Cataline sentences
L. Catilīna vir nōbilis Rōmae fuit, sed mōribus prāvis.
In iuventūte bella cīvīlia, caedēs, rapīnae eī grātae erant.
Corpus inediae, algōris, vigiliae patiēns erat; animus audāx et subdolus.
Satis eloquentiae habēbat, sapientiae parum.
Post dominātiōnem Sullae rēgnum sibi parāre cupiēbat.
Multōs dēbitōrēs et veterānōs sibi sociāvit spē novārum rērum.
Consulātum petīvit ut facilius rem pūblicam opprimeret.
Coniūrātiōnem clam parāvit; signa dedit et diem cōnstituit; īnsidiās cōnsulibus parāvit.
Sed Cicerō cōnsilium eius patefēcit, senātum convocāvit, cīvitātem monuit.
Sociī multī aut fūgerunt aut captī sunt; ipse in proeliō apud Pistōrium occīsus est.
translation
L. Catiline was a noble man at Rome, but with corrupt character.
nōbilis Rōmae = social position; sed mōribus prāvis (abl. of quality) sketches his bad character succinctly.
In his youth, civil wars, murders, and plunder were pleasing to him.
Dative of reference eī (“to him”). Plural subjects + erant keep it simple; vocabulary mirrors Sallust.
His body was tolerant of hunger, cold, and wakefulness; his mind was bold and sly.
patiēns + genitives (inediae, algōris, vigiliae) = standard construction; neat antithesis corpus… animus.
He had enough eloquence, too little wisdom.
Partitive genitives after satis/parum are textbook; asyndeton keeps it punchy like Sallust.
After Sulla’s rule he desired to prepare kingship for himself.
Post dominātiōnem Sullae for the historical hinge; rēgnum sibi parāre = idiomatic for grasping sole power.
He allied many debtors and veterans to himself with the hope of revolution.
sibi sociāvit (double object idea) + spe novārum rērum (“hope of political change/revolution”) = crisp Roman idiom.
He sought the consulship in order to crush the state more easily.
Purpose clause: ut… opprimeret with imperfect subjunctive (secondary sequence after petīvit). facilius = comparative adverb, clear motive.
He secretly prepared a conspiracy; he gave signals and set a date; he laid ambushes for the consuls.
Three short perfects keep narration simple; īnsidiās cōnsulibus (dat. of disadvantage/indirect object) is standard.
But Cicero exposed his plan, called the senate, and warned the citizenry.
patefēcit is the verb Cicero loves; tricolon of perfects continues the historical sequence.
Many allies fled or were captured; he himself was killed in battle near Pistoria.
apud Pistōrium = “near Pistoia” (locus “near” with apud). Balanced perfects for the failed outcome.