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Mon 28 Mar, 2011 12:39 pm
Hello,
I know this is a rather large request, but if anyone would be willing to check my translation for corrections, I would appreciate it. Please, by all means, be nitpicky. Loose translations don't help me learn Latin very well.
Thank you
44 Sed Allobroges ex praecepto Ciceronis per Gabinium ceteros conveniunt. Ab Lentulo, Cethego, Statilio, item Cassio postulant ius iurandum, quod signatum ad civis perferant; aliter haud facile eos ad tantum negotium impelli posse. 2 Ceteri nihil suspicantes dant, Cassius semet eo brevi venturum pollicetur, ac paulo ante legatos ex urbe proficiscitur. 3 Lentulus cum eis T. Volturcium quendam Crotoniensem mittit, ut Allobroges prius quam domum pergerent cum Catilina data atque accepta fide societatem confirmarent. 4 Ipse Volturcio litteras ad Catilinam dat, quarum exemplum infra scriptum est: 5 "Quis sim ex eo quem ad te misi cognosces. Fac cogites in quanta calamitate sis, et memineris te virum esse. Consideres quid tuae rationes postulent. Auxilium petas ab omnibus, p76etiam ab infimis." 7 Ad hoc mandata verbis dat: cum ab senatu hostis iudicatus sit, quo consilio servitia repudiet? In urbe parata esse quae iusserit; ne cunctetur ipse propius accedere.
45 His rebus ita actis, constituta nocte qua profiscerentur, Cicero per legatos cuncta edoctus L. Valerio Flacco et C. Pomptino praetoribus imperat ut in ponte Mulvio per insidias Allobrogum comitatus deprehendant. Rem omnem aperit cuius gratia mittebantur, cetera, uti facto opus sit, ita agant permittit. 2 Illi, homines militares, sine tumultu praesidiis collocatis, sicuti praeceptum erat, occulte pontem obsidunt.
44.1
But the Allobroges from the order of Cicero through Gabinius assemble the remaining men. They demanded from Lentulus, Cethegus, and Statilius, likewise Cassius swearing an oath which would bear the seal to the citizens: otherwise that by no means would they be able to be easily persuaded to such great trouble.
44.2
The remaining men suspecting nothing gave (the oath); Cassius promises that he is going to come to that place shortly and departs a little before the legates out of the city.
44.3
Lentulus sends with them a certain Titus Volturcius of Crotona in order that the Allobroges, before they proceeded home, might strengthen the alliance with Catiline, faith/loyalty having been given and received.
44.4
He himself gave a letter to Catiline from Volturcius, of which a sample was written below:
44.5
Who I am you will learn from that man whom I sent to you. Do so that you consider in how great a disaster you are, and remember that you are a man. Examine what your considerations demand; (and) seek aide from all, even from the lowest.
44.6
Moreover he gives orders with (these) words: when he was declared an enemy by the senate, by which plan will you reject the slaves? In the city (the things) which you ordered were prepared; he himself should not delay to approach more closely.
45.1
Thus these things having been done, (and) a night having been appointed by which they might depart, Cicero, having been informed of all things through the legates, demanded the praetors Lucius Valerius Flaccus and Gaius Pomptionus to seize the escorts of the Allobroges on the Mulvian Bridge by ambush/plots. He explained the whole thing on account of which they were sent; he entrusted to them the remaining things as there might be need for action. ???
45.2
Those men, military men, the guards having been assembled without commotion, just as it had been ordered, secretly occupied the bridge.
@wildflower92490,
Hi wildflower!
Let's go at it a bit at a time.
Sed Allobroges ex praecepto Ciceronis per Gabinium ceteros conveniunt.
When
conveniunt is used a transitive verb, it is usually translated
"they meet". So in this case, at Cicero's command the Allobroges meet the
others through Gabinius. That is, Gabinius introduces them or arranges
the meeting.
Ab Lentulo, Cethego, Statilio, item Cassio postulant ius iurandum,
I would say they demand
the swearing
of an oath.
quod signatum ad civis perferant;
I think
quod refers to the oath and
signatum means that it was
written down and sealed. The verb
preferant is plural and refers to the
Allobroges. So I would tend to say something like "which, sealed, they
take . . ."
Back later.
@George,
data atque accepta fide
I would translate
fide as "a pledge of faith (or loyalty)"
@George,
Thank you for all your help so far. I know I asked a lot all at once.
quarum exemplum infra scriptum est
In this context, I'd go with "transcript", or "copy" for exemplum.
Fac cogites in quanta calamitate sis
In sentences like this I've often seen fac translated as "See to it that . . ."
Consideres quid tuae rationes postulent
Perhaps "plans" rather than "considerations" for rationes.