Page images
PDF
EPUB

86

qui

fiet, si haec elapsa de manibus nostris in eum annum, consequitur, redundarint? unus si erit consul et is non in administrando bello, sed in sufficiendo collega occupatus, haec iam qui impedituri sunt?**** illa pestis immanis, importuna Catilinae prorumpet, quae * * * minatur: in agros suburbanos repente advolabit; versabitur in rostris furor, in curia timor, in foro coniuratio, in campo exercitus, in agris vastitas; omni autem in sede ac loco ferrum flammamque metuemus, quae iam diu comparantur. eadem ista omnia, si ornata suis praesidiis erit res publica, facile et magistratuum consiliis et privatorum diligentia comprimentur.

XL. quae cum ita sint, iudices, primum rei publicae causa, qua nulla res cuiquam potior debet esse, vos pro mea summa et vobis cognita in re publica diligentia moneo, pro auctoritate consulari hortor, pro magnitudine periculi obtestor, ut otio, ut paci, ut saluti, ut vitae vestrae et ceterorum civium consulatis deinde ego idem vos defensoris et amici officio adductus oro atque obsecro, iudices, ut ne hominis miseri et cum corporis morbo tum animi dolore confecti, L. Murenae, recentem gratulationem nova lamentatione obruatis. modo maximo beneficio populi Romani ornatus fortunatus videbatur, quod primus in familiam veterem, primus in municipium antiquis

85. redundarint] run over into. for metaphor cf. Nägelsb. Stil. 132. г.

collega] to take Murena's place.

sunt] so MS. Lag. 9, and this makes sense, though I admit it savours of a correction. After this there is a lacuna in the MSS., and the following words to minatur are also imperfect.

immanis] After this word H. very plausibly conjectures that manus has been lost. cf. pro Sest. § 42, Catilinae importunam manum. prorumpet] sc. from the gorges of the Apennines. H.

vastitas] 'desolation,' as usual. suis] with its proper means of defence.' T.

xl. 86. moneo-hortor-obtestor] climax. 'warn'-'urge'-'adjure.'

ut] expresses the object in general, ne the negation. Madv. § 456.

obruatis] 'do not drown the sounds of congratulation still fresh in his ears with the sudden voice of woe.' beneficio. § 3.

familiam veterem] cf. §§ 15, 53.

municipium] Lanuvium, § go. It was an ancient Latin town among the Alban hills. No distinction was drawn between these old cantonal centres and the coloniae Latinae, save that now and then the latter are spoken of as coloniae to mark their origin. By the Julian law of B.C. 90 all alike were offered the citizenship. But Lanuvium was conquered in B.C. 338, and received the civitas sine suffragio. The people became municipes in relation to Rome, i. e., they bore burdens, such

simum consulatum attulisset: nunc idem squalore et sordibus * * confectus, lacrimis ac maerore perditus, vester est supplex, judices, vestram fidem obtestatur, vestram misericordiam implorat, vestram potestatem ac vestras opes intuetur. nolite, 87 per deos immortales! iudices, hac eum re, qua se honestiorem fore putavit, etiam ceteris ante partis honestatibus atque omni dignitate fortunaque privare. atque ita vos si Murena, iudices, orat atque obsecrat, si iniuste neminem laesit, si nullius aures voluntatemve violavit, si nemini, ut levissime dicam, odio nec domi nec militiae fuit, sit apud vos modestiae locus, sit demissis perfugium, sit auxilium pudori. misericordiam spoliatio consulatus magnam habere debet, iudices; una enim eripiuntur cum consulatu omnia. invidiam vero his temporibus habere consulatus ipse nullam potest; obicitur enim contionibus seditiosorum, insidiis coniuratorum, telis Catilinae, ad omne denique periculum atque ad omnem invidiam solus opponitur. quare qui invidendum Murenae aut cuiquam 88 nostrum sit in hoc praeclaro consulatu, non video, iudices:

as army-service and the tributum, but had no vote. cf. Mommsen, bk. II. c. 5. At a later time, before the Julian law, they had received the full citizenship. cf. § 42.

squalore et sordibus] cf. pro Cluent. § 18, and Prof. Ramsay's note. Here follows a small lacuna.

vester supplex] so pro Cluent. § 200, supplicem vestrum. The reading of MS. Lag. 9 vestram supplex, iudices, vestram...is very tempting. Z. adopts it.

87. hac eum re......ceteris] The double ablative has an awkward air, but the same may be said of § 23 (see note); the real difficulty is that hac re his desire of the consulship, qua=his attainment of it. T. well cf. Tusc. D. II. § 43, quod ergo et postulatur a fortibus et laudatur, quum fit, id aut extimescere veniens aut non ferre praesens nonne turpe est? where quod-toleranter dolorem pati, but id=dolorem.

honestatibus] honestas is the quality imparted by honores, as we say

'distinction.' The plural in this sense seems to occur here only.

ita] sc. 'as I describe him,' lacrimis ac dolore perditus etc.

