§15Iam primum adulescens Catilina multa nefanda stupra fecerat, cum virgine nobili, cum sacerdote Vestae, alia huiusce modi contra ius fasque.
Now first of all, as a youth, Catiline had committed many unspeakable outrages, with a noble virgin, with a priestess of Vesta, and other things of this kind contrary to human and divine law.
postremo captus amore Aureliae Orestillae, quoius praeter formam nihil umquam bonus laudavit, quod ea nubere illi dubitabat timens privignum adulta aetate, pro certo creditur necato filio vacuam domum scelestis nuptiis fecisse.
Finally, seized with love for Aurelia Orestilla, in whom no good man ever praised anything except her beauty, because she hesitated to marry him, fearing a stepson of adult age, it is believed for certain that, having killed his son, he made his house empty for the wicked marriage.
quae quidem res mihi in primis videtur causa fuisse facinus maturandi.
And this very thing indeed seems to me to have been the chief cause of hastening the deed.
namque animus inpurus, dis hominibusque infestus, neque vigiliis neque quietibus sedari poterat: ita conscientia mentem excitam vastabat.
For his impure mind, hostile to gods and men, could be calmed neither by waking nor by sleeping; so did his conscience devastate his agitated mind.
igitur colos ei exanguis, foedi oculi, citus modo modo tardus incessus: prorsus in facie voltuque vecordia inerat.
Therefore his complexion was bloodless, his eyes hideous, his gait now swift, now slow; in short, madness was present in his face and expression.
§16Sed iuventutem, quam, ut supra diximus, illexerat, multis modis mala facinora edocebat.
But the youth, whom, as we have said above, he had enticed, he trained in evil deeds in many ways.
ex illis testis signatoresque falsos commodare; fidem fortunas pericula vilia habere; post ubi eorum famam atque pudorem adtriverat, maiora alia imperabat.
From among them, he supplied false witnesses and signers of wills; he held their honor, fortunes, and dangers of no account; afterwards, when he had worn away their reputation and shame, he commanded other greater things.
si causa peccandi in praesens minus suppetebat, nihilo minus insontis sicuti sontis circumvenire iugulare: scilicet ne per otium torpescerent manus aut animus, gratuito potius malus atque crudelis erat.
If a reason for committing a crime was lacking for the moment, nonetheless he would entrap and murder the innocent just as the guilty; clearly, lest their hands or minds should grow dull through leisure, he was evil and cruel without reason.
His amicis sociisque confisus Catilina, simul quod aes alienum per omnis terras ingens erat et quod plerique Sullani milites, largius suo usi, rapinarum et victoriae veteris memores civile bellum exoptabant, opprimundae rei publicae consilium cepit.
Relying on these friends and allies, and at the same time because debt was immense throughout all lands, and because most of Sulla's soldiers, having spent their own too lavishly, and mindful of their plunder and ancient victory, were longing for civil war, Catiline formed a plan to overthrow the republic.
in Italia nullus exercitus, Cn. Pompeius in extremis terris bellum gerebat; ipsi consulatum petenti magna spes, senatus nihil sane intentus: tutae tranquillaeque res omnes, sed ea prorsus opportuna Catilinae.
There was no army in Italy, Gnaeus Pompey was waging war in the furthest lands; he himself had great hope as he sought the consulship, the senate was not at all vigilant; all things were safe and quiet, but these were altogether favorable for Catiline.
§17Igitur circiter kalendas Iunias L. Caesare et C. Figulo consulibus primo singulos appellare; hortari alios alios temptare; opes suas, inparatam rem publicam, magna praemia coniurationis docere.
Therefore, around the Kalends of June, during the consulship of Lucius Caesar and Gaius Figulus, he first approached individuals; he encouraged some, tested others; he pointed out his own resources, the unprepared state of the republic, and the great rewards of the conspiracy.
ubi satis explorata sunt quae voluit, in unum omnis convocat, quibus maxuma necessitudo et plurumum audaciae inerat.
When the things he wished were sufficiently explored, he called all together in one place, in whom there was the greatest need and the most audacity.
eo convenere senatorii ordinis P. Lentulus Sura, P. Autronius, L. Cassius Longinus, C. Cethegus, P. et Ser. Sullae Ser. filii, L. Vargunteius, Q. Annius, M. Porcius Laeca, L. Bestia, Q. Curius; praeterea ex equestri ordine M. Fulvius Nobilior, L. Statilius, P. Gabinius Capito, C. Cornelius; ad hoc multi ex coloniis et municipiis domi nobiles.
