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CATILINE [Lucius SERGIUS CATILINA] (C...
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See also: CATILINE [See also:Lucius See also:SERGIUS CATILINA] (C. I08-62 B.C.) , a member of an See also:ancient but impoverished patrician See also:family of See also:Rome, the See also:prime mover in the See also:conspiracy known by his name. He appears in See also:history first as a supporter of See also:Sulla, and during the proscription he was conspicuous for his greed and See also:cruelty. He slew his inoffensive See also:brother-in-See also:law with his own See also:hand, and tortured and mutilated the much-loved See also:Marius Gratidianus. He was believed to have made away with his wife and his son to win the profligate and wealthy See also:Aurelia Orestilla; it was even suspected that he had been guilty of an intrigue with the Vestal Fabia. In 77 he was See also:quaestor, in 68 See also:praetor, and in 67-66 See also:governor of See also:Africa. His extortions and subsequent See also:impeachment by P. See also:Clodius Pulcher having disqualified him as a See also:candidate for the consulship, he formed a conspiracy, in which he was joined by See also:young men of all classes, even See also:Crassus and See also:Caesar, according to rumour, being implicated. The new consuls were to be murdered on the 1st of See also:January; bvt the plot—the See also:execution of which was deferred till the 5th of February—failed in consequence of the impatience of Catiline, who gave the See also:signal too hastily. Soon after, Catiline, having bribed both See also:judges and accuser, was acquitted in the trial for See also:extortion. His`See also:scheme was forthwith immensely widened. The See also:city was to be fired, and those who opposed the revolution were to be slain; all debts were to be cancelled; and there was to be a proscription of all the wealthy citizens.Among the conspirators were many men of the first See also: rank and See also:influence. Arms and See also:money were collected, soldiers were enlisted, and the assistance of the slaves was sought. But Catiline's hopes were again disappointed; once more he failed to obtain the consulship (64); and, moreover, it soon became apparent that one of the new consuls, See also:Cicero, was mysteriously able to thwart all the schemes of the conspirators. He was, in fact, informed. of every detail, through Fulvia, the See also:mistress of Curius, one of the plotters,who was himself soon persuaded to turn informer. The other See also:consul, C. See also:Antonius, in whom Catiline hoped to find a supporter, was won over and got out of the way by Cicero, who resigned the See also:province of See also:Macedonia in his favour. Before the next See also:comitia consularia assembled, the orator had given so impressive a warning of the danger which was impending, that Catiline was once more rejected (63), and the consuls were invested with See also:absolute authority. Catiline now resolved upon open See also:war; preparations were set on See also:foot throughout See also:Italy, especially in See also:Etruria, where the See also:standard of revolt was raised by the See also:centurion C. See also:Manlius (or Mallius), one of Sulla's veterans. A See also:plan to See also:murder Cicero in his own See also:house on the See also:morning of the 7th of See also:November was frustrated. On the next See also:day Cicero at-tacked Catiline so vigorously in the See also:senate (in his first Catilinarian oration) that he fled to his See also:army in Etruria. Next day Cicero awoke the terror of the See also:people by a second oration delivered in the See also:forum, in consequence of which Catiline and Manlius were declared public enemies, and the consul Antonius was despatched with an army against them.Meanwhile the imprudence of the conspirators in Rome brought about their own destruction. Some deputies from the See also: Allobroges, who had been sent to Rome to obtain redress for certain grievances, were approached by P. See also:Lentulus Sura, the See also:chief of the conspirators, who endeavoured to induce them to join him. After considerable hesitation, the deputies decided to turn informers. The See also:plot was betrayed to Cicero, at whose instigation documentary See also:evidence was obtained, implicating Lentulus and others. They were arrested, proved guilty, and on the 5th of See also:December condemned to See also:death and strangled in the underground See also:dungeon on the slope of the Capitol. This See also:act, which was opposed by See also:Julius Caesar and advocated by See also:Cato Uticensis (and, indirectly, by Cicero), was afterwards vigorously attacked as a violation of the constitution, on the ground that the senate had no See also:power of See also:life and death over a See also:Roman See also:citizen. Thus a heavy See also:blow was dealt to the cause of Catiline, who, in the beginning of 62, saw his legions, only partially armed and diminished by See also:desertion, shut in between those of See also:Metellus Celer and C. Antonius. Near Pistoria he hazarded See also:battle with the forces of the latter, but was completely defeated in a desperate encounter. He himself, fighting with the utmost bravery, rushed into the ranks of the enemy and met his death. Such was the conspiracy of Catiline and the See also:character of its author, as we find them in the speeches of Cicero, and the histories of See also:Sallust and Dio See also:Cassius (see also See also:Plutarch, Cicero; See also:Veil.Pat. ii. 35; See also: Florus iv. i; See also:Appian, B.C. ii. 6; See also:Eutropius vi. 15). It must not be forgotten, however, that our authorities were all members of the aristocratic party. Some of the incidents given as facts by Dio Cassius are See also:manifest absurdities; and Cicero paid more regard to the effect than to the truthfulness of an See also:accusation. We find him at one See also:time admitting that Catiline had almost persuaded him of his honesty and merit, and even seeking a See also:political See also:union with him; at another, when his See also:alliance had been rejected and an See also:election was at hand, declaiming against him as a murderer and a profligate. Lastly, though Sallust's vivid narrative is consistent throughout, it is obvious that he cherished very See also:bitter feelings against the democratic party. Nevertheless, we cannot regard Catiline as an honest RoME: History, The See also:Republic.Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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