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sed anteā item coniūrāvēre paucī contrā rem pūblicam , in quīs Catilīna fuit ; 2 dē quā quam vērissumē poterō dicam .

L . Tullō et M’ . Lepidō cōnsulibus , P . Autrōnius et P . Sulla , dēsignātī cōnsulēs , lēgibus ambitūs interrogātī , poenās dederant . 3 post paulō Catilīna pecūniārum repetundārum reus , prohibitus erat cōnsulātum petere , quod intrā lēgitumōs diēs profitērī nequīverat . 4 erat eōdem tempore Cn . Pīsō , adulēscēns nōbilis , summae audāciae , egēns , factiōsus , quem ad perturbandam rem pūblicam inopia atque malī mōrēs stimulābant . 5 cum hōc Catilīna et Autrōnius , circiter nōnās Decembrīs cōnsiliō commūnicātō , parābant in Capitōliō kalendīs Iānuāriīs L . Cottam et L . Torquātum cōnsulēs interficere , ipsī fascibus correptīs Pīsōnem cum exercitū ad obtinendās duās Hispāniās mittere . 6 eā rē cognitā , rūrsus in nōnās Februāriās cōnsilium caedis trānstulerant . 7 iam tum nōn cōnsulibus modo , sed plērīsque senātōribus perniciem māchinābantur . 8 quod nī Catilīna mātūrāsset prō cūriā signum sociīs dare , eō diē post conditam urbem Rōmam pessumum facinus patrātum foret . quia nōndum frequentēs armātī convēnerant , ea rēs cōnsilium dirēmit .

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posteā Pīsō in citeriōrem Hispāniam quaestor prō praetōre missus est , annītente Crassō , quod eum īnfestum inimīcum Cn . Pompeiō cognōverat . 2 neque tamen senātus prōvinciam invītus dederat , quippe foedum hominem ā rē pūblicā procul esse volēbat ; simul , quia bonī complūrēs praesidium in eō putābant , et iam tum potentia Pompeī formīdulōsa erat . 3 sed is Pīsō in prōvinciā ab equitibus Hispānīs quōs in exercitū ductābat , iter faciēns occīsus est . 4 sunt quī ita dīcant , imperia eius iniūsta , superba , crūdēlia barbarōs nequīvisse patī ; 5 aliī autem equitēs illōs , Cn . Pompeī veterēs fīdōsque clientīs , voluntāte eius Pīsōnem aggressōs ; numquam Hispānōs praetereā tāle facinus fēcisse , sed imperia saeva multa anteā perpessōs . nōs eam rem in mediō relinquēmus . 6 dē superiōre coniūrātiōne satis dictum .

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[ 20 ] Catilīna , ubi eōs quōs paulō ante memorāvī convēnisse videt , tametsī cum singulīs multa saepe ēgerat , tamen in rem fore crēdēns univorsōs appellāre et cohortārī , in abditam partem aedium sēcēdit atque ibi , omnibus arbitrīs procul āmōtīs , ōrātiōnem huiusce modī habuit :

2 " nī virtūs fidēsque vostra spectāta mihi forent , nēquīquam opportūna rēs cecidisset ; spēs magna , dominātiō in manibus frūstrā fuissent , neque ego per ignāviam aut vāna ingenia incerta prō certīs captārem . 3 sed quia multīs et magnīs tempestātibus vōs cognōvī fortīs fīdōsque mihi , eō animus ausus est maxumum atque pulcherrumum facinus incipere , simul quia vōbīs eadem quae mihi bona malaque esse intellēxī : 4 nam idem velle atque idem nōlle , ea dēmum firma amīcitia est .

