§ 4.--
1: _quondam_: 121 B.C.: see _C. Gracchus_, in Proper Names. In a decree
of this kind both consuls were named. The other, Q. Fabius, was at that
time in that part of Gaul known afterwards as Provincia, and his absence
from Rome may account for the omission of his name from the decree.
2: _intercessit_: i.e., between the passing of the decree and the death
of Gracchus.
3: _propter--suspiciones_: another case of extenuation to bring out more
vividly the guilt of Catiline. Distinguish _suspĭcĭo, suspīcĭo_.
4: _patre-majoribus_, scil. _ortus_: abl. of origin. The father of
C. Sempronius Gracchus was Tib. Sempronius Gracchus, who twice held the
consulship (177 B.C., and 163 B.C.), the censorship (169 B.C.), twice
enjoyed a triumph, once over the Celtiberians, 178 B.C., and once over
the Sardinians, 175 B.C. The mother of the Gracchi was Cornelia,
daughter of P. Scipio Africanus Major, who defeated Hannibal at Zama
202 B.C. Thus Gracchus united in himself two of the noblest families in
Rome.
5: _M. Fulvius_: one of the commissioners appointed to carry out the
_lex agraria_ of C. Gracchus. He was killed with his eldest son in the
fray in which Gracchus was slain. The youngest son was killed after the
conflict.
6: _simili-publica_: some omit the commas after _senatusconsulto_ and
_consulibus_ and thus make _Mario_, _Valerio_ datives; others retain the
commas and make these words ablative absolute. The event happened in the
sixth consulship of Marius, 102 B.C. Lucius Saturninus and C. Servilius
Glaucia were guilty of killing C. Memmius who was seeking the
consulship. Both Saturninus and Glaucia were driven into the Capitol and
put to death.
7: _num--est?_ “Did the punishment of death inflicted by the state cause
L. Saturninus, the tribune of the people, and C. Servilius, the praetor,
to wait for a single day?” --_mors ac rei publicae poena_ = _mortis
poena a re publica inflicta_.
--_at vero_: “but we assuredly.”
8: _vicesimum diem_: the 18th day since the _senatus consultum_ was
passed. The decree was passed Oct. 21st and this oration was delivered
Nov. 8th. The Romans, however, reckoned both days.
9: _aciei_: “the edge:” root _ac_: “sharp.”
10: _inclusum in tabulis_: “shut up among our records” i.e. a useless
decree unless carried into effect.
11: _quo--convenit_: “and in accordance with this decree, you,
O Catiline, should be at once put to death:” with _confestim_: cp.
_festino_.
12: _et vivis_: rhetorical for _et vivis quidem_ or _idque_.
--_cupio--cupio_: “I desire, on the one hand,--I am anxious, on the
other.” --The acc. of pronouns gives more prominence to the circumstance
wished by disconnecting it from the _cupio_.
13: _dissolutus_: “remiss,” “forgetful of duty.” Synonymous with
_neglegens_.
14: _inertiae nequitiaeque_: “of sloth and irresolution.”
§ 5.--
1: _castra--collocata_: “a camp is pitched,” at Faesulae (now
_Fiesole_), which lies on a spur of the western slope of the Appenines,
not far from Florence. At this place Manlius had collected a number of
soldiers who had served under Sulla.
The term _fauces_, literally “jaws,” is often used for a mountain pass:
cp. Scott: Lady of the Lake: “Led slowly through the pass’s jaws.”
2: _in dies singulos_: “daily,” always joined to some word of
comparative force and expressing daily increase or diminution:
_cottidie_, simply daily repetition. --_imperatorem ducemque:
imperator_, a military leader deriving his authority from the Senate:
_dux_, simply a leader.
3: _adeo in Senatu_: “in the very Senate,” or as Zumpt (§ 737) takes it,
“nay more,” “nay even in the Senate.”
4: _jam_: “now at once.” --_jussero_: the fut. pf. often represents the
speedy accomplishment of a fut. action.
5: _credo_: used ironically: cp. οἴομαι. Here the word may be equivalent
to _non erit verendum_.
6: _verendum mihi_, etc.: “I shall have to fear (i.e. I am convinced)
that all patriots will regard your death as occuring too late, rather
than as too severe and cruel,” or as Wilkins translates: “Certainly it
is more likely that all patriots will consider this action too late,
than that anyone should consider it too cruel.” Explain _quisquam_.
7: _certe--adducor_: “for a certain reason, I am not yet led to do:”
i.e. the fear of punishing Catiline before his guilt was fully
ascertained lest he might pass for an injured man with his sympathizers.
Cicero’s object was to cause Catiline and his associates to leave Rome.
8: _interficiere_: i.e. “you will be ordered to be put to death.” Others
read _interficiam te_.
9: _tui similis_: _similis_ in Cicero generally takes _genitive or
dative_ of persons: _dative_ of things.
10: _qui_ = _ut is_: “as not to confess that it was justly inflicted.”
--_id_, i.e. _te interficiam_ from _interficiere_ before.
§ 6.--
1: _quisquam_: for use, see H. 457.
2: _multis--oppressus_: “beset by many powerful guards placed by me:”
note the idiom. Cicero had guards placed not only in the capital, but
also throughout Italy.
3: _te commovere_: “to make any farther movement:” a metaphor taken from
the gladiatorial contests.
4: _fecerunt_ = _speculati sunt et custodiverunt_: the verb _facio_ in
Latin, and ποιέω in Greek, and _do_ in English, are often used as
substitutes for other verbs.