The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [307]
33. And indeed, no fewer appeared daily at his door than went to Crassus for his riches,
34. Or Pompey for his influence in military appointments, these then being the two most powerful men in Rome.
35. Even Pompey himself used to pay court to Cicero,
36. And Cicero’s public actions did much to establish Pompey’s authority and reputation in the state.
Chapter 69
1. Numerous distinguished competitors contested Cicero for the praetor’s office,
2. But he was chosen before them all, and managed the courts with justice and integrity;
3. And especially won the admiration of the common people for his fair and honest dealing.
4. Yet when Cicero was appointed to the consulship it was with no less applause from the nobles than from the common people,
5. Who all agreed it was for the good of the city; and both parties jointly assisted his promotion.
6. This was because the changes to government made by the dictator Sylla had at first seemed arbitrary,
7. But by time and usage they had come to be generally accepted; yet there were some who wished to subvert his arrangements,
8. Not from good motives but for private gain; and because Pompey was away at the wars in Pontus and Armenia, there was insufficient force at Rome to suppress a revolution.
9. These people had at their head a bold, daring and restless man, Lucius Catiline, a man of noble birth and eminent endowments, but of a vicious and depraved disposition.
10. His delight, from his youth, had been in civil commotions, bloodshed, robbery and sedition; and in such scenes he had spent his early years.
11. Catiline could endure hunger, want of sleep and cold, to an amazing degree.
12. His mind was daring, subtle and versatile, capable of pretending or dissembling whatever he wished.
13. He was covetous of other men’s property, and prodigal of his own. He had abundance of eloquence, but little wisdom.
14. His ambition was always pursuing objects extravagant, romantic and unattainable.
15. And since the time of Sylla’s dictatorship, he had had a strong desire to seize the government;
16. Nor did he care, provided that he secured power, by what means he did it.
17. His violent temper was daily hurried further into crime by increasing debts, and by his consciousness of guilt.
18. The corrupt morals of the state, too, which extravagance and selfishness, pernicious and contending vices, rendered thoroughly depraved, furnished him with additional incentives to action.
19. This man was chosen by the more unruly citizens as their leader, and a great part of the young men of the city were corrupted by him,
20. He providing everyone with drink and women, and profusely supplying the expense of their debauches.
21. In so populous and corrupt a city it was easy for Catiline to keep about him, like a bodyguard, crowds of these unprincipled and desperate people.
22. For all those profligate characters, who had dissipated their patrimonies by gaming, luxury and sensuality;
23. All who had contracted heavy debts to purchase immunity for their crimes or offences;
24. All assassins or riotous persons from every quarter, convicted or dreading conviction for their evil deeds;
25. All, besides, whom their tongue or their hand maintained by perjury or civil bloodshed;
26. All, in fine, whom wickedness, poverty or a guilty conscience disquieted,
27. Were the associates and intimate friends of Catiline; and with these he planned revolution.
Chapter 70
1. In addition to Rome itself being in an unsettled and dangerous state, there was trouble beyond the city,
2. For at that time the region of Etruria had been encouraged to revolt, as well as a large part of Cisalpine Gaul.
3. Wishing for a platform to carry out his designs, Catiline stood for the consulship, and had great hopes of success,
4. Thinking that his fellow-consul would be Caius Antonius, a man fit to lead neither in a good nor a bad cause, but who might be a useful deputy.
5. To prevent Catiline,