Bellum Catilinae 7

Cat. 7.1Sed eā tempestāte coepēre sē quisque magis extollere magisque ingenium in prōmptū habēre.

But at that time each man began to raise himself higher and to keep his talents more in view.

Note. coepēre sē quisque: plural verb with quisque, 'each began'. in prōmptū habēre: 'to keep in view, display'.

Cat. 7.2Nam rēgibus bonī quam malī suspectiōrēs sunt, semperque iīs aliēna virtūs formīdulōsa est.

For to kings the good are more suspect than the bad, and the merit of others is always alarming to them.

Cat. 7.3Sed cīvitās incrēdibile memorātū est adeptā lībertāte quantum brevī crēverit: tanta cupīdō glōriae incesserat.

But it is incredible to tell how much the state grew in a short time once liberty was won: so great a desire for glory had come over them.

Note. quantum … crēverit: indirect question. tanta cupīdō glōriae incesserat: 'so great a desire for glory had come over them'.

Cat. 7.4Iam prīmum iuventūs, simul ac bellī patiēns erat, in castrīs per labōrem ūsum mīlitiae discēbat, magisque in decōrīs armīs et mīlitāribus equīs quam in scortīs atque convīviīs lubīdinem habēbant.

First of all the young men, as soon as they were able to endure war, learned the practice of soldiering in camp through hard work, and took more pleasure in fine arms and war horses than in harlots and banquets.

Note. simul ac: 'as soon as'. bellī patiēns: 'able to bear war' = old enough to fight.

Cat. 7.5Igitur tālibus virīs nōn labor īnsolitus, nōn locus ūllus asper aut arduos erat, nōn armātus hostis formīdulōsus: virtūs omnia domuerat.

So to such men no toil was unfamiliar, no place rough or steep, no armed enemy fearsome: courage had mastered everything.

Cat. 7.6Sed glōriae maxumum certāmen inter ipsōs erat: sē quisque hostem ferīre, mūrum ascendere, cōnspicī, dum tāle facinus faceret, properābat.

But the greatest contest for glory was among themselves: each man hurried to strike down an enemy, to scale a wall, to be seen while doing such a deed.

Note. dum … faceret: 'while doing'. The infinitives ferīre, ascendere, cōnspicī depend on properābat.

Cat. 7.6Eās dīvitiās, eam bonam fāmam magnamque nōbilitātem putābant.

This they counted wealth, this good fame and great nobility.

Note. eās dīvitiās … putābant: 'this (i.e. glory won in war) they considered riches'. The pronoun agrees with the predicate noun.

Cat. 7.6Laudis avidī, pecūniae līberālēs erant;

They were greedy for praise, generous with money;

Cat. 7.6glōriam ingentem, dīvitiās honestās volēbant.

they wanted great glory and honest riches.

Cat. 7.7Memorāre possum, quibus in locīs maxumās hostium cōpiās populus Rōmānus parvā manū fūderit, quās urbīs nātūrā mūnītās pugnandō cēperit, nī ea rēs longius nōs ab inceptō traheret.

I could tell in what places the Roman people routed huge forces of the enemy with a small band, what cities fortified by nature they took by fighting, if that subject would not draw us too far from what we have begun.

Note. Memorāre possum … nī: 'I could tell … if … did not'. nī = nisi. quās urbīs: indirect question, 'what cities'.