8.
etiam si . . . possit: § 527, c (313, c); cf. B. 309; G. 604 and R.1; 14.585(515, ii); H-B. 582,8. in custodiam dedisti, i.e. into free custody, on parole. This appears to have been late in October, when Catiline was prosecuted on the Lex Plautia de vi. When a respectable Roman was charged with a crime it was customary for some person to bail him out, as it were, by becoming responsible for his appearance. Being thus responsible, the surety kept the accused in a kind of custody at his house. ad M'. Lepidum, etc.: ad = apud. Lepidus was the consul of B.C. 66. ad me: this was of course intended by Catiline as a demonstration of his innocence. domi meae: § 428, k (258, e); G. 411, a.4; H.-B. 454.1. parietibus, loc. abl.; moenibus, abl. of means. Observe the difference of meaning in these words and the emphasis of the contrast, qui . . . essem: this would be subj. (sim) in dir. disc. as implying the reason; § 535, e (320, e); B. 283, 3; G. 626, a.; H. 592, 598 (517); H.-B. 523. Metellum: Q. Metellus Celer, consul B.C. 60; he afterwards did good service in the campaign against Catiline. virum optimum, an excellent man (ironical, of course). sagacissimum, keen-scented; fortissimum, energetic and fearless. videtur . . . debere, does it seem that he ought to be? Observe that the Latin prefers the personal construction ("does he seem," etc.), which the English idiom with ought does not allow us to imitate: § 582 (330, b, I); B. 332, b; G. 528, R2; H. 611, N.1 (534, 1, N.1); Cf. H-B. 590, I, a.
Two courses were open to Catiline: to leave the city or to run his chances of being put to death. If he left the city, he could, of course, either join his accomplice Manlius in the insurgent camp at Faesulae, or abandon his projects and go into voluntary exile. Apparently some of the Senators had privately urged him to adopt the latter alternative, promising, in that case, that all proceedings should be dropped, and Catiline, though rejecting their advice, had declared that he would not refuse to obey a senatus consultum decreeing his banishment. Such a decree would, however, have been favorable to Catiline's plans, for, since he bad not been formally brought to trial, he would have been able to pose as an injured citizen exiled by an arbitrary aristocratic party. Hence Cicero refuses to put the question to the Senate, though he asserts there could be no doubt about the result. By taking this course Cicero forced Catiline to make his intentions plain by the overt act of leaving the city of his own accord and hastening to the camp of Manlius. refer . . . ad senatum: the technical term for the action of the presiding officer (regularly the consul) in bringing a matter before the Senate for action. See general Introduction, p. lvii. si hic ordo placere, etc.: fut. cond. in indir. disc. placere (sc. sibi): the subject is te . . . exsilium. abhorret, is contrary to: because the Senate would have no legal power to pronounce such a judgment. faciam ut, etc.: § 568 (332); B. 297, I G. 553, I ; H. 568 (498, ii); H.-B. 502, 3, a. To make the feelings of the Senate clear, Cicero formally commands Catiline to leave the city (egredere, etc.); then pauses to allow the Senators a chance to protest, and then points out that no objections are heard. ecquid attendis, are you listening? The adverbial ecquid (at all) can hardly be idiomatically rendered, but gives an emphasis to the question. patiuntur, they tolerate this, i.e. they make no objection to this extreme exercise of authority on my part. quid exspectas, etc.: why do you wait for those to express their opinion in words whose wishes you see clearly by their silence? The Latin idiom is quite different: why do you wait for the expressed opinion (auctoritatem) of [those] speaking whose wishes you see [when] silent?
huic, this.. . here: the demonstrative pronouns are often thus employed in the so-called deictic use, accompanied by a gesture. Sestio: a member of the aristocratic party whom Cicero afterwards defended in one of his greatest orations. M. Marcello: a prominent member of the aristocracy, consul B.C. 51; not to be confounded with the person of the same name mentioned in sect. 19. He took a leading part in the Civil War against Caesar, and was afterwards defended by Cicero (see p.213)-jam, by this time. consuli, consul as I ant. in templo, i.e. notwithstanding the sacredness of the place. vim et manus (hendiadys), violent hands. cum quiescunt, i.e. by keeping quiet: § 549, a (326, a); G. 582; H. 599(517,2); H-B. 551. videlicet cara, alluding to his demand to have the matter submitted to the Senate. voces, cries (of the crowd outside). haec (with a gesture, cf. huic, sect. 21, first note), i.e. all that is round us, the city, etc. prosequantur, escort It was the custom for those who were going into voluntary exile to be thus accompanied to the gate by their friends. Cicero sarcastically declares that, if Catiline will depart, the whole Senate will be so glad to be rid of him as to forget his crimes and pay him this honor.
