Ille dixit: Cicero

I want read the first oration of Cicero(b.Ch.106-43) against Catiline, in year 63 b. Ch., in Rome in the temple of Jupiter, but I have read it much years ago but now I want evince the character of Cicero from his behavior; the greatest name in Roman literature, was born near Arpinum(near to Frosinone), a town of Latium, January 3rd, B.C. 106. His father, a man of large views and liberal culture, belonged to the equites, and possessed an hereditary estate in the neighborhood of the town. L. Sergius Catilina was a Roman patrician, born about I08 B.C. From his father he inherited nothing but a noble name. In the turbulent scenes of the Sullan rule, Catiline played a conspicuous part, to which his undoubted ability, his undaunted courage, his iron constitution, his depraved morals, and excessive cruelty notoriously fitted him. For the duty that I want reached, I must consider that a aid has given from John Henderson that in his edition, in year 1886, of The first oration against Catiline he said: “In the introduction Cicero in impassioned language expresses astonishment that Catiline…”; this step of Henderson is very explicative regard to not understandable of Cicero, because he, we can imagine, in front of Catiline hasn’t dread, and his character evidently, for how much we can evince, was very stable and he, in fact, wanted cure the form above all, the form of oration, that begins so: “When , o Catiline do you mean to cease abusing our patience?...”, This introduction of Cicero is very important for to know his character because, he is a quiet man that in temple is the protagonist of this oration, thence he is also the principal orator, and the error, although the orator is Cicero, abusing, translated in English, but the original text is “abutere”, it is the second person singular of future of verb “abutor”, that is in its correct form “abuteris”, and not “abutere”, because the form is important, actually it is fundamental, although the oration is an accuse that Cicero given to Catiline; but Cicero is secure of his qualities od orator therefore also an error is enabled; it is the open form of future, that in Latin language isn’t, because the two final syllables “ere” is a form with sound open, and we can call it the future opened. He continues: “When is there to be end of that unbridled audacity…”, it is other notation of Cicero’s character, because the audacity is a qualities in much context, but for other it can be dangerous, and this substantive audacity, that is almost reproach to Catiline, shows the equilibrium of Cicero, that is evident from the use of this substantive. After the four orations against Catiline, he was condemned to capital pain, but Cicero reached this condemn without the proves, and he involuntary given the aid valid to Caesar for the exile to Cilicia, a Roman province, where Cicero written De amicitia, About the friendship, where he brought examples of true friendship, and he considered also, a human truth; when you are useful to other they are very friendship, but when you don’t be useful, everybody leave you. We can understand from this oration the character of Cicero, that was very egocentric and superb, but also ingenuous, because he didn’t know the human gender, the Amicitia is manifestation of ingenuity and also superficiality, because the mankind is always near or distant for your useful.

Alessandro Lusana