![]() ![]() “He had a powerful intellect and great physical strength, but a vicious a depraved.” Although his family was of consular heritage, they were then declining in both social and financial fortunes, which should dramatically shape Catiline’s ambitions and goals as he would desire above all else to restore the political heritage of his family along with its financial power. ![]() Lucius Sergius Catilina, in English known as Catiline, was born in 108 BC to one of the oldest patrician families in Rome, the gens Sergia. (How long, O Catiline, will you abuse our patience? And for how long will that madness of yours mock us? To what end will your unbridled audacity hurl itself?) Who was Lucius Sergius Catilina? “Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet? Quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia?” In fact, attending Latin courses in high school, we did translate large parts of his famous first speech to the Roman senate, of which the opening remarks are still widely remembered and used after 2,000 years: Cicero’s speeches to the senate and people during the crisis have become rather popular. Marcus Tullius Cicero, acting Roman consul during this time was able to suppress the conspiracy, but caused vehement controversies, because he had executed the ringleaders. ![]() It was the attempted seizure of power at Rome by the disaffected aristocrat Catiline. Actually, the Catilinarian Conspiracy is one of the best-documented episodes of ancient history. On October 21, 63 BC, Roman philosopher, politician, and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero presented evidence to the members of the Roman senate as proof that Lucius Sergius Catilina was preparing a conspiracy to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate. Cicero Denounces Catiline, fresco by Cesare Maccari, 1882–88 ![]()
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