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The Catilinarian Conspiracy. Before the conspiracy. A) The political situation in since 80 BC B) The political and social state of Rome at the time of the conspiracy.
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Before the conspiracy A) The political situation in since 80 BC B) The political and social state of Rome at the time of the conspiracy.
During the 70’s BC Sulla’s reforms had been systematically attacked by the various factions within Rome that opposed the conservative minority (Optimates). • Since the consulship of Crassus and Pompey (70 BC), however, Rome had been subject to a period of political calm. • Pompey was fighting in the East • The Optimates had recovered from the blow to their prestige following the collapse of Sulla’s reconstitution. • Attacks on Crassus and Caesar had dulled their ability to win the hearts and minds of the mob of Rome. • However, the Populares where by no means a spent force. Caesar was an up and coming politician who had the backing of Crassus. • The tribunate ad been used to great effect by Pompey to get his commands • Rome was increasingly sliding into social and economic collapse.
Rome in the 60’s BC • Rome was increasingly becoming a city of division between the poor and rich. • 99% of the Empire’s wealthy was in the hands of 1% of its population. • The race for this wealth was steadily overriding all other political and social concerns. • Because, however, History tends to be written by the victors we rarely hear about the lives of these poor but only of the rich. • Indeed not only do we only hear about the rich but only the successful rich. There were many whose lives were ruined in the attempt to gain political power and wealth. • Catiline, while an extremist was probably symptomatic of his age certainly in his career.
Timeline of events • Catiline couldn’t stand for consular elections of 65 as he was being prosecuted. Normal practice and as he was acquitted it follows that he had plenty of patrician support. • In the year 64 he stood again for the consulship. • He (and Antonius Hybrida) was said to have had the support of Caesar and Crassus and it was the fear of these two that made the senate support Cicero’s candidacy. • Cicero, with optimate support won the election. Certainly this was a snub for Catiline, although it was more of a snub for Caesar and Crassus. But in every election there would have been a number of losers. This did not spell the end of his career. • In 63 he stands once again. This is the most interesting move. Why after failing twice before did he stand for a third time?
Why did Catiline stand in 63? • He may well have wanted to prove to himself and his supporters how hostile certain groups within the senate were to his kind. • That he had the support of Caesar, Crassus and other influential supporters is suggested by the events of 64. That Caesar was in charge of the court that acquitted him on murder charges perhaps confirms this (That Caesar went on to oppose the death penalty for the conspirators also suggests his involvement). • One should also remember how Cicero outline’s the upper echelons of society as being Catiline’s most important supporters. Cicero was giving a speech at the time of the conspiracy and as such Caesar and Crassus would have been a more imminent danger. • Sallust is able to look back with hindsight and see the bigger picture or moral and social collapse and is perhaps less likely to implicate Caesar.
The Conspiracy uncovered • Catiline’s behaviour during the election of 63 certainly gave cause for concern: • He openly paraded around with Sullan veterans. Normally a patron would canvass with his clients. In doing so with Sullan veterans Catiline is making a clear political point (not only that he is their champion but that he will also that he may well use violence to get what he wants) • He made open threats against Cicero and talked about cancelling debts and helping the poor of Rome. Apart from the obvious implication of threatening Cicero these other measures were very anti establishment. • Cicero called the senate to discuss his behaviour (pro murena) and while the senate at first agreed to postpone the elections it eventually decided to push forward with them.
Election Day 63 BC • Cicero took this to be a snub from the senate. We now therefore have three groups working in Rome. • Catiline: Who wants power • Cicero: Who wants to save the state • The Senate: Whose intentions are really clear but seem not to consider Catiline a worthy threat and as such don’t want to entrust the state to a Novus Homo. • Cicero, in response to this snub, walks through Rome the following day (the day of the elections) with a private bodyguard and wearing a breastplate. • Decimus Silanus and Lucius Murena were elected to the consulship and Catiline began to gather his forces.
Catiline’s support • Catiline sent subordinate’s to muster troops from • Etruria • Apulia • Picenum Rome
Not much is known of the event between July and mid October, although there must have been knowledge of the conspiracy if not proof. • Catiline remained in Rome in an attempt to bluff the senate into thinking nothing was really going on. • Then on 18th October Crassus produced some letters supposedly from one of the conspirators warning him to leave Rome • Was it Cicero forging the letters to test Crassus’ loyalty • Was it Crassus forging the letters to prove his loyalty • Or was it a genuine attempt by a friendly conspirator to warn his friend. • The last option is the most commonly accepted and the timing of the revelation is peculiar if we accept either of the first two ideas. • If this is true then certainly Crassus, while possibly involved, did not know of the conspiracy before hand (otherwise he would have mentioned it before). • At first the senate didn’t make a move then on 21st October the passed the Senatus Consultum Ultimum.