=

si] if, as is the fact,' eleр, as often, especially, as Z. remarks, in perorations. cf. § 90, pro Cluent. $ 200, pro Rosc. Am. § 153, pro Balbo § 64.

neminem ... nullius nemini] a good instance of Latin usage.

levissime] so in Catil. III. § 17, pro Sest. § 145. "To make the least of it.'

demissis] so with Z. and MS. Lag. 9 I prefer to read, leaving out the hominibus which follows in most MSS. The conj. demissioni animi seems to me clever but superfluous. pudori] cf. §§ 30, 64. habere] cf. on § 68.

obicitur] 'is exposed to'..., 'at the mercy of'...cf. § 82.

opponitur] 'is set to meet.' cf. the play on this word in Catull. 26. 88. praeclaro] 'this glorious'... ironical, cf. § 22.

quae vero miseranda sunt, ea et mihi ante oculos versantur et vos videre et perspicere potestis. XLI. si—quod Iuppiter omen avertat!—hunc vestris sententiis adflixeritis, quo se miser vertet? domumne? ut eam imaginem clarissimi viri, parentis sui, quam paucis ante diebus laureatam in sua gratulatione conspexit, eandem deformatam ignominia lugentemque videat? an ad matrem? quae misera, modo consulem osculata filium suum, nunc cruciatur et sollicita est, ne eundem 89 paulo post spoliatum omni dignitate conspiciat? sed quid ego matrem eius aut domum appello, quem nova poena legis et domo et parente et omnium suorum consuetudine conspectuque privat? ibit igitur in exilium miser. quo? ad orientisne partes, in quibus annos multos legatus fuit, exercitus duxit, res maximas gessit? at habet magnum dolorem, unde cum honore decesseris, eodem cum ignominia reverti. an se in contrariam partem terrarum abdet, ut Gallia transalpina, quem nuper summo cum imperio libentissime viderit, eundem lugentem, maerentem, exulem videat? in ea porro provincia quo animo C. Murenam fratrem suum aspiciet! qui huius dolor! qui illius maeror erit! quae utriusque lamentatio! quanta autem perturbatio fortunae atque sermonis, cum, quibus in locis paucis ante diebus factum esse consulem Murenam

miseranda sunt] sc. in hoc consulatu.

xli. omen] contained in the unlucky word adflixeritis.

quo...conspiciat?] M. well remarks that this is probably imitated from the words of G. Gracchus, quoted in de Or. III. § 214, quo me miser conferam? quo vertam? in Capitoliumne? at fratris sanguine madet. an domum? matremne ut miseram lamentantem videam et abiectam? also loosely quoted in Quint. XI. iii. 115. cf. also Eur. Med. 502-5 and the translation in de Or. III. § 217.

laureatam] His father was a vir triumphalis, and the wreath on his bust would be renewed in order to receive the newly-elected consul home with rejoicing.

ignominial properly of punishment affecting civil or military position,

particularly of the nota censoria. Here of the effect of condemnation under the lex Tullia (cf. on § 46), and rhetorically made to extend to the father's bust.

89. appello] 'name,' 'speak of.' cf. pro Sest. § 108.

nova poena] of the lex Tullia. cf. on § 46.

habet] cf. on § 68.

summo cum imperio] as propraetor. cf. § 42. He had left his brother Gaius there in charge as legatus when he came to Rome to seek the consulship. Sall. Cat. 42.

perturbatio] turning topsy-turvy. A strong term, like many in this peroration.

sermonis] people will not know what to call him, and will doubt whether they know anyone's correct style after so sudden a change.

nuntii litteraeque celebrarint et unde hospites atque amici gratulatum Romam concurrerint, repente existet ipse nuntius suae calamitatis! quae si acerba, si misera, si luctuosa sunt, 90 si alienissima a mansuetudine et misericordia vestra, iudices, conservate populi Romani beneficium, reddite rei publicae consulem date hoc ipsius pudori, date patri mortuo, date generi et familiae, date etiam Lanuvio, municipio honestissimo, quod in hac tota causa frequens maestumque vidistis. nolite a sacris patriis Iunonis Sospitae, cui omnes consules facere necesse est, domesticum et suum consulem potissimum avellere. quem ego vobis, si quid habet aut momenti commendatio aut auctoritatis confirmatio mea, consul consulem, iudices, ita commendo, ut cupidissimum otii, studiosissimum bonorum, acerrimum contra seditionem, fortissimum in bello, inimicissimum huic coniurationi, quae nunc rem publicam labefactat, futurum esse promittam et spondeam.

90. pudori] cf. on §§ 30, 64. quod...frequens] i. e. crowds of supporters from Lanuvium. tota, sc. all the while this trial has been going on.

sacris] cf. Liv. VIII. 14, Lanuvinis civitas data sacraque sua reddita cum eo ut aedes lucusque Sospitae Iunonis communis Lanuvinis municipibus cum populo Romano esset.

facere] 'sacrifice,' as in ad Att. 1. 13. 3. cf. Verg. Ecl. III. 77.

suum] as a native of the town to which the worship properly belonged.

momenti] sc. if it can turn the scale so as to get a favourable verdict. cf. in Vatin. § 9, id est maximi momenti et ponderis.

CIC. pro L. Mur.

7

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

§ 10. esses. esset. H. § 13.

...esset, tamen vel dignitas hominis vel honoris eius

....H.

nemini, quibus laboribus ea ceperis, eos, cum adeptus sis, deponere, esset...H.

aliquo convicio. aliquod convicium. H.

sunt. quaeque v. s. H.

§ 14.

quamquam vitiosa

omnino. iudicio sic a me omnino, iudices. sic a me...dictum

[blocks in formation]

§ 22, qui potes dubitare. qui potest dubitari. H. rei militaris [quam iuris civilis] glo

ria?

§ 23. didicisti. dilexisti. H. § 24. in his. in iis. H.

rei militaris quam iuris civilis gloria? H.

dicendi facultas. facultas. H.

« PreviousContinue »