Conspiracy of Catiline |
Translator: John Selby Watson
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| 61 |
Sed confecto proelio tum vero cerneres , quanta audacia quantaque animi vis fuisset in exercitu Catilinae . Nam fere quem quisque vivus pugnando locum ceperat , eum amissa anima corpore tegebat . Pauci autem , quos medios cohors praetoria disiecerat , paulo divorsius , sed omnes tamen advorsis volneribus conciderant . Catilina vero longe a suis inter hostium cadavera repertus est paululum etiam spirans ferociamque animi , quam habuerat vivus , in voltu retinens . Postremo ex omni copia neque in proelio neque in fuga quisquam civis ingenuus captus est : ita cuncti suae hostiumque vitae iuxta pepercerant . Neque tamen exercitus populi Romani laetam aut incruentam victoriam adeptus erat ; nam strenuissumus quisque aut occiderat in proelio aut graviter volneratus discesserat . Multi autem , qui e castris visundi aut spoliandi gratia processerant , volventes hostilia cadavera amicum alii , pars hospitem aut cognatum reperiebant ; fuere item , qui inimicos suos cognoscerent . Ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia , maeror , luctus atque gaudia agitabantur .
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When the battle was over, it was plainly seen what boldness, and what energy of spirit, had prevailed throughout the army of Catiline; for, almost every where, every soldier, after yielding up his breath, covered with his corpse the spot which he had occupied when alive. A few, indeed, whom the prætorian cohort had dispersed, had fallen somewhat differently, but all with wounds in front. Catiline himself was found, far in advance of his men, among the dead bodies of the enemy; he was not quite breathless, and still expressed in his countenance the fierceness of spirit which he had shown during his life. Of his whole army, neither in the battle, nor in flight, was any free-born citizen made prisoner, for they had spared their own lives no more than those of the enemy. Nor did the army of the Roman people obtain a joyful or bloodless victory; for all their bravest men were either killed in the battle, or left the field severely wounded. Of many who went from the camp to view the ground, or plunder the slain, some, in turning over the bodies of the enemy, discovered a friend, others an acquaintance, others a relative; some, too, recognized their enemies. Thus, gladness and sorrow, grief and joy, were variously felt throughout the whole army. |