中文导读
公元前 63 年，西塞罗以执政官身份在元老院发表四篇演说，揭破贵族喀提林（Catilina）试图以暴力颠覆罗马共和国的阴谋。这四篇演说不仅是罗马政治史的关键事件，也是西方修辞学的奠基文本——两千年来学校里的拉丁语作文课几乎都在让学生模仿这些段落。
第一篇是最著名的，在元老院发表——喀提林本人就坐在议员中间。西塞罗用一连串修辞问句将他逼入死角："Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?"（喀提林，你到底还要滥用我们的耐心到什么时候？）"How long will that madness of yours mock us?"整篇演说的策略不是直接指控，而是让在场的每一位元老自己得出结论：这个人已经公开与共和国为敌，他必须离开罗马。喀提林当晚就逃离了城市。
第二篇在广场对人民发表，宣布喀提林已离开罗马、加入叛军。第三篇向人民宣布逮捕了城内的同谋者。第四篇在元老院讨论是否处决被捕的同谋者——这是全系列最具宪法争议的一篇：未经审判处决罗马公民是否合法？西塞罗最终选择了处决，这一决定后来导致他在前 58 年被流放。
"喀提林演说"的影响超越了修辞学：它们定义了"共和国面对内部敌人时的正当防卫"这一政治范式——从罗马共和国到麦卡锡听证会，"喀提林"这个名字一直是"内部颠覆者"的代名词。
本文据 Yonge 1856 年公版英译收录第一篇全文。
First Oration Against Catiline
Until when, O Catiline, will you abuse our patience?
For how long will that madness of yours mock us?
To what limit will your unbridled audacity display itself?
Has not the nightly guard on the Palatine moved you at all—
not the patrols of the city, not the fear of the people,
not the concourse of all good citizens, not this most fortified
place for holding the senate, not the looks and faces of those
who are present here? Do you not feel that your plans are detected?
Do you not see that your conspiracy is already crushed
by the knowledge of all these men? Do you think there is anyone
among us who does not know what you did last night, what the night
before—where you were, whom you called together, what plan you formed?
What a change! How contrary to your expectation! Shall I say more?
The senate is aware of it, the consul sees it; and yet this man lives!
Lives? He even comes into the senate, he takes part in public councils,
he marks out with his eyes each one of us for destruction.
And we, brave men that we are, think we are doing our duty
if we only avoid his frantic attacks! You ought to have been put to death
long ago, Catiline, by the order of the consul. The destruction
that you have been plotting against us all ought to have been
turned back upon yourself long ago.
Was not that most illustrious man, Publius Scipio, the chief pontiff,
when he was a private citizen, put to death by the order of the senate—
and that without trial—because he was suspected of revolutionary designs?
And shall we, the consuls, tolerate Catiline, who is openly plotting
to massacre the citizens, to burn the city, to devastate Italy?
I will not dwell on the ancient examples of those who have suppressed
the schemes of traitors against their country by putting the traitors
to death. There was a time when we Romans were brave, when we did not
suffer our enemies to live among us. But now—how changed!
We endure him, we see him, we admit him to our councils,
and yet we wonder that the conspiracy is not brought to an end!
You are surrounded on all sides, Catiline; your plans are clear.
Do you see that silence? They are silent because they know everything.
They approve of what I am saying, but they do not speak.
Why? Because they are afraid of your weapons. But be assured:
I have taken precautions. I have armed myself against your treachery.
The guards are set; the city is fortified; the ports are watched.
You can do nothing—your plans are known, your accomplices are identified,
your conspiracy is exposed.
Leave the city, Catiline, while you still can.
The gates are open—go! You cannot stay here any longer.
I cannot and I will not tolerate you among us any longer.
Great is the contest, great the struggle, in which we are engaged.
It is for our lives, for our liberty, for our country.
Be firm and resolute, O Romans; defend yourselves, defend the republic;
and with the help of the gods, we shall be victorious.