The Conspiracy of Catiline

Now first of all, as a youth, Catiline had committed many unspeakable outrages, with a noble virgin, with a priestess of Vesta, and other things of this kind contrary to human and divine law. Finally, seized with love for Aurelia Orestilla, in whom no good man ever praised anything except her beauty, because she hesitated to marry him, fearing a stepson of adult age, it is believed for certain that, having killed his son, he made his house empty for the wicked marriage. And this very thing indeed seems to me to have been the chief cause of hastening the deed. For his impure mind, hostile to gods and men, could be calmed neither by waking nor by sleeping; so did his conscience devastate his agitated mind. Therefore his complexion was bloodless, his eyes hideous, his gait now swift, now slow; in short, madness was present in his face and expression.

But the youth, whom, as we have said above, he had enticed, he trained in evil deeds in many ways. From among them, he supplied false witnesses and signers of wills; he held their honor, fortunes, and dangers of no account; afterwards, when he had worn away their reputation and shame, he commanded other greater things. If a reason for committing a crime was lacking for the moment, nonetheless he would entrap and murder the innocent just as the guilty; clearly, lest their hands or minds should grow dull through leisure, he was evil and cruel without reason. Relying on these friends and allies, and at the same time because debt was immense throughout all lands, and because most of Sulla’s soldiers, having spent their own too lavishly, and mindful of their plunder and ancient victory, were longing for civil war, Catiline formed a plan to overthrow the republic. There was no army in Italy, Gnaeus Pompey was waging war in the furthest lands; he himself had great hope as he sought the consulship, the senate was not at all vigilant; all things were safe and quiet, but these were altogether favorable for Catiline.

Therefore, around the Kalends of June, during the consulship of Lucius Caesar and Gaius Figulus, he first approached individuals; he encouraged some, tested others; he pointed out his own resources, the unprepared state of the republic, and the great rewards of the conspiracy. When the things he wished were sufficiently explored, he called all together in one place, in whom there was the greatest need and the most audacity. There assembled, of the senatorial order, Publius Lentulus Sura, Publius Autronius, Lucius Cassius Longinus, Gaius Cethegus, Publius and Servius Sulla (sons of Servius), Lucius Vargunteius, Quintus Annius, Marcus Porcius Laeca, Lucius Bestia, Quintus Curius; furthermore, of the equestrian order, Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, Lucius Statilius, Publius Gabinius Capito, Gaius Cornelius; in addition, many from colonies and municipia who were noble at home. There were besides several nobles who were participants of this plan a little more secretly, whom the hope of domination encouraged more than want or any other necessity. Moreover, most of the youth, but especially of the nobles, favored Catiline’s undertakings: those who in leisure had the means to live either grandly or softly; they preferred uncertainty to certainty, war to peace. There were also at that time those who believed that Marcus Licinius Crassus was not ignorant of that plan: because Gnaeus Pompey, hated by him, was leading a large army, Crassus wished the power of anyone whomsoever to grow against his power, while trusting at the same time that, if the conspiracy succeeded, he would easily be the leader among them.

But earlier also, a few had conspired against the republic, among whom was Catiline. Of which I shall speak as truthfully as I can. During the consulship of Lucius Tullus and Manius Lepidus, Publius Autronius and Publius Sulla, the consuls-elect, having been prosecuted under the laws against bribery, had suffered punishment. A little later, Catiline, accused of extortion, had been prohibited from seeking the consulship, because he had been unable to declare his candidacy within the lawful days. At the same time there was Gnaeus Piso, a noble youth of the greatest audacity, needy, factious, whom poverty and bad character stimulated to overthrow the republic. With him, Catiline and Autronius, having shared their plan around the Nones of December, were preparing to kill the consuls Lucius Cotta and Lucius Torquatus on the Capitol on the Kalends of January, and they themselves, having seized the fasces, to send Piso with an army to take possession of the two Spains. This plot being discovered, they postponed the plan of slaughter again to the Nones of February. Already then they were plotting destruction not only for the consuls, but for most of the senators. And if Catiline had not hastened to give the signal to his associates in front of the senate house, on that day the worst crime since the founding of the city of Rome would have been committed. Because the armed men had not yet assembled in large numbers, that circumstance broke up the plan.