, praetereā necessitūdō, quae etiam timidōs fortīs facit.

Your spirit, your age, your courage encourage me, and besides these necessity, which makes even the timid brave.

Cat. 58.20Nam multitūdō hostium nē circumvenīre queat, prohibent angustiae locī.

For the narrowness of the place prevents the enemy's numbers from being able to surround us.

Cat. 58.21Quod sī virtūtī vostrae fortūna invīderit, cavēte inultī animam āmittātis, neu captī potius sīcutī pecora trucīdēminī, quam virōrum mōre pugnantēs cruentam atque lūctuōsam victōriam hostibus relinquātis."

But if fortune begrudges your courage, take care not to lose your lives unavenged, and not to be captured and butchered like cattle rather than, fighting in the manner of men, leaving the enemy a bloody and grievous victory."

Note. cavēte … āmittātis: cavēte with a plain subjunctive (without nē), 'take care not to …'. neu: 'and not'. trucīdēminī: present subjunctive passive, 'be slaughtered'.