02Sergius Catilina (=Catiline; 46; fl.89-62 BC) served under Pompey’s father during the Social War (89 BC); supported Sulla in the Civil War (84-81 BC); served abroad in the early 70s BC); was accused of adultery with a Vestal Virgin (73 BC); but the story that he murdered his wife is perhaps untrue.
In 66 BC 44Cornelius Sulla and Autronius Paetus were elected to be the consuls for the following year. But the campaign had been corrupt and the two losers, 07Aurelius Cotta and 15Manlius Torquatus, prosecuted Sulla and Autronius for bribery. The juries condemned both the consuls-elect and the vote was held again. This time Catiline, returning from his governorship in Africa (68-66 BC), announced he would be seeking election. The Senate believed him guilty of corruption and Volcacius Tullus, the presiding consul, disallowed his candidature. Cotta and Torquatus were duly elected.
Both Cicero and Sallust report rumours of a conspiracy in which the two ousted consuls planned to murder their replacements on their first day in office (1 January 65 BC), and install themselves as consuls in their stead. As Catiline was alleged to be involved, this plan was dubbed the ‘First Catilinarian Conspiracy’, but it is now widely agreed that he had nothing to do with it. Anyway, nothing happened on the day.
As censor in 65 BC Crassus attempted to counter Pompey’s ascendancy by gaining influence abroad, but his two most significant policies of granting citizenship to the Transpadanes (Gauls north of the Po) and making Egypt a province under the command of Caesar were so strongly opposed that he resigned his position. Crassus then sought the aid of Catiline, and the rivalry between Pompey and Crassus now replaced by that of Cicero and Catiline.
In 65 BC Catiline was on trial for misrule in Africa, and anyone facing criminal proceedings in Rome was forbidden from standing as a candidate in elections. Although he was eventually acquitted, Catiline’s second chance to stand for the consulship had passed. Finally, in 64 BC he stood for the consulship against Cicero, 04Antonius Hybrida and others.
Catiline, born of an old noble family, initially had many supporters among the patricians, had risen through the steps of the cursus honorum without interruption. In the election that followed, Catiline’s support from the optimates waned; and Caesar, who could rely heavily on 13Licinius Crassus and other wealthy Romans in his bid for pontifex maximus, no longer supported Catiline in spite of his patrician family.
At the beginning of 63 BC the tribune 15Servilius Rullus proposed a land law to establish a commission of ten men for five years to settle colonies in Italy and the provinces, with land purchased with public money. It was probably inspired by Crassus and supported by Caesar; perhaps both the commission and the land were intended to be used as a bargaining counter against Pompey and his returning veterans. Cicero, presenting himself as defending Pompey’s interests, secured the withdrawal of the bill by his speeches de lege agraria.
In this, the year of Cicero and Antonius’ consulship, Catiline, having lost the support of many of the nobility in his previous campaign, was forced to look to the people. By appealing to those financially in distress due his support for the cancellation of debt, he alienated even further the support of the optimates. At the election Catiline was again defeated and he now began his preparations for revolution in earnest.
Cicero was able to persuade the Senate that a conspiracy was being organised. On 21 October martial law (SCU) was passed. Overnight on 6 November Cicero learned that there was a plan to assassinate him and other leading members of the establishment the following morning, set the city on fire, and loot property; at the same time an army of Catiline’s supporters, under Gaius Manlius (16), a veteran of Sulla, would march from Faesulae (northern Etruria) on Rome.
Cicero called a meeting of the Senate, which Catiline attended and was attacked by Cicero face to face. That night Catiline left the city to join Manlius. The Senate now declared them and their army of ten thousand, enemies of the state.
The conspirators still in the city spoke to a mission from the Allobroges which was then in Rome, and invited their support. The envoys passed this information to Cicero who asked them to obtain signed letters from the conspirators confirming their approach. The conspirators naively agreed to supply the letters and early in the morning of 3 December, five of Catiline’s accomplices, including 45Cornelius Cethegus and 41Cornelius Lentulus (cos.71 BC), were arrested as they crossed the Milvian Bridge about two miles north of Rome.
On 5 December 63 BC, Cicero called another meeting of the Senate to decide the fate of the five conspirators. Most senators spoke for immediate execution without trial, but Caesar spoke in opposition. 07Porcius Cato rose in support of decisive action and the Senate agreed: the five conspirators were taken to Tullianum (the state prison) and strangled. On 3 January the Senate passed a resolution indemnifying all those who had acted against the conspirators. Antonius (4) pursued Catiline’s one legion and defeated it near Pistoria (northern Etruria) in mid-January. Catiline was killed on the battlefield. 11Calpurnius Piso, who had been involved in the plot, was sent as propraetor to Citerior and he died there soon after.
Cicero believed that the fear of Catiline had united all the orders for the preservation of state. A strong defender of the Senate, Cicero developed the concept of the concordia ordinum, harmony of the orders, senators and equestrians forming a political block to stand against what he saw as the forces of disorder and breakdown: the warlords, the tribunes, the popular assemblies, and all those who supported reform.
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