CAT: Lesson - Catiline Biography

A close up view of Catiline in the Roman senate. Catiline Biography

Unlike Cicero, Lucius Sergius Catilina, born in 108 BCE, came from an old aristocratic family that could trace its ancestry back to the fall of Troy. Also unlike Cicero, Catiline was more interested in personal power than in the good of the Republic. It is difficult to get an accurate picture of Catiline as a person since our knowledge of him is based on Cicero and the historian Sallust, both enemies of Catiline. However, we do know about his political activities.

Early Life and Political Career

An able military leader, Catiline spent the early part of his life in the army aligning himself with Sulla in the civil war of the 80s BCE. Like Cicero, he began on the path of the cursus honorum, being elected to the various offices. In 68 BCE he served a term as praetor followed by the governship of the province of Africa. Catiline was a candidate for consul in the elections of 66 BCE but was eliminated on a technicality. Following the elections he was acquitted of charges of corruption while serving as governor of Africa.

In 64 BCE Catiline again was a candidate for consul. His opponents were Cicero and Gaius Antonius Hybrida. Antonius and Cicero were elected. The citizens of Rome preferred the novus homo (Cicero) to the member of the old aristocratic family with a reputation for revolution.

Catiline's Conspiracy

Having been rebuffed a second time, Catiline now began a serious effort to overthrow the Roman government. Fortunately for Rome, one of his conspirators, Curius, shared their plans with Fulvia, an aristocratic woman with whom he was having an affair. Fulvia, in turn, shared all of the details of the plot with Cicero.

On November 6 the conspirators met to plan their overthrow of the government. Plans included the assassination of Cicero on November 7. However, Cicero learned of the plot and the attempt was thwarted. On November 8, Cicero denounced Catiline in a meeting of the Roman Senate with Catiline present. He followed this up the following day with a speech addressed to the Roman people delivered from the Rostra.

Catiline fled Rome to join with Manlius and his army in Etruria. On December 3 Cicero again addressed the people from the Rostra presenting evidence that the conspirators who had remained in the city had tried to join forces with the Allobroges, a Gallic tribe, to overthrow the government. On December 5 after Cicero delivered his fourth speech against Catiline and his allies, the Senate voted to execute the conspirators. In January of 62 BCE Cataline's military forces were defeated. Catiline died in that battle.

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