Let Scipio be thought illustrious, he by whose wisdom and
valour Hannibal was compelled to return into Africa, and to depart from Italy. Let the second
Africanus be extolled with conspicuous praise, who destroyed two cities most hostile to this
empire, Carthage and Numantia. Let Lucius Paullus be thought a great man, he whose triumphal
car was graced by Perses, previously a most powerful and noble monarch. Let
Marius be held in eternal honour, who twice delivered Italy from siege, and from the fear of
slavery. Let Pompey be preferred to them all—Pompey, whose exploits and whose virtues are
bounded by the same districts and limits as the course of the sun. There will be, forsooth,
among the praises of these men, some room for my glory, unless haply it be a greater deed to
open to us provinces whither we may fly, than to take care that those who are at a distance
may, when conquerors; have a home to return to.
Although in one point the circumstances of foreign triumph are better than those of domestic
victory; because foreign enemies, either if they be crushed become one's servants, or if they
be received into the state, think themselves bound to us by obligations; but those of the
number of citizens who become depraved by madness and once begin to be enemies to their
country,—those men, when you have defeated their attempts to injure the republic, you can
neither restrain by force nor conciliate by kindness. So that I see that an eternal war with
all wicked citizens has been undertaken by me; which, however, I am confident can easily be
driven back from me and mine by your aid, and by that of all good men, and by the memory of
such great dangers, which will remain, not only among this people which has been saved, but in
the discourse and minds of all nations forever. Nor, in truth, can any power be found which
will be able to undermine and destroy your union with the Roman knights, and such unanimity as
exists among all good men.
As, then, this is the case, O conscript fathers, instead of my military command—instead of
the army,——instead of the province Cicero, in order to tempt Antonius to
aid him in counteracting the treasonable designs of Catiline, had given up to him the province
of Macedonia, which had fallen to his own lot; and having accepted that or Cisalpine Gaul in
exchange for it, he gave that also to Quintus Metellus; being resolved to receive no
emolument, directly or indirectly, from his consulship. which I have neglected, and the
other badges of honour which have been rejected by me for the sake of protecting the city and
your safety,—in place of the ties of clientship and hospitality with citizens in the provinces,
which, however, by my influence in the city, I study to preserve with as much toil as I labour
to acquire them,—in place of all these things, and in reward for my singular zeal in your
behalf, and for this diligence in saving the republic which you behold, I ask nothing of you
but the recollection of this time and of my whole consulship. And as long as that is fixed in
your minds, I still think I am fenced round by the strongest wall. But if the violence of
wicked men shall deceive and overpower my expectations, I recommend to you my little son, to
whom, in truth, it will be protection enough, not only for his safety, but even for his dignity
if you recollect that he is the son of him who has saved all these things at his own single
risk.
Wherefore, O conscript fathers, determine with care, as you have begun, and boldly,
concerning your own safety, and that of the Roman people, and concerning your wives and
children; concerning your altars and your hearths your shrines and temples; concerning the
houses and homes of the whole city; concerning your dominion, your liberty and the safety of
Italy and the whole republic. For you have a consul who will not hesitate to obey your decrees,
and who will be able as long as he lives, to defend what you decide on and of his own power to
execute it. This speech was spoken, and the criminals executed, on the
fifth of December. But Catiline was not yet entirely overcome. He had with him in Etruria two
legions,—about twelve thousand men; of which, however, not above one quarter were regularly
armed. For some time by marches and counter marches he eluded Antonius, but when the news
reached his army of the fate of the rest of the conspirators it began to desert him in great
numbers. He attempted to escape into Gaul but found himself intercepted by Metellus who had
been sent thither by Cicero with three legions. Antonius is supposed not to have been
disinclined to connive at his escape if he had not been compelled as it were by his quaestor
Sextus and his lieutenant Petreius to force him to a battle, in which, however, Antonius
himself being ill of the gout did not take the command, which devolved on Petreius who after a
severe action destroyed Catiline and his whole army, of which every man is said to have been
slain in the battle.