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The Orations of Cicero Against Catiline. With Introd., Notes, Exercises, and Vocabulary by Charles Haines Keene

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256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 64

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About the author

Marcus Tullius Cicero

8,044 books1,952 followers
Born 3 January 106 BC, Arpinum, Italy
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.

Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone

Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Mohammad Ali Shamekhi.
1,096 reviews312 followers
October 23, 2015

مضمون هر چهار خطابه توطئه ی کاتیلینا برای به دست گرفتن قدرت در رم است. کاتیلینا در دوران کنسولی کیکرو برای آتش زدن رم و گرفتن قدرت توطئه ای می کند. پس از کشف توطئه به واسطه ی کیکرو از شهر بیرون رانده می شود. کاتیلینا به قوای متحد خود می پیوند اما پس از دستگیری طرفداران و عواملش در رم و اعدام آنها، در جریان نبرد کشته می شود

من با گرایشی به سخن های حکمت آمیز و اندرزگویانه ی کیکرو به سمت این کتاب رفتم اما این کتاب سرتاسر اثری است سیاسی. کیکرو در این خطابه می کوشد مردم و سنا را برای اعمال خود راضی نگه دارد. در ابتدا تلاش می کند دلیل خود برای اعدام نکردن کاتیلینا را مطرح کند ( و آن دلیل این است که کاتیلینا تا زمانی که یک نفر طرفدار در رم دارد نباید کشته شود زیرا این کار آتش درگیری را زنده نگه می دارد؛ باید او و طرفدارانش از رم بیرون بروند تا نبرد داخلی به جنگ بدل شود ). بعدتر می کوشد خود را از اتهام سازشکاری و ناتوانی به دلیل آزاد گذاشتن کاتیلینا از یک طرف و اتهام سختگیری بر کاتیلینا از طرف دیگر رها کند. و سرانجام می کوشد سنا را برای مجازات حداکثری عوامل کاتیلینا اقناع کند

خطابه از یک جهت آزاردهنده است و آن تأکید مدام بر تضاد حق و باطل است. کیکرو دائم رم - و خود به مثابه کنسول - را حق مطلق و کاتیلینا را باطل مطلق می شمارد. اشاراتی هست که تردید در این حرف را جایز می کند مثلا حمله های مدام به قوانین مربوط به اصلاحات ارضی در دوران قبل، حمله به سوء استفاده از برخی غلامان و مسکینان و وعده های کاتیلینا مبنی بر تقسیم ثروت میان قشر ضعیف. سوای اینکه آیا کاتیلینا در پی فریب مردم بوده یا نه، صرف وجود این دعاوی نشان از نارضایتی درونی طبقات پایین رم دارد و اینکه عده ای مستعد شورش علیه اشراف و طبقات بالا بوده اند. حضور گل ها به مثابه قومی بیرونی که رمی نیستند و کاتیلینا - هر چند بی نتیجه - از آنها کمک می خواهد، نشان از نارضایتی های اقلیت ها - یا شاید بهتر باشد بگوییم حاشیه ای ها - دارد

دیگر عنصر جالب تأکید دائم کیکرو - خصوصا بعد از دستگیری ها - بر حمایت الهی است. او دائم تأکید می کند که خود این کارها را انجام نداده بلکه فلان و بهمان اتفاق به ما نشان می دهد خدایان از رم حمایت می کنند. اینها حرف هایی است که برای ما در ایران خیلی آشنا هستند

