TL Mafia 2 [GG] - Page 222

Well, this is the second time people have wondered about the public signature I have, so it might be fitting to translate it now so that there are no gray shadows in its meaning. And I always love an oppounity to talk about Cicero!

The lines, in Latin, read, ""Num negas audes? Quid taces? Convincam, si negas; video enim esse hic quosdam qui tecum una fuerunt. O di immortales!"

Translated idiomatically into English, they mean, "You don't dare deny it, do you? Why are you silent? I will convict you, if you deny it: I see that here there are certain men who were with you. Good gods!" This indeed is Cicero's First Oration Against Catiline, told in 63 BC in front of the Senate. Its point was to expose a conspiracy that Cicero discovered through an interception of letters by (I believe) Crassus. The conspiracy was an attempt by Catiline, a Roman Patrician, to overthrow the government in Rome. That year he lost against Cicero in the elections for consul (CIcero's consulship took place in 63 B.C.).

Catiline's family had always been distinguished and very old; however, they never held the highest office (the consulship). Catiline essentially wasted his family's fortune, and he also attempted to run for the consulship several times (of course, he never was voted it). Feeling that he had run out of options and that he would never become consul, he formed a conspiracy with men such as Manlius so that he might actually attain the position.

In the first speech, Cicero addresses to the crowds the terms of the conspiracy. Before the speech, he has not yet heard from Catiline, but he paints the man as a monster (he does this because his life was in danger before this conspiracy was revealed). He's not sure where Catiline is, but he knows that he is in Rome, and with all the conspirators unknown (some were known, but not all), Cicero at the time of this speech is still afraid of them (they still are a threat for his life and the Roman State), so he announces to them to leave Rome.

I think you might have a discepancy there, for Cicero talks about the type of conspirators among Catiline in his second oration and not his first (it is much less urgent, still as vehement, but not nearly as efficiently agressive). I'm not entirely certain of it (though I should be -.-), but I believe that these speeches were either said in late October through early Decemeber, or from late November through early December.

A small portion of this post was aimed to clear up my signature so that all clue-finding townies have everything possible to work with, but another portion is also aimed for them (while they match up clues) to realize quickly that I'm not in mafia. I think I illuminated more on the topic of my signature for you guys than any measure of Chuiu's knowledge on the quote. I understand that not understanding a signature or name can be frustrating (I tried earlier on, and with the magnitude of the field, it was just overwhelming), so this was an attempt to provide you with a depth of info on my signature. Regarding my name, I don't think it means anything -- I randomly chose letters that when combined sound like a word.

The leading reason I think I decided to post this is to inform you guys about this historical events. To me its common knowledge, but it appears that MTF posting its circumstances implies that its not. I highly recommend reading the Orations Against Catiline (even if in English) -- I think they are Cicero's most emotional and powerful speeches he has ever uttered.