Cicero saves the day • Cicero in his first speech against Catiline claims that at this time he outlined the conspirators plans: • This speech was published some years later and may have been embellished. Wither way it is not known how Cicero got this information but he may have had informers in Catiline’s camp. • With SCU behind him Cicero acted with all speed • Raised troops to secure Rome • Strengthened Praeneste • Sent two consular armies into Apulia. • Two Praetors were entrusted with raising troops to deal with Picenum.
The interesting point is that Catiline STILL remained in Rome! • The Senate was not prepared to prosecute Catiline until it had absolute proof. The Senate that had rebuffed Catiline in the past was seemingly still reluctant to attack one of its own on the evidence of a Novus Homo. More proof was needed. • Cicero in response offered rewards for information • For slaves: Freedom and 100,000 sesterces • For Citizens: A pardon 200,000 sesterces. • This offer did not produce a single traitor to Catiline’s cause. • This must be instructive of the nature of the conspiracy and particularly in the nature of his supporters. Can Cicero and Sallust be right in their descriptions? • On the 6th November, however, the conspiracy took its fatal turn. • Catiline and his supporters met and arranged to take command fo the forces of Italy: • Catiline was to go north to Etruria while the others were to disperse to Picenum and even as far north a Cisalipne Gaul. • Other would remain in Rome to conduct things there.
On the 8th of November the senate convened at the temple of Jupiter at the foot of the Palatine hill. • Remarkably Catiline appeared with the rest of the senate although when he sat down those around him moved from their seats to leave him sitting alone. • Cicero gave his first speech against Catiline and although Catiline responded he was shouted down by the other senators and had to leave the senate. • It is at this point that it would seem Catiline had given himself up to revolution proper. Certainly he had made plans but now he went beyond the point of no return.
Catiline at this point was strongly at pains to point out that he wanted to avoid causing problems for the state but that he was forced to do so by the actions of his enemies. He also points out that he was a patrician and as such had nothing to gain from revolution • Sallust 36.1 ff (page 201) • Interestingly he points out both his noble birth and his willingness to preserve the state. If we accept that he intended to be listened to it is instructive that he should point these virtues out when Sallust paints almost the opposite picture of him. • Was Catiline being ironic though: If he was just like the other patricians then he would have had as much of a chance to access the other magistracies of Rome as the rest of the senate. But the events of recent years has shown that he does not have an equal chance . Hence, why would Catiline want revolution if it wasn’t for the fact that the senate had barred him from his birth rite. • Having left Rome Catiline went north to meet Manlius in Etruria.
Interestingly those supporters who laid down their arms were promised an amnesty but once again this opportunity for freedom was rejected by all of Catiline’s supporters. • Still, however, the senate needed the proof to convict the conspirators who technically hadn’t done anything wrong as of yet. • Then in mid December the evidence finally came in the shape of envoys sent by the Allobroges of Narbonese Gaul.
Envoys from the Allobroges had been sent into Italy to complain to Rome. • These envoys met some of conspirators who persuaded them to join the conspiracy and in return their grievances would be dealt with. • The Allobroges agreed but when the plan was revealed to them they got cold feet thinking that the risk was not worth the benefits to be gained. • They promptly told the whole story to their patron in Rome Quintus Fabius Sanga who in turn informed Cicero. • Cicero arranged that the Gauls would pretend to remain interested in the conspiracy in order to get incriminating evidence from those still in Rome. • This they did and four of the main conspirators were arrested and confessed: • Lentulus (praetor) • Cethegus • Statilius • Cassius.
The conspiracy was now in the open: • Cicero convened the senate the fate of the conspirators was debated • It was decided that the main conspirators would all be placed under house arrest pending a decision. • The Cicero went to the forum and gave his third Catilinarian speech outlining for the people the recent developments. • The senate then met to decide the conspirators fate (Sallust 50.1 page 215 ff). The arguments are summed up in Cicero’s fourth speech against Catiline although he clearly favoured the death penalty and after Cato had spoken in favour of the proposal the motion was carried and the sentence of death was pronounced. • Cato was a prominent optimate politician. • Cicero had honours heaped upon him, and even though there were attempts to attack him (Quintus Nepos) he came out of the event as a genuine saviour of Rome.
Catiline’s fate • While all this was going on Catiline was still in the north with his troops and readying himself for the final showdown. • The Conspirators in the south (Capua etc) were routed and so all the forces sent out could focus on the Catiline. • Catiline, although outnumbered moved around northern Italy in order to get the best terms to fight on and towards the end of December 63 faced the forces of Marcus Petreius near Pistoria in northern Italy. • Bitter fighting ensued and it took the well trained legions a long time to crack the centre of Catiline’s poorly trained, outnumbered and ill equipped forces. • Catiline himself, as soon as he saw he was defeated, ran straight into the strongest section of the enemy a died fighting. His troops held their ground to a man and not a single free born citizen was taken alive.
