Catiline Orations

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In 63 BC Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC), orator, statesman and patriot, attained the rank of consul and in that capacity exposed to the Roman Senate the plot of Lucius Sergius Catilina (approx. 108–62 BC) and his friends to overthrow the government of Rome.

1 The plot(s), the orations by Cicero
2 Notes
3 References

[edit] The plot(s), the orations by Cicero

Catiline, who was running for the consulship a second time after having lost the first time around, tried to ensure his victory by resorting to blatant and excessive bribery. Cicero in self-righteous indignation issued a law prohibiting trickery of this kind ^[1]. It was obvious to all that the law was directed specifically at Catiline. Catiline, in turn, conspired with some of his cronies to murder Cicero and the key men of the Senate on the day of the election. Cicero discovered the plan and postponed the election to give the Senate time to discuss the attempted coup d'état.

The day after the election was supposed to be held, Cicero addressed the Senate on the matter and Catiline's reaction was immediate and violent. In response to Catiline's behavior, the Senate issued a senatus consultum ultimum, a kind of declaration of martial law invoked whenever the Senate and the Roman Republic were in imminent danger from treason or sedition. Ordinary law was suspended and Cicero, as consul, was invested with absolute power.

When the election was finally held, Catiline lost again. Anticipating the bad news, the conspirators had already begun to assemble an army, made up mostly of Sulla's veteran soldiers. The nucleus of conspirators was also joined by senators whose profligate tastes left them perennially without funds. The plan was to initiate an insurrection in all of Italy, put Rome to the torch and to kill as many senators as they could.

Through some crafty moves of his own, Cicero knew exactly what was being planned. On November 8, Cicero called for a meeting of the Senate in the Temple of Jupiter in the Capitol, which was used for this purpose only when great danger threatened. Catiline had the temerity to attend as well. It was then that Cicero delivered directly to Catiline his famous:

[edit] Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita

As political orations go, this was relatively short- roughly 317 lines of Latin- and to the point. The opening remarks are still widely remembered and used after 2,000 years:

Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet?
How long, O Catiline, will you abuse our patience? How long is that madness of yours still to mock us?

Catiline was present when this speech was delivered. When he arrived at the Temple of Jupiter Stator and took his seat, however, the other senators moved away from him leaving him alone in his bench. Catiline tried to reply after the speech, but senators repeatedly interrupted him, calling him a traitor. He ran from the temple, hurling threats at the Senate. Later he left the city and went to the camp of Manlius, who was in charge of the army of rebels. The next morning Cicero assembled the people, and delivered to them his:

[edit] Oratio in Catilinam Secunda in Senatu Habita ad Populum

Here he informed the citizens of Rome that Catiline had left the city, not in exile (as it was rumored), but to join up with his illegal army. He described the conspirators as rich men who were in debt, men eager for power and wealth, Sulla's veterans, ruined men who hoped for any change, criminals, profligates, and other men of Catiline's ilk. He assured the people of Rome that they had nothing to fear because he, the consul, and the gods would protect the state.

Meanwhile, Catiline joined up with Manlius, commander of the rebel force. When the Senate was informed of these developments, they declared the two of them public enemies. Antonius, with troops loyal to Rome, followed Catiline while Cicero remained at home to guard the city. During the battle that took place between the 2nd and 3rd orations, Catiline saw that he would lose and in consequence threw himself into middle of the Roman troops, which promptly killed him. The year was 62 BC. Eventually Cicero obtained documents and confessions of many of the conspirators, and the whole matter was presented to the people in his:

[edit] Oratio in Catilinam Tertia ad Populum

In this speech, Cicero claims that the city should rejoice because it has been saved from a bloody rebellion. He presents evidence that all of Catiline's accomplices confessed to their crimes. He asked for nothing for himself but grateful remembrance of the city, and acknowledged that this victory was more difficult than one in foreign lands because the enemies were citizens of Rome.