SALLUSTII CATILINA

CHAPTER 18

Chapter 1 ||| Chapter 2 ||| Chapter 3 ||| Chapter 4 ||| Chapter 5 ||| Chapter 6 ||| Chapter 7 ||| Chapter 8 ||| Chapter 9 ||| Chapter 10
Chapter 11 ||| Chapter 12 ||| Chapter 13 ||| Chapter 14 ||| Chapter 15 ||| Chapter 16 ||| Chapter 17 ||| Chapter 18 ||| Chapter 19 ||| Chapter 20
Chapter 21 ||| Chapter 22 ||| Chapter 23 ||| Chapter 24 ||| Chapter 25 ||| Chapter 26 ||| ||| ||| |||



Conscripti patres, est mihi magna copia

Conscript fathers, there is to me a great opportunity

.

memorandi, qui reges aut qui populi

of relating, [supply of examples], what kings or what peoples

.

impulsi ira aut misericordia, consuluerint

(people) impelled by anger or by pity, may have consulted (have consulted)

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(perf. sub.) male: sed malo dicere ea,

badly: but I had-rather mention those (things),

.

quae nostri majores fecere recte atque ordine

which our ancestors have done rightly and in order

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contra lubidinem sui animi. Macedonico bello,

against the passion of their mind, In the Macedonian war,

.

quod gessimus cum rege Perse, magna atque

which we carried-on with king Perses, the great and

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magnifica civitas Rhodiorum, quae creverat

magnificent state of the Rhodians, which had increased

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opibus Romani populi, fuit infida atque advorsa

by the resources of the Roman people, was faithless and adverse

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nobis: sed postquam, bello confecto, consultum-est

to us: but after-that, the war having been finished, it was deliberated

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de Rhodiis, nostri majores dimisere e06

concerning the Rhodians, our ancestors dismissed them

.

impunitos, ne quis diceret bellum

unpunished, lest any-one might say the war (to have been)

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inceptum magis divitiarum, quam

undertaken rather (on-account-of ) of riches, than of (repelling)

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injuriae. Item in omnibus Punicis bellis, cum

injury. Likewise in all the Punic wars, When

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Carthaginienses saepe fecissent multa

the Carthaginians [often] might have done (had done) many

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nefanda facinora et in pace et per induoias,

abominable acts both in peace and through truces,

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ipsi nunquam fecere talia per occasionem;

they never did such (things) through opportunity though opportunity offered];

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quaerebant magis quod foret

they did seek rather what might be

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dignum se, quam quod posset fieri jure

worthy themselves, than what might to be done with right

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in illos. Conscripti patres, hoc est item providendum

unto them. Consoript fathers, this is likewise to be-provided-for

.

vobis, scelus Publii Lentuli et

to (by) you, (that) the wickedness of Publius Lentulus and

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caeterorum ne-valeat plus apud vos, quam

the rest may not-prevail more among (with) you, than

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vestra dignitas, neu consulatis vostrae irae

your-own dignity, nor (that) you may consult to your anger

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magis quam famae. Nam si digna. poena

more than to character, For if worthy punishment

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reperitur pro factis eorum, approbo novum consilium:

is found for the deeds of them, I approve the new counsel,

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sin magnitudo sceleris exsuperat ingenia

But-if the magnitude of the wickedness exceed the understandings

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omnium; censeo utendum iis

of all; I think to-us (we must use) those (punishments),

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quae comparata-sunt legibus. Plerique eorum, qui

which have been provided by the laws, Most of those, who

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dixerunt sententias ante me, miaerati-sunt

have expressed (their) opinions before me, have bewailed

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casum reipublicae composite atque

the misfortune of the republic elegantly (in fine language) and

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magnifice: enumeravere quae esset saevitis belli:

Magnificently: they have enumerated what might be the cruelty of war:

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quae acciderent victis; virgines, pueros rapi;

what might befall to the conquered; virgins, boys to be dragged-away;

