51.1-8	"Influenced most likely by the practice of Thucydides, who often summed up the essential factors of a situation by pairs of speeches reflecting the essential alternatives governing a decision, S. has chosen to present the essence of this crucial discussion by reporting only the speeches of Caesar and Cato. By doing so he crystallises the two major points of view concerning the problem facing the state, and at the same time indulges an artistic bent in providing a vivid portrait of two major personalities, an artistic aim which leads to the famous synkrisis [comparison of opposite persons or things] of ch. 54. "It appears from the synopses provided by Suetonius, Jul. 14.1 and Plutarch, Cato Min. 23 that S.'s versions are not far from the originals in their essential content. "Caesar's introduction indicates the essential characteristics and the aims of his speech. He attempts firstly to smooth the waves of emotional tension and to introduce an atmosphere of cool and rational objectivity. He makes a careful approach to his main thesis; he does not immediately refer to the judicial aspects of the case, but in a judiciously selective appeal to mos maiorum, to which he refers repeatedly, he underlines his two main points - that all feelings of anger, pity etc. should be laid aside; that they should above all beware of taking a decision which might injure the best interests of the state." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.2	omnium: partitive genitive, qualifying quisquam. paruit: gnomic perfect. See again the note on 2.8.
51.3	intenderis: subjunctive of the ideal second person; perfect subjunctive because the action is frequentative. "This play on the concepts of ingenium-animus and lubido recalls S.'s own point of view, ch. 2.5-6." (McGushin, ad loc.) si lubido possidet: The absence of a preceding sed or the like is an instance of adversative asyndeton. See again the note on 1.4.
51.4	qui reges ... consuluerint: a clause of indirect question, object of memorandi. recte atque ordine: elegant variation; ordine is ablative of accordance.
51.5	bello Macedonico ... cum rege Perse: OCD 1143-1144, s.v. "Perseus (2)"; 1315-1317, s.v. "Rhodes", para. 6, "Rome punished the equivocal attitude...". iniuriae: i.e. at the hands of King Perses. impunitos eos dimisere: "not quite accurate. Rome stripped [Rhodes] of her holdings in Caria and Lycia and Rhodes' revenue was drastically reduced by the creation of a rival emporium at Delos. "Caesar's citation of the case of Rhodes involves a subtle reminder of a famous speech of Cato's ancestor, a reminder which would not be missed by his audience and which could place the younger Cato in an embarrassing position. In his speech on behalf of the Rhodians the elder Cato argued for moderation and for delay before a decision was taken about the Rhodians. He reminds his audience of superbia et ferocia which tend to accompany success, points to the value of adversity as a teacher and ridicules anger as a basis of decision. This then is Caesar's subtle way of counselling misericordia; by citing the elder Cato on preferring usus to libido he can also free himself from a charge that he is arguing from purely personal feelings and motives." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.6	bellis Punicis: OCD 1277-1278, s.v. "Punic Wars". multa nefaria facinora: "There is little actual evidence of this in the history of the Punic wars." (McGushin, ad loc.) quid ... foret ... quid ... posset: clauses of indirect question, object of quaerebant. dignam ... iure: "Caesar is propounding in a careful way the popularis attitude to the s.c.u. [senatus consultum ultimum]; the objection is not to the decree itself but to what is regarded as abuses of the powers conferred by the decree, in particular where such powers could be seen to clash with the lex Sempronia: ne de capite civis iniussu populi iudicaretur." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.8	digna poena: i.e. worthy both of the conspirators' crimes and the Senate's dignity. eis utendum (esse) censeo: utendum is used impersonally and followed by the ablative eis. (MBA 389) legibus comparata sunt: "a reference to laws de maiestate and de vi, from which the normal punishment was exile. There may also be an allusion to the specific provisions of lex Sempronia with its right of appeal to the people in the case of a death penalty." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.9	composite atque magnifice: "[The phrase] expresses no censure but yet conveys a suspicion that the splendid form is to conceal a narrow selfishness of appeal." (McGushin, ad loc.) quae uictoribus collubuissent: subjunctive verb because the clause is sub-oblique. cruore atque luctu: "cruore responds to armis, luctu to cadaueribus." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.10	illa oratio: collective. an uti ... faceret?: When the first half of an alternative question is suppressed, the effect is to throw the burden of probability on the half that is expressed. In reality no alternative is offered. Cf. in English, "Am I cold or am I cold?". There is no real choice and the answer is obvious. Cf. MBA 161. scilicet ... eum oratio accendet: sarcastic.
51.11	aequo: ablative of comparison. habuere: another gnomic perfect.
51.12	uitam habent ... aetatem agunt: elegant variation again. iracundia: ablative of cause. pares: i.e. equally inconspicuous. ... pares sunt: qui ... aetatem agunt: adversative asyndeton again. eorum facta cuncti mortales nouere: Cf. Tennyson's reference to "that fierce light which beats upon a throne". (Idylls of the King, Dedication (1861), line 26)
51.13	in maxuma fortuna minuma licentia est: a striking antithesis.
51.14	dicitur ... appellatur: elegant variation again.
