CATILI'N LU'Cl (TS SH'ItO ICS, descended from an illustrious patrician family, was born about a.c. 109. Catiline was qumetor about a.c. 77, and served as Instal. to Scribonius Curio, pro ems.) of Macedonia, sic. 75. Ile was praetor at Rome, p.c. 67. At the expiration of his pnetorship, be obtained the province of Africa, which be left to tonnes for the consulship ; but he was obliged to up his canvass in consequence of being accused of malversation In his province. Dazing this year, i.e. 65, he formed a conspiracy with Co. Piso and P. Autronius to assassinate the consuls and part of the pinata. Stietonins says that Cesar and 3L Comma were engaged in this plot, and cites as his authorities Tanurins Geminua, the edicts of Itibulus, the orations of the elder Curio, and Actorius Naso. (See also Cie. in 'CatiL' 4.) The plot was frustrated at first by the back wardness of Crawls and ('wear, and a second time by the hastiness of Catiline. Having procured an acquittal on hie trial (n.c. 65) for *maladministration in Africa by bribing the jndices, and, it is said, the prosecutor, P. Clodius, also, be was a candidate for the consulship with Cicero for the year Lc. 63. During the contest be was tried with many others for the murders which he had committed during the proftwiption of Sulla, to who.. party Catiline belonged, and espe cially for that of Marital Gratidianus, uncle to Cicero, but, through the influence of the consular senators, ho was acquitted. According to some, this murder, which was committed many years before, in addition to the Imputed seduction of Fable, Cicero's sisterdn•law, Laid the foundation for that animosity with which Cicero afterward.' pursued Cat line. Yet Cicero nips (' Ad. Att.' L 2) that he Lad some thoughts of defending him on his trial for melvenration.
• In the beginning of June, D. C. 64, about a month before the con sular election, urged by the ruined state of his fortunes, Catiline held the Gat meeting of his second conspiracy, eleven men of senatorian rank and four of equestrian being present.' Some rumour of their proceedings got abroad, and Catalina loot his election ; while the previous preparations of Cicero prevented the execution of a design which Cauline had formed to kill the consul and other senators on the day of election. Notwithstanding this failure, Catiline still pushed forward his design.s with great vigour. Money and arms were col lected, and Manlius, one of Sulla s veterans, only waited Catiline's orders to take the field with a large body of his comrades, who, after Sulfa's victoria, had been rattled in different parts of Italy. Infor mation of all their proceedings was conveyed to Cicero, and by him oesnmnnicated to the senate, who, on the 21st of October, issued the dear. in the usual form (i)arent operam, stc.), which gave dictatorial power to the consul,. On the 6th of November, another meeting of the conspirators was held, at which arrangements were made for firing the town and inanaccaing the inhabitants, for the bringing up the Tuscan army under Manlius, and for the murder of Cicero, all which was reported the same evening to Cicero. Catnip(' still kept up the appearance of Innocence, and though impeached by L. Paulus under the Plauthin law, came down to the senate, which was assembled by Cicero on the fah of November. When Cicero concluded, Catlike, in an bumble T0100 and manner, began to defend himself, but was Interrupted by the ware calling out that "he was an enemy and a traitor to his country." Catlike abruptly left the senate-house, and set out the same night for the camp of Manlius, with the view of making some decisive inurement before the consuls could get an army together to oppose him. The senate immediately declared him and Manlius enema. to the state, and ordered the consuls to raise new troops, of which the command was given to C. Antonius, the colleague of Cicero. Q. klarclus Hex and Q. Metellus Creticus were at this time waiting with their arinks outside the gates for the honour of a triumph. It bring reported that the slaves were arming in Apulia
and Capes, )14 talus was despatched into Apulia, and March's to nook., where Manlius was encamped. A remonstrance, addressed to Ilarcins by Manlius, setting forth their grievances, was answered by a reference to the senate, but it does not appear that any engage meat took place. Up to this time, Catiline made little progress, in cons.quesce of his plans le ing regularly divulged, through the mistress of one of the cooepiratont, to Cicero, and his designs were coulee quesitly thwarted; while, on the other land, the prospect of the cossopirse7 bring crushed seemed equally distant A high reward which had been offered by the senate for information respecting this plot bail. produced no evidence, and it appears certain that • large proportion of the population (Satinet says the whole of the come.= peepk) approved of Wiling'? design; but bow far they were desirosia of change from the hope of plunder, and how far from • well-grounded dissatisfaction with the government of the senatorian oligarchy, it would be a difficult matter to determine. The senate certainly del not appeal to the people for support against a common enemy. An uneuccessful Attempt of the remaining conspirators to draw Into the plot the ambassadors of the Allobreges, at that time in Home, and to obtain from them a body of horse, furnished the consul with evidence against the principal conspirators. Lentulus, Gabinius Statillus, and Cethegua were arrested. Fresh plots were now rumoured to be hatching among the dependents of the conspirators for their rescue; and after a long debater in the senate on the 5th of December (Nona Decembribus), in which Caesar argued againat and Cato in favour of the capital punishment of the conspirators, they were condemned to death without the form of a trial, end executed accordingly. Catiliue now found himself hemmed in by Metellus Celer on the aide of Cisalpine Gaul, and by Antonius, now proconsul, with a superior force among the Apennines. He made a desperate attack on the troops of Antonius, which were under the command of M. Petreius, was defeated, and fell among the thickest of the enemy, fighting bravely to the last, at; 02.
The history of Canine's conspiracy is chiefly transmitted to its by Cicero and What, and we have only one side of the story. Though there is doubtless great exaggeration in both these writers, and though it learns impossible to penetrate the whole design of Catiline, there is not much difficulty in forming a general opinion of this plot. The civil wars of Marius and Sella, which terminated in favour of Sulla, led the way to an orgauised system of murder and plunder, of which few histories present so frightful an example. The partisans of Sulla were enriched by the proscription and robbery of their fellow-cilium. This was the school in which Catilino and many of his accomplices were brought up. A body of profligate young men of rank, over whelmed with debt, whose only pursuit is pleasure, are the readiest, elements out of which to form a conspiracy. The conspiracy of Catlike was a conspiracy of an aristocratic faction against the body of which it formed a part—a body that had its own interested views and exclusive objects, but preferred accomplishing -them in a more politic and lees violent way. if the conspirators had succeeded they would, as a matter of course, in following up the example of Sufis, have crushed the whole aristocratical party whose views were opposed to their own. The possession of all the influence in the state—the spoliation of their wealthy enemies—would have been the reward of the partizans of Catiline ; but it is difficult to conceive that any one useful result to the state would have followed ; and, in the absence of better evidence as to the character and abilities of the conspirators, it is impossible to conclude that ROLM, would have been fortunate ouough to find among them a master who possessed the wisdom and moderation of the dictator Ccesar.