§44Sed Allobroges ex praecepto Ciceronis per Gabinium ceteros conveniunt.
But the Allobroges, according to the instruction of Cicero, meet the others through Gabinius.
ab Lentulo, Cethego, Statilio, item Cassio postulant ius iurandum, quod signatum ad civis perferant: aliter haud facile eos ad tantum negotium inpelli posse.
From Lentulus, Cethegus, Statilius, and likewise Cassius, they demand a signed oath which they may carry to their citizens; otherwise, they say, they cannot easily be impelled to so great an enterprise.
ceteri nihil suspicantes dant, Cassius semet eo brevi venturum pollicetur ac paulo ante legatos ex urbe proficiscitur.
The others, suspecting nothing, give it; Cassius promises that he himself will come there shortly, and departs from the city a little before the envoys.
Lentulus cum iis T. Volturcium quendam Crotoniensem mittit, ut Allobroges, prius quam domum pergerent, cum Catilina data atque accepta fide societatem confirmarent.
Lentulus sends with them a certain T. Volturcius of Croton, so that the Allobroges, before they proceeded home, might confirm the alliance with Catiline by giving and receiving pledges of faith.
ipse Volturcio litteras ad Catilinam dat, quarum exemplum infra scriptum est. 'Qui sim, ex eo, quem ad te misi, cognosces.
He himself gives Volturcius letters for Catiline, a copy of which is written below: "Who I am, you will learn from him whom I have sent to you.
fac cogites, in quanta calamitate sis, et memineris te virum esse.
Mind you reflect in how great a disaster you are, and remember that you are a man.
consideres, quid tuae rationes postulent.
Consider what your plans demand.
auxilium petas ab omnibus, etiam ab infumis. '
Ad hoc mandata verbis dat: quom ab senatu hostis iudicatus sit, quo consilio servitia repudiet? in urbe parata esse quae iusserit.
Seek help from all, even from the lowest." In addition to this, he gives verbal instructions: since he has been judged an enemy by the Senate, for what purpose does he reject the slaves?
: ne cunctetur ipse propius adcedere.
In the city, those things which he ordered are prepared; let him not hesitate to approach closer himself.
§45his rebus ita actis, constituta nocte qua proficiscerentur Cicero per legatos cuncta edoctus L. Valerio Flacco et C. Pomptino praetoribus imperat, ut in ponte Mulvio per insidias Allobrogum comitatus deprehendant.
These things having been so done, and the night being appointed on which they should depart, Cicero, having been fully informed of everything through the envoys, commands the praetors L. Valerius Flaccus and C. Pomptinus to capture the company of the Allobroges by an ambush at the Mulvian bridge.
rem omnem aperit, quoius gratia mittebantur; cetera, uti facto opus sit, ita agant permittit.
He opens the whole matter for the sake of which they were sent, and permits them to act in other things as there might be need of action.
illi, homines militares, sine tumultu praesidiis conlocatis, sicuti praeceptum erat, occulte pontem obsidunt.
They, being military men, having stationed guards without tumult, secretly blockade the bridge as they had been instructed.
postquam ad id loci legati cum Volturcio venerunt et simul utrimque clamor exortus est, Galli cito cognito consilio sine mora praetoribus se tradunt, Volturcius primo cohortatus ceteros gladio se a multitudine defendit, deinde, ubi a legatis desertus est, multa prius de salute sua Pomptinum obtestatus, quod ei notus erat, postremo timidus ac vitae diffidens velut hostibus sese praetoribus dedit.
After the envoys arrived at that place with Volturcius, and at the same time a shout arose on both sides, the Gauls, quickly understanding the plan, surrender themselves without delay to the praetors. Volturcius at first, having encouraged the others, defended himself with his sword against the multitude; then, when he was abandoned by the envoys, having first pleaded much with Pomptinus for his safety because he was known to him, at last, terrified and despairing of his life, surrendered himself to the praetors as if to enemies.
§46Quibus rebus confectis omnia propere per nuntios consuli declarantur.
These things having been accomplished, all things are hastily declared to the consul through messengers.
at illum ingens cura atque laetitia simul occupavere.
But a huge anxiety and joy occupied him at the same time.
nam laetabatur intellegens coniuratione patefacta civitatem periculis ereptam esse; porro autem anxius erat dubitans, in maxumo scelere tantis civibus deprehensis quid facto opus esset: poenam illorum sibi oneri,inpunitatem perdundae rei publicae fore credebat.
