SALLUSTII CATILINA

CHAPTER 19

Est supervacaneum disserere de timore, cum tanta

It is useless to discuss concerning fear, when so-great

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praesidia sint in armis praesenti diligentia

guards may be (are) in arms by the prompt diligence

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clarissimi viri, consulis. Equidem possum dicere

of a most-renowned man, the consul. Indeed I can say

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id de poena, quod res habet:

that of punishment, which the thing has (imports): [that]

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mortem esse requiem aerumnarum, non

death to be [is] a rest or (from) toils, not

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cruciatum, in luctu atque miseriis; eam

a torture, In grief and miseries; [that] it (death)

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dissolvere cuncta mala. mortalium; locum

to dissolve [dissolves) all [the] evils of mortals; a place.

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esse ultra neque

to be beyond (it) neither [that there is no place beyond it either]

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curae neque gaudio. Sed per

for care neither [or] joy. But by (in the name of)

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immortalis (immortales) deos, quamobrem addidisti

the immortal gods, why have you added

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non in sententiam, uti animadverteretur prius in

not to the opinion, that it might be animadverted before against

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eos verberibus?

them (they should be the first punished) with stripes?

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An, quia Porcia lex vetat? At aliae leges item jubent vitam

Whether, because the Porcian law forbids? But other laws also order life

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non eripi condemnatis civibus, sed exsilium

not be snatched from condemned citizens, but exile

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permitti. An quia est gravius verberari quam

to be allowed. Whether because it is severer to be scourged than

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necari? Autem quid est acerbum aut

to be put-to-death? But what is bitter or

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nimis grave in homines convictos tanti facinoris?

too severe against men convicted of so great a crime?

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Sin, quia est levius, qui convenit

But-if, because it is more-light (too light), by what (how) is-it-consistent

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observare legem in minore negotio, cum neg­lexeris

to observe the law in a less business, when you may

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(perf. sub.) eam in majore? At,

have-neglected it in a greater? But, (some will say) [why all this debate]

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enim quis reprehendat quod

for who may reprove what

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decretum-erit in parricidas reipublicae?

shall have been decreed against the parricides of the republic? (I answer),

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Tempus, dies, fortuna, lubido cujus

time, day. (occasion), fortune, the pleasure (caprice) of which

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moderatur gentibus. Quidquid evenerit, accidet

rules to nations, whatsoever shall have oceurred, will happpen

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det merito illis: caeterum, conscripti patres,

deservedly to them : but [for the rest], conscript fathers.

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vos-considerate quid statuatis in alios. Omnia

consider what you may resolve against others. All

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mala exempla orta-sunt ex bonis initiis: sed ubi

bad examples have arisen from good beginnings : but when

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imperium pervenit ad ignaros, aut minus bonos,

authority comes to the ignorant, or less good,

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illud novum exemplum transfertur ab dignis

that new example (precedent) is transferred from the worthy

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et idoneis, ad indignos et non-idoneos. Lacedaemonii,

and fit, to the unworthy and unfit. The Lacedemonians,

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Atheniensibus devietis, imposuere triginta

the Athenians having been conquered, placed-over (them) thirty

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viros, qui tractarent rempublicam. Hi primo coepere

men, who might manage the republic, these at-first began

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necare quemque pessumum et invisum omnibus,

to put-to-death every-one most-base and odious to all,

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indemnatum: populus laetari eo, et dicere

uncondemned: the people (began) to rejoice so that, and to say

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fieri merito. Post ubi licentia crevit,

(it) to be done deservedly. After when misrule increased.

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paulatim interficere bonos et malos lubidinose,

(by degrees) (they began) to kill the good and bad capriciously

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terrere caeteros metu. Ita civitas, oppressa

to affright others by fear. Thus the state, oppressed

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servitute, dedit poenas stultae laetitiae. Cum

by slavery, gave punishments of foolish gladness. When

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victor Sulla, nostra memoria, jussit Damasippum

the conqueror Sylla, in our memory, ordered Damasippus

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et alios hujusmodi, qui creverant malo

and others of this kind, who had increased by the misfortune

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reipublicae jugulari, quis landabat non factum

of the republic to be strangled, who did praise not the deed

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ejus? Aiebant, scelestos et factiosos homines,

of him? They did say, wicked and factious men,

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qui exagitaverant rempublicam seditionibus

who had harassed the republic by seditlons (to be)

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merito necatos. Sed ea res fuit initium magnae

deservedly put-to-death. But that thing was the beginning of great

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cladis. Namque uti quisque concupiverat domum

slaughter. For as every-one had desired a house

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aut villam, postremo aut vas aut vestimentum

or a villa, finnally either the vase (plate) or clothing

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alicujus, dabat operam, ut is esset in

of any-one, he did give exertion, that that (persen) should be in

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numero proscriptorum. Ita illi, quibus mors

the number of the proscribed. Thus they, to whom the death

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Damasippi fuerat laetitiae, ipsi trahebantur

or Damasippus had been for gladness, themselves were dragged

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paulo post, neque fuit finis jugulandi,

(to execution) a little after, neither was an end of strangling

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priusquam Sulla explevit omnes suos

before-that Sylla filled all his-own (friends)

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divitiis. Atque ego vereor non hoc in Marco Tullio,

with riches, And I fear not this in Marcus Tullius,

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neque his temporibus. Sed multa et varia

Neither in these times. But many and various

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ingenia sunt in magna civitate. Aliquid falsum

dispositions are in a great state. Some (thing) false

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potest credi pro vero, alio tempore,

can be believed for true, in another time, (under)

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alio consule, cui item exercitus sit in manu.

another consul, to whom also an army may be in hand [entrusted].

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Ubi consul eduxerit gladium per

When the consul shall have drawn the sword by

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decretum senatus, hoc exemplo, quis statuet

a deoree of the senate, from this precedent, who shall assign

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finem illi, aut quis moderabitur? Conscripti

limit to him, or who shall restrain (him)? Conscript

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patres, nostri ma.jores neque unquam eguere consilii

fathers, our ancestors neither ever wanted of councel

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neque andaciae: neque superbia obstabat, quo

nor of boldness: neither pride did oppose, that

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minus-imitarentur aliena instituta, si modo

they would less-imitate (not imitate) foreign institutes, if only

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erant proba. Sumpserunt arma atque militaria.

they were good. They took arms and military

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tela ab Samnitibus: pleraque insignia magistratuum

weapons from the Samnites: most ensigns of magistrates

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ab Tuscis: postremo exsequebantur

from the Tuscans: finally they practiced

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summo studio domi, quod videbatur idoneum

with the utmost zeal at home, what did seem fit [and best for their use]

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ubique apud socios aut hostis (hostes):

everywhere among allies or enemies:

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malebant imitari, quam invidere bonis.

they had-rather to imitate, than to envy to the good, [they preferred imitating to envying what was good.]

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Sed imitati morem Graeciae

But having imitated the custom of Greece

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illo eodem tempore, animadvertebant

in that same time, they did animadvert (punish)

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verberibus in civis (cives), sumebant

with stripes against citizens they did take

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summum supplicium de condemnatis.

the utmost punishment of the condemned.