51.15	"Caesar's proposition depends largely on his ability to convince the Senate that this crime goes beyond even the provisions implied in s.c.u. He refers again in secs. 23 and 25 to the enormity of the crime and the consequent inadequacy of any punishment." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.16	quae dixerit: subjunctive as the clause is sub-oblique. It refers to his first recommendation, viz. that the conspirators be executed (50.4, tum D. Iunius Silanus ... sumundum decreuerat).
51.18	consulem designatum: "Caesar is hinting that Silanus was fearful of a dangerous situation lasting into his year of office." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.19	diligentia: ablative of cause.
51.20	possum equidem dicere, id quod res habet: lit. "For-my-part I-am-able to-say that which the-situation has," i.e. to say truthfully. "[He hints] that he could speak composite as well as others. Cato indeed charges him with having done so." (Summers, ad loc.) cruciatum: the fourth declension noun. "His argument is curiously inept, a verbose exposition of dialectic skill. This is mainly due to the fact that he has to argue about the s.c.u. before an audience generally unsympathetic to his views." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.22	an quia lex Porcia uetat?: "There were three laws of that name, the exact provisions of which are unknown, but the scourging or putting to death of a Roman citizen was forbidden." (Rolfe, ad loc.) For an introducing a single question, see again the note on an uti ... faceret (51.10), and cf. an quia ... quam necari (51.23). condemnatis ciuibus: dative of disadvantage with eripi; dative of the indirect object with permitti.
51.23	facinoris: genitive of the charge, modifying conuictos.
51.24	qui?: an old ablative, used as an interrogative adverb, "how?". (MBA 157, Note 6) neglegeris: perfect subjunctive in a causal cum-clause. The usual spelling is neglexeris. "If Caesar had desired to attack the provisions of s.c.u. this was the one point on which he could have based a successful argument - the provisions of s.c.u. depended almost entirely on a feeling that the safety of the state was threatened. Yet Caesar's reference to this point is brief and inadequate (sec. 19) and he devoted most of his time to a warning about the danger of creating a precedent by a decision to inflict the death penalty. Cato's handling of the theme of danger is much different and far more effective." (McGushin, 247-248) "He strives to show the inconsistency of Silanus' position by a complexio, showing either of the two possibilities to be untenable: (i) Is flogging more severe than death? (ii) Is it less severe? But he confuses the subject of the two propositions, varying between 'flogging instead of death' and 'flogging as well as death'. Gravius est must refer to 'flogging as well as death', for that is the proposal under discussion - prius verberibus - but levius must refer to 'flogging instead of death', for no one could think that it was levius to be first flogged and then killed than to be simply killed." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.25	tempus, dies, fortuna: "vague terms, the more threatening in being less calculable, less foreseeable." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.27	"sed corrects bonis." (Summers, ad loc.) ignaros eius: eius refers to imperium and is objective genitive depending on ignaros. nouom... exemplum is tautologous.
51.28	"At the close of the Peloponnesian war (404 BC) [OCD 1134] the Spartans attempted to maintain their hold upon the dependent states by setting up in each a local governing board of Aristocrats. The 'Thirty Tyrants' at Athens [OCD 1513-1514] were driven out after about eight months of excesses." (Rolfe, ad loc.) qui rem publicam ... tractarent: "to revise their laws and constitution, no doubt in an oligarchical direction." (Summers, ad loc.)
51.29	pessumum quemque: "the 'sycophants', a class well described as 'a happy compound of the informer, pettifogger, busybody, rogue, liar and slanderer'. There were various legal processes intended to deal with them, but, as Aristophanes said, there was 'no charm against their bite'." (Summers, ad loc.) omnibus: dative of the agent. laetari ... dicere: historic infinitives; cf. interficere and terrere (51.30).
51.30	iuxta = pariter.
51.31	"This example seems to have been chosen by Caesar mainly for the purpose of arousing fear - an oligarchy acting in a despotic manner. In fact the example does not completely fit in with his previous statements; in the case of the Thirty Tyrants it is not strictly a case of imperium passing into less experienced hands, nor is the feature of indemnatum necare strictly relevant to the issue here." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.32	nostra memoria: ablative of accordance. Damasippum: OCD 789, s.v. "Iunius Brutus Damasippus, Lucius". cum ... iussit: The indicative verb underscores the purely temporal nature of the cum-clause. (MBA 431)
51.33	uas: OLD 2014, s.v. "uas2". uas aut uestimentum: an alliterative doublet.
51.34	laetitiae: predicative dative.
51.36	potest alio tempore ... uero credi: possibly a hint at Octavian's behaviour in 43, when he seized the consulship by force after defeating Antony at Mutina. Again, Sallust may have in mind the proscription which followed the establishment of the Second Triumvirate (Octavian and Antony, now reconciled, as well as Lepidus) on 27 November, 43. cui item ... sit: a generic relative clause. hoc exemplo: i.e. a good precedent which subsequently turns bad in the wrong hands, thus illustrating the principle propounded by Caesar in 51.27. exemplo: ablative of accordance.
