Bellum Catilinae 9

Cat. 9.1Igitur domī mīlitiaeque bonī mōrēs colēbantur;

Therefore good morals were cultivated at home and in the field;

Cat. 9.1concordia maxuma, minuma avāritia erat;

harmony was greatest, greed least;

Note. Concordia maxuma, minuma avāritia: chiasmus, adjective and noun crossed.

Cat. 9.1iūs bonumque apud eōs nōn lēgibus magis quam nātūrā valēbat.

right and good prevailed among them not by laws more than by nature.

Note. Iūs bonumque: 'what is right and good'. nōn lēgibus magis quam nātūrā: 'not by laws more than by nature', i.e. as much by nature as by laws.

Cat. 9.2Iūrgia discordiās simultātēs cum hostibus exercēbant, cīvēs cum cīvibus dē virtūte certābant.

Quarrels, discord and feuds they carried on with the enemy; citizens competed with citizens in merit.

Note. Iūrgia discordiās simultātēs: three nouns without 'and'.

Cat. 9.2In suppliciīs deōrum magnificī, domī parcī, in amīcōs fidēlēs erant.

In offerings to the gods they were lavish, at home thrifty, toward friends loyal.

Cat. 9.3Duābus hīs artibus, audāciā in bellō, ubi pāx ēvēnerat aequitāte, sēque remque pūblicam cūrābant.

By these two arts, boldness in war and fairness when peace had come, they took care of themselves and the state.

Note. duābus hīs artibus: explained by the two following phrases, audāciā in bellō and aequitāte (when peace came). sēque remque pūblicam: 'both themselves and the state'.

Cat. 9.4Quārum rērum ego maxuma documenta haec habeō, quod in bellō saepius vindicātum est in eōs, quī contrā imperium in hostem pugnāverant quīque tardius revocātī proeliō excesserant, quam quī signa relinquere aut pulsī locō cēdere ausī erant;

Of these things I hold these to be the strongest proofs: that in war punishment was more often inflicted on those who had fought against the enemy contrary to orders, and on those who, when recalled, had left the battle too slowly, than on those who had dared to abandon the standards or, when driven back, to give ground;

Note. vindicātum est in eōs: impersonal passive, 'punishment was inflicted on those'. Fighting without orders was punished more harshly than running away: a sign of how eager they were.

Cat. 9.5in pāce vērō quod beneficiīs magis quam metū imperium agitābant et acceptā iniūriā ignōscere quam persequī mālēbant.

and that in peace they exercised power by favours rather than by fear, and when wronged preferred to pardon rather than to take revenge.