همچینن خصلت جمهوریت و نفس تلاش سیاستمداران برای اقناع مردم سویه ی منفی خود را نیز در این خطابه ها آشکار می کند. تلاش برای ساده کردن مسائل و بیرون راندن افراد با برچسب های شرورانه و ناجی خواندن خود
Profile Image for Chiara .
46 reviews13 followers
January 2, 2016
Io odio, detesto e aborro Cicerone… Un riccone di provincia (si direbbe oggi, ai tempi un eques originario di Arpino, un conservatore quasi anacronistico, un maneggione , quasi onesto, ma “alla bisogna” capace di difendere l’indifendibile.
Io amo, adoro, idolatro Cicerone. Ebbene sì, lo ammetto: quell’ometto tanto fastidioso riesce a sedurmi con le sue parole… Anzi, no. Non con le sue parole, ma con la sua lingua, con l’uso che fa di questa lingua, delle sue costruzioni, della sua armonia; come riesce a plasmarla e a piegarla alle necessità del pensiero, il quale, a sua volta, trova maggiore forza e significato grazie alla lingua. Il latino, nella penna di Cicerone, diventa così bello, che il fatto che Le catilinarie siano, in sostanza, quattro orazioni politiche pronunciate in Senato e al popolo, passa in secondo piano. Anche se… Sì, in alcuni passaggi il libro diventa interessante proprio per la prospettiva narrativa: la soggettività del punto di vista dell’oratore ci immerge nella vicenda, ne accentua i toni cupi, sembra quasi un romanzo.
Il problema, forse, è che Cicerone fa in modo che si rimanga affascinati da Catilina, e che, contemporaneamente, lo si detesti…
Profile Image for Alex Pler.
Author 8 books273 followers
April 14, 2022
"Con vuestros recuerdos se alimentarán nuestras hazañas".

Cuatro discursos con los que Cicerón puso al descubierto el golpe de estado que se cernía sobre Roma. La cadencia de las frases del orador te arrastra con él. Bofetadas verbales que nunca pierden la elegancia.
Profile Image for Sofia.
1,033 reviews129 followers
August 27, 2017
Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?
Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus eludet?
Quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia?
Nihilne te nocturnum praesidium Palatii,
nihil urbis vigiliae,
nihil timor populi,
nihil concursus bonorum omnium,
nihil hic munitissimus habendi senatus locus,
nihil horum ora vultusque moverunt?

Patere tua consilia non sentis?
Constrictam omnium horum scientia teneri coniurationem tuam non vides?
Quid proxima, quid superiore nocte egeris, ubi fueris, quos convocaveris, quid consilii ceperis, quem nostrum ignorare arbitraris?
O tempora, o mores!

As Catilinárias (63 a.C.) fazem parte do currículo académico de muitos cursos superiores e são, ainda hoje, modelos de oratória persuasiva, usados por políticos bastante famosos.
Não vou tecer grandes comentários sobre as questões políticas que estão na base do confronto entre Cícero e Catilina porque - muito honestamente - não tenho sabedoria e conhecimento para tal.
Contudo, achei algumas partes muitíssimo curiosas, como a comparação que Cícero faz entre si e Rómulo, equiparando-se: se prestaram honras a quem criou esta cidade, deverão prestá-las a quem a conservou (creio que a presunção fosse uma qualidade naquele tempo).
É um texto muito valioso, que merece alguma atenção.

Tradução portuguesa, retirada da wikipédia, do excerto acima:

Até quando, Catilina, abusarás da nossa paciência?
Por quanto tempo a tua loucura há de zombar de nós?
A que extremos se há de precipitar a tua desenfreada audácia?
Nem a guarda do Palatino,
nem a ronda noturna da cidade,
nem o temor do povo,
nem a afluência de todos os homens de bem,
nem este local tão bem protegido para a reunião do Senado,
nem a expressão do voto destas pessoas, nada disto conseguiu perturbar-te?
Não te dás conta que os teus planos foram descobertos?
Não vês que a tua conspiração a têm já dominada todos estes que a conhecem?
Quem, dentre nós, pensas tu que ignora o que fizeste na noite passada e na precedente, onde estiveste, com quem te encontraste, que decisão tomaste?
Oh tempos, oh costumes!
Profile Image for iva°.
737 reviews110 followers
September 1, 2021
izvrsno dvojezično izdanje (latinski/hrvatski) ciceronovih govora protiv katiline popraćeno kronologijama ciceronovog i katilininog života, objašnjenjem o jeziku, stilu i kompoziciji govora, stilskim figurama i tropima izvučenim iz govora. ne znam kako bih ovome mogla dati ocjenu manju od izvrsne... jedan od najvećih govornika svih vremena ovdje se pojavljuje u punoj raskoši. knjiga sama po sebi pruža dostatne informacije koje su ti potrebne za razumjeti tko su bili ciceron i katilina, zašto prvi upućuje govore protiv drugoga i kakav stav prvi ima prema drugome ("koji se trovatelj u čitavoj italiji može pronaći, koji gladijator, koji razbojnik, koji ubojica iz potaje, koji prevarant, koji razuzdanik, koji rasipnik, koji preljubnik, koja ozloglašena žena, koji kvaritelj mladeži, koji pokvarenjak, koji propalica - a da ne prizna kako je s katilinom bio u vrlo prisnim odnosima?").

