9/11 - LAT
cicero text:
quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet? quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia? Nihilne te nocturnum praesidium Palati, nihil urbis vigiliae, nihil timor populi, nihil concursus bonorum omnium, nihil hic munitissimus habendi senatus locus, nihil horum ora voltusque moverunt? Patere tua consilia non sentis, constrictam iam horum omnium scientia teneri coniurationem tuam non vides? Quid proxima, quid superiore nocte egeris, ubi fueris, quos convocaveris, quid consilii ceperis, quem nostrum ignorare arbitraris? [2] O tempora, o mores! Senatus haec intellegit. Consul videt; hic tamen vivit. Vivit? immo vero etiam in senatum venit, fit publici consilii particeps, notat et designat oculis ad caedem unum quemque nostrum. Nos autem fortes viri satis facere rei publicae videmur, si istius furorem ac tela vitemus. Ad mortem te, Catilina, duci iussu consulis iam pridem oportebat, in te conferri pestem, quam tu in nos [omnes iam diu] machinaris.
quam diū etiam furor iste tuus nōs ēlūdet?
Trans.: How much longer will that madness of yours mock us?
Notes:
quam diū = “how long.”
furor iste tuus = Cicero’s contempt: “that madness of yours” (iste = disdainful “that of yours”).
ēlūdet = future indicative, “will make a game of / mock.” Strong verb: Catiline’s frenzy toys with the state.
quem ad fīnem sēsē effrēnāta iactābit audācia?
Trans.: To what end will your unbridled audacity keep flaunting itself?
Notes:
quem ad fīnem = “to what limit/point.”
sēsē iactābit = reflexive, “will it throw itself about, boast, flaunt.”
effrēnāta audācia = “unbridled audacity,” vivid equestrian metaphor—wild horse with no bridle.
Nihilne tē nocturnum praesidium Palātī, nihil urbīs vigiliae, nihil timor populī, nihil concursus bonōrum omnium, nihil hic mūnitissimus habendī senātūs locus, nihil hōrum ōra voltūsque mōvērunt?
Trans.: Has the nightly guard of the Palatine moved you not at all, nor the watches of the city, nor the fear of the people, nor the gathering of all good men, nor this most fortified place for holding the senate, nor the faces and expressions of these men?
Notes:
Nihilne… nihil… nihil… → Anaphora, hammering “Nothing…?”
mūnitissimus locus = hyperbole: the senate meets in the most secure place—yet Catiline is unshaken.
ōra voltūsque = pleonasm: “faces and countenances.”
Patēre tua cōnsilia nōn sentīs, constrictam iam hōrum omnium scientiā tenerī coniūrātiōnem tuam nōn vides?
Trans.: Do you not realize your plans lie open, do you not see that your conspiracy is already bound fast by the knowledge of all these men?
Notes:
patēre infinitive = indirect statement: “your plans are evident.”
constrictam tenerī metaphor of a net: the plot “bound and held fast.”
iam = “already”: Cicero insists Catiline is trapped.
Quid proximā, quid superiōre nocte ēgeris, ubi fuerīs, quōs convocāveris, quid cōnsiliī cēperis, quem nostrum ignōrāre arbitrāris?
Trans.: What you did last night, what the night before, where you were, whom you summoned, what plan you adopted—which of us do you think is unaware?
Notes:
Series of quid… quid… ubi… quōs… quid… → relentless catalogue.
Verbs in perfect subjunctive (ēgeris, fuerīs, convocāveris, cēperis) = indirect questions.
Ends with rhetorical punch: quem nostrum ignorare arbitraris?
O tempora, o morēs!
Trans.: O the times! O the morals!
Notes:
Iconic exclamation. Cicero laments the corruption of the age.
Paratactic, elliptical—needs no verb.
Senātus haec intellegit.
Trans.: The senate understands this.
Notes:
Curt declarative. The body is aware.
Cōnsul videt; hic tamen vīvit.
Trans.: The consul sees it; nevertheless this man lives.
Notes:
hic = contemptuous “this man.”
Contrast: authority sees → but Catiline lives still.
Vīvit? immō vērō etiam in senātum venit, fit pūblicī cōnsiliī particeps,
Trans.: He lives? Not only is he alive, he even now comes into the senate, he takes part in public debate,
Notes:
vīvit? immō vērō etiam… → self-interrupting outrage.
fit particeps = “becomes a sharer.”
notat et dēsignat oculīs ad caedem ūnum quemque nostrum.
Trans.: he marks and points out with his eyes each one of us for slaughter.
Notes:
notat… designat → “marks out” (almost hunting metaphor).
oculīs abl. of means.
ad caedem = “for slaughter, murder.”
Nōs autem fortēs virī satis facere reī pūblicae vidēmur, sī istīus furōrem ac tēla vītēmus.
Trans.: And we brave men seem to do enough for the republic, if we merely avoid that man’s madness and weapons.
Notes:
Bitter irony: “we brave men” (contrast between name and cowardly inaction).
satis facere = idiom “to do enough.”