51.37	consili ... audaciae: genitives instead of the usual ablatives found after egere. (GL 383.1; 405, Note 2)
51.37-38	maiores nostri ... malebant: Many ancient writers testified to the Roman penchant for imitation, especially in military matters. Polybius, for example, after describing various items of Roman arms and armour, writes: Since this equipment proved so unsatisfactory in use, the Romans lost no time in changing over to the Greek type. The advantage of this was that in the case of the lance the horseman could deliver the first thrust with a sure and accurate aim, since the weapon was designed to remain steady and not quiver in the hand, and also that it could be used to deliver a hard blow by reversing it and striking with the spike at the butt end. The same may be said of the Greek shields, which, since they are firmly and solidly made, render good service against both attack and assault. As soon as they made these discoveries, the Romans began to copy Greek arms, for this is one of their strong points: no people are more willing to adopt new customs and to emulate what they see is better done by others. (History 6.25, tr. Ian Scott- Kilvert)
51.38	arma atque tela: See again the note on 42.2. insignia ... ab Tuscis: in particular, the twelve lictors, the sella curulis and the toga praetexta.
51.39	Graeciae morem imitati: "Caesar, who was already referred to two precedents generally regarded as substantially true, may have introduced this less precise reference to the Greeks in an attempt to arouse prejudice against the carrying out of the death penalty by describing it as a most un-Roman practice, an argument specifically aimed at Cato, the most Roman of Romans. S.'s use of the phrase and his implied acceptance of the history behind the death penalty may perhaps be accounted for by the general belief that the Law of the Twelve Tables was drawn up under Greek influence." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.40	multitudine: ablative of cause. factiones: See again the note on multitudinum (50.1). circumueniri ... coepere: Cf. the note on coepit (12.1). aliaeque leges ... quibus legibus: "For the repetition, solemn, pedantic, and somewhat archaic (legal phraseology?), cf. Cicero, pro Rosc. Am. 28 (ad eam rem ... de qua re ... in qua re)." (McGushin, ad loc.)
51.42	uirtus atque sapientia ... fuit: Cf. the note on sequebatur (12.1). illis: dative of the possessor, followed by in nobis, another example of Sallustian variation. ea: "The plural denotes the elements that make up imperium." parta: the perfect passive participle of pario.
51.43	ita censeo ... facturum: McGushin (ad loc.) suggests that Caesar is recommending imprisonment, not for life as S. seems to think but as a temporary measure until the revolt in Italy is crushed and a regular trial held. The variety of construction after censeo is striking: first we have two gerundives (publicandas ... habendos), then two clauses of indirect command (neu ... referat, neue ... agat) and finally an accusative and infinitive (senatum existumare). qui aliter fecerit: fecerit is probably future perfect indicative. After a primary first or second person governing verb, here censeo, subordinate clauses in oratio obliqua tend to have the indicative rather than the subjunctive. See, for interest only, D. S. Barrett, "Mood Usage in Subordinate Clauses in Oratio Obliqua", Latin Teaching 32 (1965). 18-20
52.1-4	"Cato's introduction differs markedly from the conciliatory and somewhat tentative opening of Caesar's speech. He plunges in medias res and forcibly lays down two major planks of his argument, the danger inherent in the situation and an appeal, based on this, to the individual hopes and fears of his hearers." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.1	uerbo alius alii uarie assentiebantur: alii is dative singular, qualifying uerbo. M. Porcius Cato: OCD 1225-1226, s.v. "Porcius Cato (2), Marcus".
52.2	nonnullorum strikes a distinctly contemptuous note.
52.3	patriae, parentibus: an alliterative pair. See again the note on 33.1. monet cauere ... consultare: Cicero would have used ut-clauses after monere rather than object infinitives. quid ... statuamus: a clause of indirect question, object of consultare. statuamus is also deliberative subjunctive.
52.4	persequare ... prouideris ... implores: subjunctives of the ideal second person. hoc is greatly emphasised by its position. "Cato is aware of the effect of Caesar's vague references to laws such as leges Porciae on a Senate confused about the legality of the provinces of s.c.u. and aware of the very strong feeling for the right of provocatio. Cato forcibly lays down the view that the danger is as real as if they were actually being attacked." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.5	pluris: genitive of value. uoluptatibus uostris ... uoltis: Alliteration and assonance are striking. expergimini aliquando: "Cato, aware of the disadvantage of having been so often, according to himself, a prophet of doom, has now to arouse his hearers to a danger which is real and pressing and which threatens the very basis of their luxuria and avaritia." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.6	uectigalia: "i.e. the misappropriation of them". (Summers, ad loc.)
52.7	saepe numero: Often written as one word, "on many occasions, repeatedly". "At that time Cato was about 32 years old and had been in the Senate only a short time; since junior Senators were rarely called on to speak, saepenumero is an exaggeration. The anachronism which is revealed also in statements and sentiments appropriate to an elder statesman may be the result of S.'s desire to make the speech thoroughly representative of the man's character, of his career as a whole, a point of view which is obviously present in the synkrisis of ch. 54. This air of elder statesmanship may also be partly due to the fact that S. is conscious throughout of the character and utterances of the elder Cato; this whole passage has a parallel in a speech of Cato the Censor in Livy, 34.4.1." (McGushin, ad loc.) causa: ablative of cause.