kao što u predgovoru piše, ciceronovi govori u punoj snazi mogli su se doživjeti samo uživo, uz njegove gestikulacije, intonaciju i cjelokupni (može se reći: scenski) nastup, ali već čitajući taj tekst možeš dobiti osjećaj o veličanstvenosti retorike, koju bi, btw, bilo pametno vratiti u škole, kao dio opće kulture.
Profile Image for Emily.
47 reviews10 followers
March 2, 2011
The Catilinarians are probably Cicero's most famous speeches, e.g. "o tempora, o mores", and should definitely be high on one's list of Cicero to read. Cicero's invective against Catiline is at times so brilliantly phrased in the Latin. The Cambridge edition is on the whole very good but has a few faults, namely, the binding on the book itself breaks down pretty easily and the editorial notes are usually better at providing historical context than grammatical assistance.
Profile Image for E. Consonni.
33 reviews19 followers
Read
August 26, 2022
Cicerone capostipite dei rompicazzo ci credo che l'hanno ammazzato
Profile Image for Maria Ana.
111 reviews6 followers
August 26, 2015
“Até quando, Catilina, abusarás
da nossa paciência?
Por quanto tempo a tua loucura há de zombar de nós?
A que extremos se há de precipitar a tua desenfreada audácia?
Nem a guarda do Palatino,
nem a ronda noturna da cidade,
nem o temor do povo,
nem a afluência de todos os homens de bem,
nem este local tão bem protegido para a reunião do Senado,
nem a expressão do voto destas pessoas, nada disto conseguiu perturbar-te?
Não te dás conta que os teus planos foram descobertos?
Não vês que a tua conspiração a têm já dominada todos estes que a conhecem?
Quem, dentre nós, pensas tu que ignora o que fizeste na noite passada e na precedente, onde estiveste, com quem te encontraste, que decisão tomaste?
Oh tempos, oh costumes!”

As Catilinárias são um conjunto de quatro discursos proferidos pelo cônsul Marco Túlio Cícero em 63 a.C ao senado em Roma.
O conteúdo destes discursos foca-se em denunciar diretamente Lúcio Sérgio Catilina. Conhecido pelo seu modo de vida (corrupção, escândalos, brutalidade) tenta reunir uma milícia com o objetivo de atacar Roma, matar Cícero e impor uma ditadura no território. Cícero procura avisar o Senado e descobrir os planos de Catilina, assim sendo profere os seus quatro discursos.
A primeira catilinária é sem dúvida a minha preferida. Deixei-me levar pelo seu discurso, as suas palavras entusiásticas e provocadoras. A ira era palpável e a forma como desarmou Catilina foi brilhante. Penso que em todas as catilinárias é possível observar o discurso coerente, coeso e bem formulado de Cícero, sem margem para duvidas, capaz de convencer tudo e todos.
Uma bela peça de oratória e determinação. Recomendo a todos que gostem.

Profile Image for Reginald.
41 reviews16 followers
January 27, 2019
Excellent rhetoric from Cicero. Unfortunately, this publisher gave little regard to the aesthetic experience of Cicero’s orations—the book is little more than a pdf scan marred by corrections via pen. I highly recommend reading Cicero’s Orations against Catiline, just not from this source.
Profile Image for David Barrera Fuentes.
138 reviews16 followers
March 24, 2023
Espero algún día entenderme a mí mismo sobre el porqué me gustan este tipo de libros. Aunque, en este caso, puede ser que el infinito ego de Cicerón me resulta simpático.
Profile Image for Xime García.
329 reviews231 followers
March 21, 2024
3.5
Me sirvió para entender mejor el contexto de otra novela que leí (Catilina's Riddle, de Steven Saylor).

Mis conclusiones generales fueron:

Cicerón: subidísimo a un poni. Me, myself and I. Defendía a los conservadores tradicionales oligarcas. Realmente odiaba (y temía, me atrevo a decir) a Catilina. Interesante elocuencia, pero muy arrogante. Exageró hechos en beneficio propio. No me pareció tan clasista, a pesar de estar con los de alta alcurnia: siempre trató a los «campesinos endeudados» con respeto y comprensión.