Ad mortem tē, Catilīna, dūcī iussū cōnsulis iam prīdem oportēbat,
Trans.: It ought to have been the case that you, Catiline, were led to death by order of the consul, long ago,
Notes:
iam prīdem = “long since.”
oportēbat = past obligation.
Harsh judicial imagery: the death sentence.
in tē cōnferī pestem, quam tū in nōs [omnēs iam diū] mīchināris.
Trans.: that the ruin which you have long been contriving against us all be turned upon yourself.
Notes:
in tē conferī = “to be directed against you.”
pestem = “plague, destruction” (stock word in Roman invective).
machināris = “you plot, scheme.”
translation 44.2:
1) nisi Pompēius cum Sextō Pompēiō mīlitāvisset, iamdiūdum in Italiam rediisset.
If Pompey had not served with Sextus Pompeius, he would long ago have returned to Italy.
Type: past contrary-to-fact (pluperfect subjunctive in both halves).
Notes:
nisi = “unless / if…not.”
mīlitāvisset (plup. subj.) = protasis → unreal past condition.
rediisset (plup. subj.) = apodosis → unreal past result.
iamdiūdum = “long ago/by now,” intensifies the missed return.
cum Sextō Pompēiō = accompaniment (cum + abl.).
2) sī Pompēius tandem redierit, omnēs gaudēbimus.
If Pompeius finally returns, we shall all rejoice.
Type: future more vivid (future perfect + future).
Notes:
redierit (fut. perf. ind.) in protasis = Latin’s preferred future timing: “when/if he has returned.”
gaudēbimus (fut. ind.) = apodosis.
tandem = “at last/finally,” adds impatience.
3) sī Octāviānum veniam rogāvissēs, ille tibi ignōvisset.
If you had asked Octavian for pardon, he would have forgiven you.
Type: past contrary-to-fact (pluperfect subjunctive ×2).
Notes:
rogāvissēs (plup. subj.) = “had asked.”
Octāviānum = acc. object of rogāre.
veniam = “pardon/forgiveness,” acc. with rogāre.
ignōvisset (plup. subj.) with tibi (dat.) since ignōscere takes the dative.
4) sī Octāviānus mihi ignōscat, Rōmae maneam.
If Octavian should pardon me, I would stay at Rome.
Type: future less vivid (“should… would…”) — present subjunctive in both clauses.
Notes:
ignōscat (pres. subj.) = hypothetical future; mihi dat. with ignōscere.
maneam (pres. subj.) = potential result.
Rōmae = locative (“at Rome”).
5) sī mecum cēnābis, reditum tuum celebrābimus.
If you dine with me, we will celebrate your return.
Type: realis (future + future).
Notes:
cēnābis (fut. ind. 2s) protasis.
celebrābimus (fut. ind. 1pl) apodosis.
mecum = cum + mē.
reditum tuum = object “your return.”
6) sī plūs vīnī bīberitis, plānē ēbriī eritis.
If you (pl.) drink more wine, you will be plainly drunk.
Type: future more vivid (future perfect + future).
Notes:
bīberitis can scan as fut. perf. ind. here (“you will have drunk”), the standard future-protasis.
ēritis (fut. ind.) apodosis.
plūs vīnī = partitive genitive (“more of wine”).
plānē = adverb “clearly/utterly.”
7) nisi Pompēiī reditum celebrārēmus, tantum vīnī nōn biberēmus.
If we were not celebrating Pompey’s return, we would not be drinking so much wine.
Type: present contrary-to-fact (imperfect subj. ×2).
Notes:
celebrārēmus / biberēmus (impf. subj.) = unreal present.
nisi = “unless / if not.”
Pompēiī reditum = objective gen. with reditus (“the return of Pompey”).
tantum vīnī = “so much wine” (partitive genitive again).
8) sī Quīntus alterum carmen recitābit, ego abībō.
If Quintus recites another poem, I will leave.
Type: future more vivid (future + future).
Notes:
recitābit (fut. ind.) in protasis; English may render as present (“recites”) for naturalness.
abībō (fut. ind.) apodosis.
alterum carmen = “a second/another poem.”
9) nisi puellae tam pulchrae adessent, iamdiūdum abiissem.
If such beautiful girls were not present, I would have left long ago.
Type: mixed contrary-to-fact: present condition → past result.
Notes:
adessent (impf. subj.) = unreal present protasis (“were not here”).
abiissem (plup. subj.) = unreal past apodosis (“I would have gone”).
tam pulchrae intensifies the motive for staying.
iamdiūdum = “long ago/by now.”
10) barbarus es, sī hōc carmine nōn dēlectātus es.
You are a barbarian, if you have not been delighted by this poem.
Type: simple fact (indicative).
Notes:
es … es (pres./perf. ind.) = factual judgment + factual condition.
dēlectātus es = perfect passive of dēlectō → “have been delighted.”
hōc carmine = abl. of means (“by this poem”).
Rhetorical sting: present insult grounded on a verifiable past reaction.