52.8	qui ... fecissem: a causal relative clause; lit. "(I) who had-made an-indulgence of-no misdeed to-myself and to-my-impulse ...". animo: "What is animus in Cato is lubido in others." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.9	parui: genitive of value. opulentia is ablative; the subject of tolerabat is res publica.
52.10	moribus: ablative of accordance.
52.11	hic mihi ...misericordiam nominat: Insert a question mark at the end of this sentence to express better the negative overtones of quisquam. nos uera uocabula rerum amisimus: lit. "we have-lost the-true names of-things." On this favourite topic of Sallust, the perversion of political vocabulary, cf. 12.1 and 38.3. eo: ablative of cause, "for that reason".
52.12	sint sane ... furibus aerari: He is being savagely ironic. ne illi largiantur: The absence of a preceding sed or autem provides another effective example of adversative asyndeton. paucis sceleratis ... bonos omnis: chiasmus. See again the note on 2.9. perditum eant: The supine in -um expresses purpose after a verb of motion. (MBA 402)
52.13	bene et composite echoes Caesar's words about those who spoke before him: composite atque magnifice (52.9). credo falsa ... formidulosa habere: "credo shows that irony is the weapon chosen to combat Caesar's argument concerning death. Cato dismisses Caesar's view with a simple reference to a widespread folk-belief." (McGushin, ad loc.) "Vergil makes the punishment of Catiline in the lower world and Cato's rule over the secreti pii one of the designs on Aeneas' shield (Aen. 8.668-670)." (Summers, ad loc.)
52.14	timens ... si ... sint ... eripiantur: sint and eripiantur are subjunctives in an ideal condition referring to future time, as well as forming an integral part of Caesar's alleged fear. "Elaborate irony here, especially in the use of timens. Cato imputes to Caesar, incorrectly, a specific motive, the neutralisation of the conspirators. He uses against him the same trick of dialectic, the weapon of ambiguity which Caesar had used against Silanus." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.16	sin in tanto ... uobis timere: Cato plays on the fears of his audience here and in the next section with a reference to Catiline's army. "A plain hint that Cato believed Caesar to have been privy to Catiline's schemes." (Handford, ad loc.) eo: ablative of cause.
52.17	habetote: second, plural, future imperative active of habere.
52.18	... infirmior erit; si paullulum ... aderunt: The absence of a sed or autem between the two clauses is another instance of adversative asyndeton.
52.19-23	"Caesar had repeatedly, if not always with strict relevance, referred to mos maiorum in order to boost his argument for leniency and to flatter the Senate into an outlook that they as a body were the upholders of a great tradition. Cato now takes time to attack this assumption and he does so in terms which recall vividly S.'s own strictures on contemporary degeneration." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.19	si ita res esset ... nos haberemus: an unreal condition, referring to present time.
52.20	nobis ... illis: datives of possession; cf. nobis in 52.21. illis refers to maiores nostros (52.19).
52.23	hic: in the senate-house. eo: ablative of cause. ut ... fiat: a noun clause, subject of fit.
52.24	coniurauere ... incendere: Instead of an infinitive, orthodox Classical prose would use a final clause, ut patriam incendant, or a gerundive construction, ad patriam incendendam. English usage tallies with Sallust's. Gallorum gentem: i.e. the Allobroges. A case of "no names, no pack drill"?
52.25	faciatis: subjunctive in a clause of indirect question, and deliberative subjunctive as well. deprensis hostibus: ablative of instrument, not ablative absolute.
52.26	misereamini censeo ... dimittatis: a savagely ironic parataxis. See again the note on 7.3. "Irony is a leading element throughout the peroration, directed both against the assumptions of Caesar and against the lack of civil courage which Cato is afraid the Senate might display." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.27	uobis: dative of disadvantage. conuortat is here used intransitively. Cicero would normally have written se conuortat or the reflexive conuortatur. See, however, OLD 440, s.v. "conuerto", 8b, which cites this passage and a Ciceronian example. conuortat is best taken as a jussive subjunctive in a third person negative command, lit. "let not that gentleness ... turn into misery."
52.28	immo uero either strongly confirms or strongly contradicts; here the latter.
52.29	prospera omnia cedunt: prospera is used predicatively. See the translation. tradideris (perfect subjunctive) and implores are subjunctives of the ideal second person.
52.30	A. Manlius Torquatus: OCD 918, s.v. "Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus, Titus". A. (= Aulus) is an error for Titus. Again, the incident occurred not in the Gallic War (361) but in the Latin War (340).
52.32	quid statuatis: statuatis is subjunctive in a clause of indirect question, as well as deliberate subjunctive.
52.33	dis aut hominibus: another polar expression. See again the note on 11.3. "nisi iterum could refer to his activity in the party of Marius in the conflict with Sulla; some take it to imply that Cethegus was implicated in the so-called First Catilinarian Conspiracy. In pro Sulla 70, Cicero hints that Cethegus had gone to Spain during the Sertorian War to murder Metellus Pius." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.34	quibus si quicquam ... fuisset ... habuissent: an unreal conditional sentence, referring to past time. Lit. "to-which (men), if there-had-been anything of-consideration, they would not have had...". More irony: they have simply been thoughtless.