For he rejoiced, understanding that by the disclosure of the conspiracy the state was snatched from dangers; yet he was anxious, doubting what ought to be done since such great citizens were caught in so great a crime: he believed that their punishment would be a burden to himself, and their impunity would be the ruin of the republic.
igitur confirmato animo vocari ad sese iubet Lentulum,Cethegum, Statilium, Gabinium itemque Caeparium Terracinensem, qui in Apuliam ad concitanda servitia proficisci parabat.
Therefore, with his mind strengthened, he orders Lentulus, Cethegus, Statilius, Gabinius, and likewise Caeparius of Terracina, who was preparing to depart for Apulia to stir up the slaves, to be called to him.
ceteri sine mora veniunt; Caeparius, paulo ante domo egressus, cognito indicio ex urbe profugerat.
The others come without delay; Caeparius, having gone out of his house a little before, had fled from the city upon learning of the disclosure.
consul Lentulum, quod praetor erat, ipse manu tenens in senatum perducit, reliquos cum custodibus in aedem Concordiae venire iubet.
The consul, holding Lentulus by the hand because he was a praetor, leads him into the Senate; the rest he orders to come with guards into the Temple of Concord.
eo senatum advocat magnaque frequentia eius ordinis Volturcium cum legatis introducit, Flaccum praetorem scrinium cum litteris, quas a legatis acceperat, eodem adferre iubet.
He summons the Senate thither, and in a great assembly of that order, introduces Volturcius with the envoys; he orders Flaccus the praetor to bring thither the portfolio with the letters which he had received from the envoys.
§47Volturcius interrogatus de itinere, de litteris, postremo quid aut qua de causa consili habuisset, primo fingere alia, dissimulare de coniuratione; post ubi fide publica dicere iussus est, omnia, uti gesta erant, aperit docetque se paucis ante diebus a Gabinio et Caepario socium adscitum nihil amplius scire quam legatos, tantummodo audire solitum ex Gabinio P. Autronium, Ser.
Volturcius, being questioned about his journey, about the letters, and finally what plan he had held or for what reason, at first fabricated other things and dissembled about the conspiracy; but afterwards, when he was ordered to speak under the public pledge of safety, he discloses all things as they had been done, and shows that he, having been admitted as an associate a few days before by Gabinius and Caeparius, knew nothing more than the envoys, except that he was accustomed to hear from Gabinius that P.
Sullam, L. Vargunteium, multos praeterea in ea coniuratione esse.
Autronius, Ser. Sulla, L. Vargunteium, and many others besides were in that conspiracy.
eadem Galli fatentur ac Lentulum dissimulantem coarguunt praeter litteras sermonibus, quos ille habere solitus erat: ex libris Sibyllinis regnum Romae tribus Corneliis portendi; Cinnam atque Sullam antea, se tertium esse, quoi fatum foret urbis potiri; praeterea ab incenso Capitolio illum esse vigesumum annum, quem saepe ex prodigiis haruspices respondissent bello civili cruentum fore.
The Gauls confess the same things, and convict Lentulus, who was dissembling, not only by the letters but also by the conversations which he was accustomed to hold: that from the Sibylline books, the kingship of Rome was portended to three Cornelii; that Cinna and Sulla had been before, and he was the third to whom it was fated to possess the city; moreover, that this was the twentieth year from the burning of the Capitol, which the haruspices had often answered from prodigies would be bloody with civil war.
igitur perlectis litteris, quom prius omnes signa sua cognovissent, senatus decernit, uti abdicato magistratu Lentulus itemque ceteri in liberis custodiis habeantur.
Therefore, the letters having been read through, since all had first recognized their own seals, the Senate decrees that, having resigned his office, Lentulus and likewise the others should be held in free custody.
itaque Lentulus P. Lentulo Spintheri, qui tum aedilis erat, Cethegus Q. Cornificio, Statilius C. Caesari, Gabinius M. Crasso, Caeparius — nam is paulo ante ex fuga retractus erat — Cn. Terentio senatori traduntur.
Thus Lentulus is delivered to P. Lentulus Spinther, who was then aedile, Cethegus to Q. Cornificius, Statilius to C. Caesar, Gabinius to M. Crassus, and Caeparius—for he had been brought back from flight a little before—to Cn. Terentius the senator.