5 " sed ego quae mente agitāvī omnēs iam anteā dīvorsī audīstis . 6 cēterum mihi in diēs magis animus accenditur , cum cōnsīderō quae condiciō vītae futūra sit , nisi nōsmet ipsī vindicāmus in lībertātem . 7 nam postquam rēs pūblica in paucōrum potentium iūs atque diciōnem concessit , semper illīs rēgēs , tetrarchae vectīgālēs esse , populī , nātiōnēs stīpendia pendēre ; cēterī omnēs , strēnuī , bonī , nōbilēs atque ignōbilēs , volgus fuimus sine grātiā , sine auctōritāte , iīs obnoxiī quibus , sī rēs pūblica valēret , formīdinī essēmus . 8 itaque omnis grātia , potentia , honōs , dīvitiae apud illōs sunt aut ubi illī volunt ; nōbīs relīquēre perīcula , repulsās , iūdicia , egestātem .

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[ 13 ] nam quid ea memorem quae nisi iīs quī vīdēre nēminī crēdibilia sunt , ā prīvātīs complūribus subvorsōs montīs , maria cōnstrāta esse ? 2 quibus mihi videntur lūdibriō fuisse dīvitiae ; quippe quās honestē habēre licēbat abūtī per turpitūdinem properābant . 3 sed lubīdō stuprī , gāneae , cēterīque cultūs nōn minor incesserat : virī muliebria patī , mulierēs pudīcitiam in prōpatulō habēre ; vēscendī causā terrā marīque omnia exquīrere , dormīre prius quam somnī cupīdō esset , nōn famem aut sitim , neque frīgus neque lassitūdinem opperīrī , sed ea omnia luxū antecapere . 4 haec iuventūtem , ubi familiārēs opēs dēfēcerant , ad facinora incendēbant . 5 animus imbūtus malīs artibus haud facile lubīdinibus carēbat ; eō profūsius omnibus modīs quaestuī atque sūmptuī dēditus erat .

igitur iīs genus , aetās , ēloquentia prope aequālia fuēre ; magnitūdō animī pār , item glōria , sed alia aliī . 2 Caesar beneficiīs ac mūnificentiā magnus habēbātur , integritāte vītae Catō . ille mānsuētūdine et misericordiā clārus factus , huic sevēritās dignitātem addiderat . 3 Caesar dandō , sublevandō , ignōscundō , Catō nihil largiundō glōriam adeptus est . in alterō miserīs perfugium erat , in alterō mālīs perniciēs . illīus facilitās , huius cōnstantia laudābātur . 4 postrēmō Caesar in animum indūxerat labōrāre , vigilāre ; negōtiīs amīcōrum intentus sua neglegere , nihil dēnegāre quod dōnō dignum esset ; sibi magnum imperium , exercitum , bellum novom exoptābat ubi virtūs ēnitēscere posset . 5 at Catōnī studium modestiae , decōris , sed maxumē sevēritātis erat . 6 nōn dīvitiīs cum dīvite neque factiōne cum factiōsō , sed cum strēnuō virtūte , cum modestō pudōre , cum innocente abstinentiā certābat . esse quam vidērī bonus mālēbat ; ita , quō minus petēbat glōriam , eō magis illum assequēbātur .

Their background , age and eloquence , then , were almost equal ; their greatness of spirit was parallel ; likewise their glory , different though it was in each case . Caesar was regarded as great for his kindnesses and munificence , Cato for the integrity of his life . The former achieved distinction for his mercy and pity ; the latter’s strictness had brought him prestige . Caesar acquired glory by giving , by supporting , by forgiving ; Cato by granting nothing . In the one , the wretched found their refuge ; in the other , the wicked their ruin . The former’s complaisance was praised , the latter’s steadfastness . Caesar , finally , had made up his mind to be hard-working and vigilant ; devoted to the enterprises of his friends , he would neglect his own and refuse nothing that was worth giving ; what he desired for himself was a great command , an army , and a new war where his prowess could shine . But Cato’s enthusiasm was for restraint , honour , but especially strictness ; he did not compete in riches with the rich or in factionalism with the factious , but with the committed in prowess , with the restrained in propriety , with the innocent in self-denial ; he preferred to be , rather than to seem , a good man : thus , the less he sought glory , the more it attended him .