52.35	si ... locus esset, facile paterer: an unreal conditional sentence, referring to present time. "in sinu urbis may ultimately be pointing to the Senate." (McGushin, ad loc.) quo: ablative of cause, lit. "by-reason-of-which (circumstance)". neque parari ... potest occulte: "The prevailing air of suspicion, indicated by the open accusations against Crassus and the attempt to implicate Caesar, is not without foundation. Catiline had his supporters even in the ranks of the Senate." (McGushin, ad loc.)
52.36	"Cato's opinion on the legal aspects of this case is quite clear. The punishment should be death as distinct from exile, the normal outcome of action in the jurycourts. Secondly, there is no question of technical court procedure; the case comes under the extra-legal powers conferred by s.c.u. Such cases lay outside the right of provocatio and sanctioned the infliction of summary justice. There was no case, therefore, for the application of leges Porciae or lex Sempronia." (McGushin, ad loc.) more maiorum: an "echo phrase". See again the note on 33.1.
53.1	senatus: the alternative form of this genitive, senati, occurs further on in this section. (GL 61, Note 1) sicuti ille censuerat: "S. omits to mention that others spoke after Cato. However, it is undoubted that Cato's was the crucial speech for the proposal of the death penalty." (McGushin, ad loc.)
53.2	militiae: locative. sed mihi multa legenti ...: "The close connection with the thought of 52.19 ff. and with S.'s extended treatment of virtus underlines once again a major objective of the writer - to place the conspiracy in all its aspects in close relationship with the leading theme of his monograph, virtus as the cause of Rome's greatness. "S.'s reading extended beyond Roman history. It is clear that his knowledge of Greek literature, especially the Greek orators, was extensive, far deeper than would be acquired in the course of normal Roman rhetorical training and practice." (McGushin, ad loc.)
53.3	saepe numero: See again the note on 52.7. contendisse: sc. the accusative subject eum (= populum Romanum) cognoueram: a variation on sciebam above. facundia, gloria: ablatives of respect. ante Romanos fuisse = Romanis praestitisse.
53.4	ac mihi ... paucitas superaret: lit. "And for-me turning-over many (things) it-became-established the-outstanding merit of-a-few citizens to-have-accomplished all (things), and-by-that (it) to-have-been-brought-about (supplying esse after factum) that poverty overcame riches, fewness a-crowd".
53.5	sicuti effeta parentum ui: lit. "as-if with-the-vigour of-parents exhausted", effeta ui being an ablative absolute. The text has long been disputed. uirtute: ablative of respect. uirtute magnus fuit: "possibly a covert reference to Pompeius Magnus." (McGushin, ad loc.)
53.6	obtulerat ... fuit: "These tenses show S. referring in an epistolary tense to the period before he started on the actual task of writing." (McGushin, ad loc.) There is an excellent treatment of the usage in GL 252. McGushin suggests that lubuit, sciebam, cognouerat and constabat above are also epistolary tenses. These, however, translate quite satisfactorily taken at their face value, apart from which epistolary tenses are never sustained for very long.
54.1	eis: dative of possession. genus: "The achievements and eminence of Cato the Censor had conferred a dignity on the plebeian Porcii which rivalled that of the [patrician] Julii." (McGushin, ad loc.) aetas: "Cato was the younger by three or five years according as we date Caesar's birth 100 or 102 BC." (Summers, ad loc.) alia refers to gloria only; alii is dative. "He is solely concerned with the different ways in which these men set about the attaining of gloria and to what extent this end product of their virtus proved valuable, if at all, to themselves and to the state." (McGushin, ad loc.)
54.2	mansuetudine et misericordia: Cf. 52.11 and 52.27.
54.3	nihil largiundo: To have used nihil dando would have left the undesirable impression that Cato was tenax et auarus." (McGushin, ad loc.) adeptus est: On the meaning of this and related words, see MBA page 412, Footnote 2.
54.4	laborare, uigilare: These infinitives are objects of induxerat, as are neglegere and denegare in the following clause. quod ... dignum esset: a generic relative clause. dono dignum: The alliteration is noteworthy. bellum nouom: "i.e. a war begun by himself and for which he had sole responsibility. The wars in Gaul, Germany and Britain were wars on new ground." (McGushin, ad loc.) By contrast Sulla had followed in Metellus's and Marius's footsteps; Pompey, in Lucullus's. ubi uirtus enitescere posset: the clause has an accessory notion of purpose.
54.5-6	"This summary concerning Cato, which could be understood as implying that Cato's ambitions lay in civil life, is significantly lacking in that element of activity, producing egregia facinora, which S. had stressed elsewhere, e.g. 2.9." (McGushin, ad loc.)