There assembled, of the senatorial order, Publius Lentulus Sura, Publius Autronius, Lucius Cassius Longinus, Gaius Cethegus, Publius and Servius Sulla (sons of Servius), Lucius Vargunteius, Quintus Annius, Marcus Porcius Laeca, Lucius Bestia, Quintus Curius; furthermore, of the equestrian order, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, Lucius Statilius, Publius Gabinius Capito, Gaius Cornelius; in addition, many from colonies and municipia who were noble at home.
erant praeterea complures paulo occultius consili huiusce participes nobiles, quos magis dominationis spes hortabatur quam inopia aut alia necessitudo.
There were besides several nobles who were participants of this plan a little more secretly, whom the hope of domination encouraged more than want or any other necessity.
ceterum iuventus pleraque sed maxume nobilium Catilinae inceptis favebat: quibus in otio vel magnifice vel molliter vivere copia erat; incerta pro certis, bellum quam pacem malebant.
Moreover, most of the youth, but especially of the nobles, favored Catiline's undertakings: those who in leisure had the means to live either grandly or softly; they preferred uncertainty to certainty, war to peace.
fuere item ea tempestate qui crederent M. Licinium Crassum non ignarum eius consili fuisse: quia Cn. Pompeius, invisus ipsi, magnum exercitum ductabat, quoiusvis opes voluisse contra illius potentiam crescere, simul confisum, si coniuratio valuisset, facile apud illos principem se fore.
There were also at that time those who believed that Marcus Licinius Crassus was not ignorant of that plan: because Gnaeus Pompey, hated by him, was leading a large army, Crassus wished the power of anyone whomsoever to grow against his power, while trusting at the same time that, if the conspiracy succeeded, he would easily be the leader among them.
§18Sed antea item coniuravere pauci contra rem publicam, in quibus Catilina fuit.
But earlier also, a few had conspired against the republic, among whom was Catiline.
de qua quam verissume potero dicam.
Of which I shall speak as truthfully as I can.
L. Tullo et M'. Lepido consulibus P. Autronius et P. Sulla designati consules legibus ambitus interrogati poenas dederant.
During the consulship of Lucius Tullus and Manius Lepidus, Publius Autronius and Publius Sulla, the consuls-elect, having been prosecuted under the laws against bribery, had suffered punishment.
post paulo Catilina pecuniarum repetundarum reus prohibitus erat consulatum petere, quod intra legitumos dies profiteri nequiverat.
A little later, Catiline, accused of extortion, had been prohibited from seeking the consulship, because he had been unable to declare his candidacy within the lawful days.
erat eodem tempore Cn. Piso, adulescens nobilis, summae audaciae, egens, factiosus, quem ad perturbandam rem publicam inopia atque mali mores stimulabant.
At the same time there was Gnaeus Piso, a noble youth of the greatest audacity, needy, factious, whom poverty and bad character stimulated to overthrow the republic.
cum hoc Catilina et Autronius circiter Nonas Decembris consilio communicato parabant in Capitolio Kalendis Ianuariis L. Cottam et L. Torquatum consules interficere, ipsi fascibus correptis Pisonem cum exercitu ad optinendas duas Hispanias mittere.
With him, Catiline and Autronius, having shared their plan around the Nones of December, were preparing to kill the consuls Lucius Cotta and Lucius Torquatus on the Capitol on the Kalends of January, and they themselves, having seized the fasces, to send Piso with an army to take possession of the two Spains.
ea re cognita rursus in Nonas Februarias consilium caedis transtulerant.
This plot being discovered, they postponed the plan of slaughter again to the Nones of February.
iam tum non consulibus modo, sed plerisque senatoribus perniciem machinabantur.
Already then they were plotting destruction not only for the consuls, but for most of the senators.
quod ni Catilina maturasset pro curia signum sociis dare, eo die post conditam urbem Romam pessumum facinus patratum foret.
And if Catiline had not hastened to give the signal to his associates in front of the senate house, on that day the worst crime since the founding of the city of Rome would have been committed.
quia nondum frequentes armati convenerant, ea res consilium diremit.
Because the armed men had not yet assembled in large numbers, that circumstance broke up the plan.