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liberos divelli a complexu parentum; matres

children to be torn from the embrace of parents; mothers

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familiarum pati, quae collibuissent victoribus;

of families to suffer, what might have pleased to the eonquerors;

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fana atque domos expoliari; caedem, incendia.

temples and houses to be pillaged; slaughter, burnings

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fieri; postremo, omnia compleri armis,

to be made; lastly, all (places) to be filled with arms,

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cadaveribus, cruore, atque luctu. Sed, per

dead-bodies, gore, and grief. But, by (in the name of)

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immortalis (immortales) deos, quo illa oratio pertinuit?

the immortal gods, where that speech has tended? [What was the object of that speech)?

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An uti faceret vos infestos conjurationi?

Whether that he might make you hostile to the conspiracy?

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Scilicet, oratio accendet eum, quem tanta.

Forsooth, a speech shall inflame him, whom so-great

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atque tam atrox res non-permovit!

and so heinous a thing has not affected!

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Est non ita: neque suae injuriae

It is not so neither their-own injuries

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videntur parvae cuiquam mortalium: multi habuere

seem small to any of mortals: many have had (accounted)

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eas gravius aequo. Sed, conscripti

them more-severely (than) just. But, conscript

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patres, alia licentia est aliis.

fathers, another (difference) license is to different (persons). [there is a difference in the freedom of action.]

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Qui demissi agunt vitam in obscuro, si deliquere

(They) who cast-down spend life in obscure (obscurity), [if they] have offended

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quid, iracundia pauci sciunt: fama

(in) any (thing) [by anger] few know (it): the fame

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atque fortuna eorum sunt pares: cuncti mortales

and fortune of them are equal: all mortals

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novere facta eorum qui, praediti magno

have known (know) the deeds of those who, endowed with great

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imperio, agunt aetatem in excelso. Ita

authority, spend (their) life in lofty (station). Thus

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minuma licentia est in maxuma fortuna.

the least license [of action] is in the greatest fortune

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Decet neque studere, neque odisse, sed

It becemes neither to favour, neither to have hated (to hate), but

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minume irasci. Ea quae dicitur iracundia apud

least-of-all to- be-angry. That which is called anger amongst

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alios, appellatur superbia atque crudelitas in

others (some), is called pride and cruelty in

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imperio. Equidem, conscripti patres, ego sic existume

authority. Indeed, conscript fathers, I thus think

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omnis cruciatus esse minores quam facinora illorum

all tortures to be less than the crimes of them

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Sed plerique mortales meminere postrema,

But most mortals have remembered (remember) the last

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et obliti sceleris eorum, disserunt

(occurrences), and having forgotten the crime of them, discuss

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de poeni in impiis hominibus, si ea

of punishment in (the case of) impious men, if it

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fuerit paulo severior. Scio certe

may have been a little more-severe (too-severe). I know surely

.

Decium Silanum, fortem atque strenuum virum,

Decius Silanus, a bave and strenuous man,

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dixisse, quae dixerit (perf. sub.) studio reipublicae:

to have said, what he may have said (has said) from seal for the repnblic:

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neque illum exercere gatiam

neither him to exereise favour [that he neither exercised]

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aut inimicitias tanti re: cognovi eos

or enmities in so-great a thing: I have known these (to be)

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mores, eam modestiam viri. Verum sententia

the principles, that the moderation of the man. But the opinion

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ejus videtur mihi non crudelis (enim quid potest

of him seems to me not cruel (for what can

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fieri crudele in talis (tales) homines?) sed aliena

be done cruel against such men?) but foreign (averse)

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a nostril republica. Nam profecto,

from our republic (constitution). For indeed,

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Silane, aut metus aut injuria subegit te consulem

Silane, either fear or injury compelled you a consul

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designatum, decernere novum genus poenae.

elect, to decree a new kind or punishment.