THE CATILINARIANCONSPIRACY

• Rome was increasingly a city of division between the rich and poor 99% of the Empires wealth was in the hands of 1% of its population

• The ambition for control of this wealth was steadily overriding all other political and social concerns.

• Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline) was an extremist, but probably symptomatic of the age, in which Romans , because of extreme political competition were forced to try alternate means of acquiring power

• The Catiline Conspiracy, its discovery and treatment in the Senate, exposes the ills of the Republic and the politicians of the day, namely Cicero, Caesar, Crassus and Cato.

In 64 BC, Catiline and Cicero both ran for the consulshipThe Senate, wary of “novi homines”, supported Cicero’s candidacy.

Cicero, with Optimates support, won the election

In 63BC Catiline, again stood for the Consulship,

Catiline secretly began to rally support for his conspiracy:

• senators who had lost elections for consul in the past or hated Cicero

• poor people to whom Catiline had promised debt relief

Catiline organized an armyand began to raid the countryside.

Catiline’s final plan wasto attack the Senate and to murder Cicero.

Warned by his mistress (aprostitute), Cicero placedguards around his home andfrightened away the conspirators.

The next morning at theSenate House, with Catiline in the audience, Cicero revealed the conspiracy plot.

This was the first of Cicero’sfour speeches againstCatiline known as theCatilinarians.

• Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita

• Oratio in Catilinam Secunda in Senatu Habita ad Populum

• Oratio in Catilinam Tertia in Senatu Habita ad Populum

• Oratio in Catilinam Quarta in Senatu Habita ad Populum

When Catiline fled Rome, Cicero pointed to this asevidence for the conspiracy.

Cicero was then given senatus consultum ultimum (full authority without having to consult the Senate).

With Catiline organizing hisarmy outside of Rome, Ciceroarrested five of the keyconspirators.

The Senate debated thepunishment of the conspirators,with most arguing (includingCicero) for their immediate death without a trial.

While this was consideredUnlawful (because

Death without trial violated Roman law, Cicero argued that this was a time of emergency.

While most senators agreed with Cicero, Caesar argued forproperty confiscations and life imprisonment.

When Cicero gave a speech to the people in the forum aboutthe conspirators, the senatorswere persuaded to side with him.

The five conspirators wereexecuted, and as a result, many deserted from Catiline’s army.

Rome defeated Catiline’s army,and Catiline was killed in thebattle.

With Cicero having uncoveredthe conspiracy and havingprotected Rome, he was given the title pater patriae (“father of the country”)