This image shows a 19th century fantasised depiction by Maccari of Cicero denouncing Catiline in the Senate upon the discovery of his conspiracy to overthrow the authorities in Rome, which, ultimately, led to his death and the execution (without trial) of co-conspirators.
Cicero was a master orator and you can see the use he makes
of iste while lambasting Catiline in both its functions as [i] referring
to something to close to Catiline and [ii] the disdain in which Cicero hold
him.
Quotiēns iam tibi extorta est ista sıca dē manibus? │
How often already has that dagger been wrested away from your hands,
[i.e. it isn’t that Catiline is holding a dagger in his hand at that precise
moment, but Cicero associates a dagger i.e. the threat of murder with
Catiline]
Nunc vērō quae tua est ista vīta? │ But now what is
that life of yours?
And the one that the image itself depicts …
Quid? Quod adventū tuō ista subsellia vacuēfacta sunt
… partem istam subselliōrum nūdam atque inānem relıq̄uērunt, │ What of
the fact that at your arrival those seats around you were vacated, …
they abandoned that part of the seats bare and empty..?
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