Salustio: un tanto clasista (como todos en esa época al parecer) pero no tan odiador de Catilina. Fan del César. Me pareció que le dio menos importancia a la conjuración que Cicerón, más que nada porque ese golpe de estado «no llegó a darse», lo cual, eh, es cierto.

¿Catilina? Me gustaría ver su versión de la historia. Solo tenemos unos pocos discursos que enunció en donde se entiende por qué la gente lo apoyaba. Pero también parece que muchos hechos se exageraron o se inventaron en su contra. Estaría bueno ver qué tenía para decir... Aunque es imposible. Hay pocos registros de las conjuras y casi todo proviene de Cicerón, su némesis.

La traducción me gustó mucho. Solo noté un error: la palabra «proteger» estaba escrita con J en una conjugación en la que iba con G.
Profile Image for Phantoomer.
111 reviews1 follower
July 4, 2025
Adoro quando Cicerone insulta le persone. Non è per niente raffinato, ma mi fa ridere
Profile Image for Dylan.
7 reviews
October 20, 2014
There is little more obvious in these speeches than Cicero's ego, so when, finally, the reader has braved his way through hundreds of lines of self-congratulation--at times disguised as praise of the gods or those who assisted his exploits, at others unabashedly undisguised--and sentences not unlike the present one, the reader will be gratified by the irony of a claim in the middle of the fourth oration like, "Who is more meek than I (quis enim est me mitior)?"

The supplemental commentary is very helpful and never seems to under- or over-estimate its readers' common sense and ability. I found that there was little I had to look up in a reference grammar to make an accurate reading. The historical essays in the back are a good gloss on Republican history, with a little insight you might not glean from a web search. The binding (though glue) is excellent.

Ciceronian Latin is supposed to be the epitome of classical style. Perhaps, but I don't particularly care for it. (I look forward to reading his letters, which are supposed to be less pretentious and more confessional.) The course I'm in has us reading Sallust's account, Bellum Catilinae, whose style and genre is drastically and purposely very different; it seems an advisable plan for anyone if he wants a more balanced historical and stylistic view of this crisis in Republican Rome.
Profile Image for Aaron Crofut.
414 reviews54 followers
November 29, 2013
The man sure did like to talk. His declamations against Catiline and Antony (the Philippics) are certainly worth reading and I would recommend picking a couple of his court cases and speeches before the Senate and People. Cicero had his flaws, to be sure, but was an ardent supporter of the Roman Republic which he damn near saved, if it could have been saved at all. One wonders what would have happened had the Consuls not died at Mutina. It is hard to imagine the rump of Rome's leadership being able to contain Octavian within the legal system for long.
Profile Image for Friki Girl.
63 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2016
Un clásico por excelencia de uno de los escritores más benerados de la Antigüedad. Cuatro discursos memorables de un excelente orador como era Cicerón que destapó la famosa "Conjuración de Catilina", era un maestro de las palabras y se nota perfectamente en este pequeño pero intenso libro. Todo aquel que sea amante de la Historia y de Roma podrá disfrutar de este fantástico clásico.

