Qua re cum viderem senatum ducibus orbatum, me a magistratibus partim oppugnatum, partim proditum, partim derelictum, servos simulatione collegiorum nominatim esse conscriptos, copias omnes Catilinae paene iisdem ducibus ad spem caedis et incendiorum esse revocatas, equites Romanos proscriptionis, municipia vastitatis, omnes caedis metu esse permotos, potui, potui, patres conscripti, multis auctoribus fortissimis viris me vi armisque defendere, nec mihi ipsi ille animus idem meus vobis non incognitus defuit.
Consequently, realizing, as I did, that the senate was bereft of leaders, that the magistrates had either attacked me, betrayed me, or deserted me and that slaves had been enrolled by name under plea of being formed into clubs, that all Catilines forces with scarcely any change of leaders had been led to renew their hopes for opportunities of slaughter and incendiarism, that Roman knights were stirred by apprehension of a proscription, the municipalities of devastation, and all men by dread of a violent death, then I might, conscript fathers, I say I might, have defended myself by armed force, and have been supported in that policy by many gallant gentlemen; and indeed that same courage, of which I have afforded you proof in the past, was still with me then.
final_alignments\Cicero_Post_Reditum_In_Senatu.json