54.6	The entire section is a striking example of sustained antithesis. cum strenuo uirtute: Had Sallust lived in the nineteenth century AD, he would undoubtedly have applauded Charles Kingsley's concept of "muscular Christianity". McGushin discusses this chapter at length in his Appendix VII, pp. 309-311, which you should read for yourself. "The chapter is [also] an outstanding example of major features of Sallustian style - his brevity, his use of antithesis, his ability to paint a powerful picture with an asyndetic list of powerful nouns, features which confirm and illustrate the influence of Thucydides." (McGushin 271)
55.1	consul optumum ... spatio nouaretur: lit. "the-consul, having-thought the-best (thing) in-the-doing (to be) to-anticipate the-night which was-pressing-on, lest anything should-be-done-anew in-that interval ...". factu: For the supine in -u, see MBA 404. "The tresviri capitales were minor magistrates who had charge of prisons and executions and performed certain police duties." (Rolfe, ad loc.)
55.3	locus ... quod Tullianum appellatur: The relative pronoun quod is attracted into the gender of Tullianum, the complement of appellatur. (MBA 83) Tullianum: OCD 1558. humi depressus: "In point of fact, the chamber was not literally humi depressus, but by S.'s time the ground had been filled in around it, and since the only entrance was by means of a trap in its roof, it appeared to be wholly underground." (McGushin, ad loc.) ascenderis: perfect subjunctive, ideal second person.
55.4	incultu, tenebris, odore: ablatives of cause modifying foeda. See for interest the illustrations of the facade of the Mamertine prison and the Tullianum in Donald. R. Dudley, Urbs Roma: A Sourcebook of Classical Texts on the City and its Monuments (1967), Plates 14 and 15.
55.5	uindices rerum capitalium: i.e. the executioners, either servants of the tresuiri capitales or perhaps those magistrates themselves. laqueo gulam fregere: lit. "broke (his) throat with-a-noose", i.e. "strangled him".
56.1	duas legiones: "A consul commanded two legions. Catiline, who had assumed the insignia of consular power either to impress the country folk with a show of authority or because of a derangement of mind (cf. 20.17, 36.1), now keeps up the appearances of consular power." (McGushin, ad loc.) cohortis ... complet: "Each legion was divided into 10 cohorts. Since Catiline started with 2000 men his cohorts initially contained only 100 men, one-sixth of the ideal complement [of 600]." (McGushin, ad loc.)
56.2	sociis: sc. coniurationis. duobus militibus: ablative of comparison.
56.4	modo Galliam uorsus: ad seems to have dropped out before Galliam. mouere, dare: historic infinitives. prope diem: often written as one word, "before long, very soon". (OLD 1491) si ... patrauissent: a subordinate clause in cogitatio obliqua. In the direct form the verb would have been future perfect indicative, patrauerint. "From 44.6 and 48.4 it appears that the conspirators in the city were to time their moves to coincide with the arrival of Catiline in close proximity to Rome. The plan may have been changed because of the prosecution of the arrested conspirators because both here and in 58.4 it seems that Catiline expected them to strike immediately and send him further supplies. S., apparently, has neglected to record detail of a change of plan." (McGushin, ad loc.)
56.5	seruitia ... cuius: Given the plural antecedent seruitia, one would expect quorum. "It is probable that some such word as generis has dropped out of the text." (McGushin, ad loc.) opibus ... fretus: For the case-usage of opibus, see MBA 285.
57.1	Romae coniurationem patefactam (esse) ... supplicium sumptum (esse): accusative and infinitive constructions, expanding nuntius. spes rapinarum ... nouarum rerum studium: chiasmus. per montes asperos: "It is probable that Catiline could not use the easy route across the plains from Faesulae to Pistoria because Antonius was near Faesulae with his army." (McGushin, ad loc.) uti ... perfugeret: A noun clause expanding consilio. in Galliam Transalpinam: "Catiline's final objective. He evidently intended heading for the Allobroges. In spite of betrayal by their legates he could still expect a welcome from a people whose discontent had not been satisfied." (McGushin, ad loc.)
57.1-2	See the excellent map in Peter V. Jones & Keith C. Sidwell, Reading Latin: Text (1986), 113. ex difficultate ... Catilinam agitare: lit. "thinking from-the-difficulty of-circumstances those same-things which we-said above Catiline to-be-considering". diximus: royal plural. See again the note on 7.7.
57.3	illi: i.e. Catiline. descensus: the fourth declension noun.
57.4	utpote qui ... sequeretur: utpote signals a causal relative clause in the same way as quippe does. exercitu: ablative of instrument instead of the more usual ablative of accompaniment with cum. locis aequioribus: local ablative without a preposition. in fuga = fugientes. The text is doubtful.
57.5	montibus atque copiis ... ullam spem: "The forces of Antonius were pressing at his rear, Metellus stood ready at the feet of the Apennines to intercept him if he moved towards Gaul." (McGushin, ad loc.)
58	"A pre-battle oration such as this was a firm topos in historiography, and as such contains a series of conventional concepts and phrasing. At the same time it contains features which are purely Sallustian. Artistically it enables Sallust to vary his narrative method; in the course of his speech the reader is informed quite vividly of the physical and psychological factors which play a decisive role in the final action." (McGushin, ad loc.) For the thought, compare in Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth Henry's speeches before the battles of Harfleur (3.1) and Agincourt (4.3.34-67).
58.1	compertum ... habeo: See again the note on compertum habebat (29.1) neque ex ignauo ... imperatoris fieri: This whole clause expands uerba uirtutem non addere. The first neque is not connective. See the translation. ex ignauo strenuum ... fortem ex timido: chiasmus. uerba uirtutem ... imperatoris fieri: lit. "words not to-add courage; by-the-speech of-a-commander an-army to-be-made neither vigourous from spiritless nor brave from timid."
