animus immoderata, incredibilia, nimis alta semper cupiebat. Hunc post
dominationem Lucii Sullae libido maxima invaserat rei publicae
capiundae,[37] neque id quibus modis assequeretur, dum sibi regnum
pararet, quidquam pensi habebat. Agitabatur magis magisque in dies animus
ferox inopia rei familiaris et conscientia scelerum, quae utraque his
artibus auxerat,[38] quas supra memoravi. Incitabant praeterea corrupti
civitatis mores, quos pessima ac diversa inter se mala, luxuria atque
avaritia, vexabant. Res ipsa hortari videtur, quoniam de moribus
civitatis tempus admonuit, supra repetere[39] ac paucis instituta majorum
domi militiaeque,[40] quomodo rem publicam habuerint quantamque
reliquerint, ut paulatim immutata ex pulcherrima pessima ac
flagitiosissima facta sit, disserere.

[34] Sallust begins with a general description of the character of
Catiline. This talented person, though of a most wicked disposition,
belonged to the patrician _gens Sergia_, which traced its descent to
one of the companions of Aeneas. This is no doubt fabulous, but at
any rate proves the high antiquity of the gens. The most renowned
among the ancestors of Catiline was M. Sergius, a real model of
bravery, who distinguished himself in the Gallic and second Punic
wars, and after having lost his right hand in battle, wielded the
sword with the left. As Catiline offered himself as a candidate for
the consulship in B.C. 66, which no Roman was allowed to do by law
before having attained the age of forty-three, we may fairly presume
that he was born about B.C. 109, in the time of the Jugurthine war.
Cicero was born in B.C. 106, and was consequently a few years younger
than Catiline.
[35] _Patiens inediae_. Respecting the genitive governed by this and
similar participles--as soon after _alieni appetens_--see Zumpt,
S 438.