Puntuación: 5/5
Profile Image for Ana.
82 reviews
February 24, 2015
If politicians nowadays had any of Cicero's rethoric skills, we would be lost I tell you! This kind of rhetoric I can only compare to the imperius curse. One is under a spell when Cicero speaks, what an orator! If only I lived in Rome in that time I would be sure to make my way in to the senate and hear him speak...
Profile Image for Madcrit.
13 reviews
August 20, 2016
It's realy boring to read and at several points quite confusing because you never get to know what Catilina is actually plotting. Only read it if you are already familiar with history. Don’t read it if you want to know more about ancient rome. In this case read Tacitus' Germania instead.
Profile Image for benedetta.
9 reviews
March 19, 2025
I read this book due to an assignment for school so I can’t say I picked it myself.
Cicero’s style is eloquent and his rhetoric is majestic. However, I feel like this book could sound redundant in a lot of ways (mainly because nowadays we can only read it while back in the days it was usually told out loud) He cited many historical figures and it was hard not to skip those parts.
Profile Image for Maria.
55 reviews4 followers
July 21, 2012
Da leggere insieme alla Congiura di Catilina di Sallustio, per avere le due "versioni" della medesima vicenda storica.
Profile Image for Moureco.
273 reviews3 followers
October 3, 2013
onde já vão as aulas de latim do 11.º ano do Seminário de Angra!
Profile Image for Anderson Paz.
Author 4 books19 followers
January 5, 2023
O livro é composto por discursos de Cícero em 63a.C. contra o senador Catilina que atentara contra o Senado. Cícero acusa Catilina de conspiração contra Roma e consegue que ele seja preso até ser julgado. Catilina tramara com outros senadores derrubar a República e tomar o poder, tentando inclusive matar Cícero. Cícero pede que Catilina vá embora de Roma, para não ter que pedir sua expulsão. Cícero prefere a expulsão ao invés da execução de Catilina para não ser tido como tirano e fazer de Catilina mártir.
Catilina vai embora, mas seus aliados permanecem. Para Cícero, os inimigos devem sair ou se aquietar, ou serão expulsos. Cícero se dispõe a sofrer pela República. Os seguidores de Catilina são encontrados conspirando e são presos. Cartas e depoimentos comprovaram a conspiração. Acusados confessam. O Senado agradece a Cícero e prende os conspiradores para julgá-los. Cícero pede para ser lembrado. Duas opiniões no Senado: matar ou prender perpetuamente os conspiradores. Cícero, apesar de querer a pena de morte, posiciona-se em apoiar o que o Senado decidir.
Profile Image for Roberto D..
331 reviews9 followers
June 6, 2022
Book 55 out of 200 books
"Catiline Orations" by Cicero

A collection of 4 speeches against his rival in the Roman Senate, Cicero criticizes, lashes out against, and ridicules senator Catiline, one of the said conspirators on overthrowing the Roman government in favor for a dictatorship.

MY THOUGHTS:
So I've read this book half a year ago and let me remark how polished this speeches are. The total number of this speeches are just around 80-160 pages but still are all important. If I remember correctly, the second and third speeches are for Catiline himself, the first and fourth are for the people. I was tempted to read these speeches because I was researching about the life of Thomas Jefferson at that time, so yes, I admire both Jefferson and Cicero for their oratory skills and other rhetoric.
Profile Image for Ayanna.
12 reviews
November 15, 2020
Cicero's speech against Catiline is extremely long and didactic. This text offers a lot of new Latin vocabulary which I had never seen before. I only read part 1, so I haven't read the second speech. Nevertheless, Cicero's hatred and long elaborated explanations are so overdone/ didactic that they become humorous. Certain passages are harder than others. For example, those where the verb is located at the end of a long passage can be more difficult to translate. However, I would definitely recommend this text to other intermediary Latin students.
5 reviews
March 7, 2025
تاریخ تکرار می‌شود!

مایل بودم مطالبی به نقل از متهمان این خطابه‌ها نیز به دست‌مان می‌رسید تا تنها روایتی چنین یک‌سویه نمی‌خواندم.

نگاه جالب‌توجه سیسرون به زندگی و مرگ:

«هم‌شهریان، جلال و سعادت روزی که انسان از مرگ حتمی نجات می‌یابد و زندگانی را به‌دست می‌آورد از روزی که قدم به عرصهٔ وجود گذارده، بیشتر است. روزی که انسان قدم به زندگانی می‌گذارد مواهب حیات را نمی‌شناسد و نمی‌داند در چه شرایطی نعمت وجود به او ارزانی شده است. ولی کسی که از چنگال مرگ رها شود قدر نعمت و سعادتی را که به او ارزانی شده است می‌شناسد و از لذائذ آن بهره‌مند می‌شود» (ص. ۷۳، خطابهٔ سوم).
Profile Image for Daniela Lupsanu.
52 reviews53 followers
August 19, 2020
Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?

Catilina gets roasted like crazy in 4 unbelievable speeches, but you will get the point after the first two and will stop there.

A power showcase by Cicero, one of the most impressing speakers up to date. Good read if you’re a history buff or are simply interested in the art of oration and eloquence. Can learn a thing or two about making those who cross you cry.
Profile Image for Kevin Nobel.
122 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2022
Cicero's speeches are a ton of fun to read. I prefer the ease of reading his Latin to someone like Tacitus or Suetonius. The commentary is interesting and very thorough, but not overly helpful if read by a more middling or beginning Latin student.
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