Catiline Orations#Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita

The Latin phrase Quo usque tandem abutere, Catiline, patientia nostra? literally means " How long, Catiline, will you abuse our patience? " (Cicero, Catilinaria 1).

These words form the famous incipit - the beginning of the first of four speeches against Catiline, which was held by Cicero in the Roman Senate on November 8, 63 BC to the second Catiline conspiracy, an attempted coup Catiline and his followers against the Roman Republic uncover and punish.

Quo usque tandem The phrase " How long? " Is today now and still used as a figure of speech, to scold hypocrisy of a person addressed, or - even in a joking tone - to debunk; but also sometimes simply to play in their literal meaning without hypocrisy.

The variously occurring in the Bible, especially the Old Testament reputation "How long, Lord " is a cry of the oppressed, suffering people of God, for example, in the 13th Psalm: "How long, Lord, do you want to completely forget me, as long will you hide your face from me " (Latin after the Vulgate ( there Ps. 12): " Domine Usquequo oblivisceris my penitus usquequo abscondes faciem tuam a me ").