In birth then , in years and in eloquence , p113 they were about equal ; in greatness of soul they were evenly matched , and likewise in renown , although the renown of each was different . 2 Caesar was held great because of his benefactions and lavish generosity , Cato for the uprightness of his life . 3 The former became famous for his gentleness and compassion , the austerity of the latter had brought him prestige . Caesar gained glory by giving , helping , and forgiving ; Cato by never stooping to bribery . ​84 One was a refuge for the unfortunate , the other a scourge for the wicked . The good nature of the one was applauded , the steadfastness of the other . 4 Finally , Caesar had schooled himself to work hard and sleep little , to devote himself to the welfare of his friends and neglect his own , to refuse nothing which was worth the giving . He longed for great power , an army , a new​85 war to give scope for his brilliant merit . 5 Cato , on the contrary , cultivated self-control , propriety , but above all austerity . 6 He did not vie with the rich in riches nor in intrigue with the intriguer , but with the active in good works , with the self-restrained in moderation , with the blameless in integrity . He preferred to be , rather than to seem , virtuous ; ​86 hence the less he sought fame , the more it pursued him .

postquam , ut dīxī , senātus in Catōnis sententiam discessit , cōnsul optumum factū ratus noctem quae īnstābat antecapere nē quid eō spatiō novārētur , triumvirōs quae supplicium postulābat parāre iubet ; 2 ipse , praesidiīs dispositīs , Lentulum in carcerem dēdūcit ; idem fit cēterīs per praetōrēs . 3 est in carcere locus , quod Tulliānum appellātur , ubi paululum ascenderīs ad laevam , circiter duodecim pedēs humī dēpressus . 4 eum mūniunt undique parietēs atque īnsuper camera lapideīs fornicibus iūncta ; sed incultū , tenebrīs , odōre foeda atque terribilis eius faciēs est . 5 in eum locum postquam dēmissus est Lentulus , vindicēs rērum capitālium , quibus praeceptum erat , laqueō gulam frēgēre . 6 ita ille patricius ex gente clārissumā Cornēliōrum , quī cōnsulāre imperium Rōmae habuerat , dignum mōribus factīsque suīs exitium vītae invēnit . dē Cethēgō , Statiliō , Gabīniō , Caepāriō eōdem modō supplicium sūmptum est .

After the senate ( as I have said ) had divided in favour of Cato’s proposal , the consul , deeming that the best thing to do was to forestall the impending night to prevent any revolutionary move during the course of it , ordered the triumvirs to prepare what the punishment demanded . After the deployment of guards , he personally escorted Lentulus to the gaol ; the same was done for the others by the praetors . There is in the gaol a place called the Tullianum , on the left when you have gone up a short way , and sunk into the ground about twelve feet . It is fortified on all sides by walls , and the roof above is spanned by stone vaulting ; but neglect , gloom and stench give it a foul and terrifying appearance . That was the place to which Lentulus was taken down , whereupon the executioners of capital cases , whose commission it was , broke his neck with a noose . So it was that a patrician from the most distinguished clan of the Cornelii , who had held consular command at Rome , met the end which his behaviour and deeds deserved . From Cethegus , Statilius , Gabinius and Caeparius punishment was exacted in the same way .

After the senate had adopted the recommendation of Cato , as I have said , the consul thought it best to forestall any new movement during the approaching night . He therefore ordered the triumvirs​87 to make the necessary preparations for the p115 execution . 2 After setting guards , he personally led Lentulus to the dungeon , while the praetors performed the same office for the others .

3 [ Legamen ad paginam Latinam ] In the prison , when you have gone up a little way towards the left , ​88 there is a place called the Tullianum , ​89 about twelve feet below the surface of the ground . 4 It is enclosed on all sides by walls , and above it is a chamber with a vaulted roof of stone . Neglect , darkness , and stench make it hideous and fearsome to behold . 5 Into this place Lentulus was let down , and then the executioners​90 carried out their orders and strangled him . 6 Thus that patrician , of the illustrious stock of the Cornelii , who had held consular authority at Rome , ended his life in a manner befitting his character and his crimes . Cethegus , Statilius , Gabinius , and Caeparius suffered the same punishment .