Sallust 20:48-54 Course Notes for Thursday Class

Latin III

Instructor:  James Ransom

December 1, 2013

Sallust 20:48-54

Text for Translation and Course Notes

Text

48     "Quin igitur expergiscimini? En illa, illa, quam saepe optastis, libertas,    49          praeterea divitiae, decus, gloria in oculis sita sunt; fortuna omnia ea 50          victoribus praemia posuit. Res, tempus, pericula, egestas, belli spolia 51          magnifica magis quam oratio mea vos hortantur. Vel imperatore vel milite 52     me utimini! Neque animus neque corpus a vobis aberit. Haec ipsa, ut 53          spero, vobiscum una consul agam, nisi forte me animus fallit et vos 54          servire magis quam imperare parati estis."

Notes

48     "Quin igitur expergiscimini?

48        "Quin igitur expergiscimini? Will you not, then, awake to action?; “Quin” with the indicative of the verb expergiscor, expergisci, experectus sum, “to wake up,” “rouse oneself,” makes the question equivalent to a command or exhortation. 

En illa, illa, quam saepe optastis, libertas,

En illa, illa, quam saepe optastis, libertas, Behold that, that  of which you have so often dreamed:  Liberty!; “en”=”Behold”; “illa, illa,” repeated for emphasis and agreeing with “libertas,” the postponed antecedent of “quam.”  “By means of the demonstrative illa, Catiline indicates that he is using libertas in a particular sense that is well known to his audience from their previous [conspiratorial and subversive] discussions.” Ramsey.  “optastis”:  archaic for “optavistis,” second-person plural perfect active indicative of opto, optare, optavi, optatum, “to wish for, desire.”   

49     praeterea divitiae, decus, gloria in oculis sita sunt; fortuna omnia ea 50          victoribus praemia posuit.

49        praeterea divitiae, decus, gloria in oculis sita sunt; …with wealth, honor and glory, are set before your eyes; “praeterea” is an indeclinable adverb meaning “moreover, “in addition.”  “divitiae” is nominative plural of the first declension noun divitia, divitiarum, f., “riches, wealth.”  “decus” is nominative singular of the first declension noun decus, decoris, n., “honor, distinction.” “oculis” is ablative plural (with the preposition “in”) of the second declension noun oculus, oculi, m., “eye.”   “sita” is neuter accusative plural of the first/second declension participle situs, sita, situm, “placed, set, situated.”  fortuna omnia ea 50    victoribus praemia posuit All these prizes fortune has offered to the victorious; “posuit” is third perfect singular perfect indicative active of pono, ponere, posui, positum, “to place, put, lay.”  “praemia” is accusative plural of the second declension noun praemium, praemii, n.  “prize, reward.”  “victoribus” is dative plural of the third declension noun victor, victoris, m.  “ea” is neuter accusative plural of the pronoun is, ea, id. 

Res, tempus, pericula, egestas, belli spolia 51   magnifica magis quam oratio mea vos hortantur.

__________________________________________________________

Res, tempus, pericula, egestas, belli spolia 51     magnifica magis quam oratio mea vos hortantur. Let the revolt itself, the times we live in, the dangers you face, your destitution and the prospect of war’s massive spoils, move you, rather than my mere words;  “hortantur” is third person plural present indicative active of the deponent verb hortor, hortari, hortatus sum, “to encourage, exhort, urge.”  “egestas” is nominative singular of the third declension noun egestas, egestatis, f., “need, want, poverty.”  “spolia” is nominative plural of the second declension noun spolium, spolii, n., “spoils, booty.”  “quam” is a conjunction in coordination with “magis,” meaning “more than, greater than.”  “oratio mea”=”my speech” or “my eloquence,”; “oratio” is nominative singular of the third declension noun oratio, orationis, f. 

Vel imperatore vel milite 52      me utimini!  Neque animus neque corpus a vobis aberit.

Vel imperatore vel milite 52           me utimini!  Treat me as your general or as a fellow soldier; “utimini is second person plural present active imperative of the deponent verb utor, usi, usus sum.  “imperatore” and “milite” are ablatives agreeing with “me.”  Ramsey:  “In the final battle, Catiline is credited with playing the role of both an energetic soldier and a good commander.” Neque animus neque corpus a vobis aberit Neither my body nor my soul shall be denied you; Ramsey:  [“animus” and “corpus”] serve to resume the contrast just above between the role of the “imperator” and the “miles.” “aberit” is third person singular future indicative active of absum, abesse, abfui, abfuturus “to be away, absent.” 

Haec ipsa, ut 53         spero, vobiscum una consul agam, nisi forte me animus fallit et vos 54   servire magis quam imperare parati estis."

Haec ipsa, ut 53 spero These goals I hope to achieve; “spero” is first person singular present indicative active of spero, sperare, speravi, speratum.  vobiscum una consul agam united with you as your consul; “agam” is first person singular present subjunctive active of ago, agere, egi, actum; optative subjunctive.  nisi forte me animus fallit unless I am mistaken; “fallit” is third person singular present indicative active of fallo, fallere, fefelli, falsum, “to be deceived, mistaken.” “nisi forte”=”unless perchance…” et vos 54           servire magis quam imperare parati estis and you are prepared to to be slaves rather than masters; “parati estis” is second person plural perfect indicative passive of paro, parare, paravi, paratus, “to prepare.”