58.2	quanta cuiusque ... patere solet: lit. "So-much boldness is-wont to-show in war as is-in the-heart of-each in-accordance-with-nature or customs". hortere: subjunctive of the ideal second person.
58.3	quo ... monerem ... uti causam ... aperirem: two final clauses, the first introduced by quo, though containing no comparative; the second, for variety, by uti.
58.4	scitis ... nequiuerim: "Catiline's dwelling on factors of failure and disappointment heightens the element of desperation which marks the speech throughout. He can be using this element only to elicit that feeling of desperate courage which alone can promise victory." (McGushin, ad loc.) dum ... opperior: The retention of the indicative with dum in oratio obliqua becomes common only in Silver Age Latin. (Woodcock 221, Note 4)
58.5	quo loco: local ablative without a preposition.
58.6	ab urbe ... a Gallia: ablatives of origin, lit. "from-the-point-of-view-of the-city, from-the-point-of-view-of Gaul". si maxume animus ferat ... egestas prohibet: For mixed conditional sentences of this sort, see MBA 461-462. "The si clause is practically concessive." (Summers, ad loc.)
58.8	uos diuitias, decus ... portare: "recalls the words of Catiline's first speech, 20.14. The order of preference and expectation, with diuitiae as the leading concept, is the same." (McGushin, ad loc.)
58.9	si uincimus ... omnia ... tuta erunt: Instead of the present uincimus, orthodox Classical prose would use a future perfect, uicerimus. English usage tallies with Sallust's. Cf. the note on uindicamus (20.6). Orthodoxy resurfaces in the second half of the sentence with si metu cesserimus. metu: For this form of the dative, see GL 61, Note 2.
58.10	quem arma texerint: a generic relative clause.
58.11	non eadem ... impendet: lit. "The-same necessity does not hang-over for-us and for-them". pro x 4: anaphora. See again the note on 3.3. patria ... libertate ... uita: The three nouns mount to a climax. pro potentia paucorum pugnare: The alliteration is striking.
58.12	quo: ablative of cause; lit. "by-reason-of-which (circumstance)". aggrediamini: 2nd, plural, present, jussive subjunctive of aggredi. Cf. the note on defendas (35.6).
58.13	in exilio aetatem agere: "It is probable that Catiline thought of this alternative in his own case also. Cf. 20.9." (McGushin, ad loc.) Cf. also the note on 34.2. non nulli: often written as one word; "some few", as opposed to none.
58.14	quia illa foeda ... uidebantur: The absence of a preceding sed or autem is an instance of adversative asyndeton.
58.15	audacia opus est: For the case-usage of audacia, see MBA 286. mutauit: gnomic perfect. See again the note on transiere, fuit (2.8).
58.16	auorteris: subjunctive of the ideal second person.
58.21	quod: accusative of respect. See again the note on 2.3. si uirtuti uostrae fortuna inuiderit: a fine euphemism for "if you are beaten". 58.21 cauete inulti animam amittatis: parataxis. See again the note on 7.3. trucidemini ... relinquatis: jussive subjunctives. Cf. the note on defendas (35.6).
59	Sallust's detailed account of the battle undoubtedly depends on an eye-witness.
59.1	pedes: nominative singular of pedes, peditis, "footsoldier".
59.2	uti ... rupe aspera: "uti erat takes up pro loco [59.1]. uti is equivalent to quod. aspera is accus. pl. neut. agreeing with loca understood. ab dextra rupe, corresponding [with elegant variation] to sinistros montes depends on aspera." (McGushin, ad loc.)
59.3	euocatos: "The evocati were veterans who after their discharge had been induced to enlist again, usually with the rank of centurion. In this case many of them were probably old soldiers of Sulla." (McGushin, ad loc.) Faesulanum quendam: possibly Furius. See 50.4. curare: here used absolutely. bello Cimbrico: OCD 331, s.v. "Cimbri", particularly the latter part ("They now moved towards Italy...").
59.4	C. Antonius: OCD 116, s.v. "Antonius 'Hybrida', Gaius". pedibus aeger: pedibus is ablative of respect; lit. "sick with-respect-to-the-feet". If his illness was genuine, it may have been gout, related to his lifestyle: Such is the description introduced by Marcus Caelius in his speech against Antonius. "For they found him lying prone in a drunken slumber, snoring with all the force of his lungs, and belching continually, while the most distinguished of his female companions sprawled over every couch, and the rest of the seraglio lay around in all directions. They however, perceived the approach of the enemy and, half-dead with terror, attempted to arouse Antonius, called him by name, heaved up his head, but all in vain, while one whispered endearing words into his ear, and another slapped him with some violence. At last he recognised the voice and touch of each and tried to embrace her who happened to be nearest. Once wakened he could not sleep, but was too drunk to keep awake, and so was bandied to and fro between sleeping and waking in the hands of his centurions and his paramours." Could you find anything more plausible in imagination, more vehement in censure or more vivid in description? (Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 4.2.123-124) Dio Cassius (37.39.4) said Antonius pretended to be ill to avoid having to take command against his old friend. "'In our case', says the Frenchman, addressing the Englishman, 'we have goût for the taste; in your case you have gout for the result.'" (George Herman Ellwanger, Meditations on Gout, "The Theory") M. Petreio: OCD 1149, s.v. "Petreius, Marcus".
59.5	tumultus: "the regular word for war suddenly breaking out in Italy or Cisalpine Gaul." (Summers, ad loc.) appellat, hortatur, rogat: striking asyndeton, enhanced by vivid historic presents. rogat ut meminerint ... certare: "The same clichés appear as in both of Catiline's speeches." (McGushin, ad loc.) inermis: "that is, without regular arms; see chap lvi.3." (Rolfe, ad loc.)
59.5-6	Petreius's remarkable rapport with his troops is recalled once again in Henry the Fifth: For forth he goes and visits all his host; Bids them good morrow with a modest smile, And calls them brothers, friends, and countrymen. Upon his royal face there is no note How dread an army hath enrounded him; Nor doth he dedicate one jot of colour Unto the weary and all-watched night; But freshly looks, and over-bears attaint With cheerful semblance and sweet majesty; That every wretch, pining and pale before, Beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks: A largess universal, like the sun, His liberal eye doth give to every one, Thawing cold fear. Then, mean and gentle all, Behold, as may unworthiness define, A little touch of Harry in the night: (Act 4, Prologue 32-47)
59.6	amplius annos triginta: lit. "for-thirty years, more". On the omission of quam, see MBA 275, Note. facta ... fortia: "an archaic alliterative doublet". (McGushin, ad loc.)
60	"This brief description of battle contains expressions traditional for such a topic and at the same time illustrates a narrative style peculiar to Sallust. The point of view of the reporter is not restricted to one of the protagonists but alternates between the opposing factions. Sallust is interested in showing how the emotions and actions of the two sides affect each other, and this constantly changing point of view is most clearly indicated by the frequent change of the subject throughout." (McGushin, ad loc.)
60.2	postquam eo uentum est: uentum est is impersonal; lit. "after there-was-a-coming to-that-place...". Cf. certatur (60.3). unde ... posset: This adverbial clause has an added notion of purpose, hence the subjunctive. cum infestis signis: cum probably provides an archaic reinforcement of the ablative. pila ... gladiis: "The pilum corresponded to the modern volley; the part of the 'cold steel' was played by the short gladius." (Summers, ad loc.)
60.3	comminus results from a combination of con- and manus, hence "hand-to-hand".
60.4	uorsari ... succurrere ... arcessere ... prouidere ... pugnare ... ferire: a striking sequence of historic infinitives. See again the note on 6.4-5. After that the more considered exsequebatur sums up all the preceding detail.
60.5	cohortem praetoriam: "the general's bodyguard, made up of selected infantry and cavalry. Under the empire the praetorian guard gradually acquired great importance and political power." (Rolfe, ad loc.) See also OCD 1241, s.v. "praetorians", especially the first paragraph. alios alibi resistentis: lit. "different-ones resisting in-different-places". utrimque ex lateribus: "He broke the centre, and then attacked each of the enemy's wings on its inner flank." (Summers, ad loc.)
60.7	confoditur: The prefix con- has intensive force. See the translation. Catiline in this chapter is depicted as brave, caring, capable, versatile - a sharp contrast to the picture of him presented by Cicero and by Sallust in earlier chapters, where he appears as a ruthless, unscrupulous, devious opportunist.
61.1	cerneres: subjunctive of conditioned futurity used independently of a si- clause and referring to past time; subjunctive also of the ideal second person.
61.2	uiuos = nominative uiuus. "This word forms a typical Sallustian contrast with amissa anima and should be retained." (McGushin, ad loc.) locum, the antecedent of quem, is put in the relative clause instead of its expected position after eum.
61.3	aduorsis uolneribus: i.e. they had not turned tail and fled.
61.7	neque tamen exercitus ... laetam aut incruentam uictoriam adeptus erat: a powerful echo of the concluding words of Catiline's pre-battle speech, cauete neu... trucidemini quam ... cruentam atque luctuosam uictoriam hostibus relinquatis (58.21).
61.8	alii pars: a variation on alii, alii. amicum alii pars hospitem: chiasmus. qui ... cognoscerent: a generic relative clause. "The emphasis on amici, conveyed by the triple amicum, hospitem, cognatum and by the use of the typically Sallustian alii ... pars, and the closing reference to inimici should be viewed as a deliberate stressing of the perversity of civil strife." (McGushin, ad loc.)
61.9	laetitia, maeror, luctus ... gaudia: the first two denote the feelings; the second two, the expression of those feelings. The four words form a chiasmus of ideas. "The monograph ends abruptly. It might not be over-fanciful to suggest that the inconclusiveness of S.'s description is meant to underline the inconclusiveness of fratricidal strife, the shadow of which lay over Rome at the time of writing. In addition, S. has used the Catilinarian conspiracy to illustrate a basic moral theme; his interest in the subject as history is secondary." (McGushin, ad loc.)