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Catiline
Like Guy Fawkes in early 17th-century Britain, L. Sergius Catilina was a threat to the constitution imposed on Rome by Sulla in the mid-1st century BC. His aim at first was to reach the consulship, the summit of power at Rome, by conventional means, but he lacked the money and support to win his way to the top, unlike two contemporaries of greater means and the orator Cicero and the military man Pompey the Great.
Defeated for the third time, Catiline took to revolution with a substantial destitute farmers, impoverished landowners, discontented Italians and debtors of all kinds. But they could not stand up to the forces of law and order and the rebellion was quashed. For the controversy that still surrounds it, the personalities involved, the distinction of the writers such as Cicero and Sallust, who are our main sources of information for it, this episode remains one of the most significant in late Republican history.
This volume gives an energetic and appealing overview of the events, their sources, and the arguments of modern historians looking back at this controversial period. Accessible for students, but useful also for more experienced scholars, this is the perfect introduction not only to a specific historical episode, but also to the problems of tackling ancient sources as evidence.
Defeated for the third time, Catiline took to revolution with a substantial destitute farmers, impoverished landowners, discontented Italians and debtors of all kinds. But they could not stand up to the forces of law and order and the rebellion was quashed. For the controversy that still surrounds it, the personalities involved, the distinction of the writers such as Cicero and Sallust, who are our main sources of information for it, this episode remains one of the most significant in late Republican history.
This volume gives an energetic and appealing overview of the events, their sources, and the arguments of modern historians looking back at this controversial period. Accessible for students, but useful also for more experienced scholars, this is the perfect introduction not only to a specific historical episode, but also to the problems of tackling ancient sources as evidence.
152 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2015
4 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Levick
28 books6 followersBarbara M. Levick is a British historian, specializing in ancient history. She was educated at St Hugh's College, Oxford, and, since 1959, has been a Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford (now emeritus). She is a prolific writer and occasional broadcaster on Roman history.
Levick is best known to the general public for her biographies of Roman emperors.
Levick is best known to the general public for her biographies of Roman emperors.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 23, 2024
Barbara Levick Delivers A First-Rate, Exceptionally-Presented Treatise On Catiline & His Conspiracy.
The utter paucity of recent scholarly works written on Lucius Sergius Catilina render the chances of reading a new, original study on him a rare occurrence indeed. Catiline had a fairly unremarkable political career with a praetorship in 68 BC, followed by a short term as African 'pro praetor' from 67-66. He became a rebel after his failure to win 2 consecutive consular elections in 64 & 63, largely due to the efforts of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Sallust's 'Bellum Catilinae' contains a dramatic portrayal of Catiline hatching a plot to forcefully seize the Roman consulship which he feels was denied to him. The majority of the historiographical references on Catiline fall between the years 69 - 62 BC, & there is very little record of his military career other than some fragments of Sallust's 'Historiae' mentioning his participation in an unknown siege. His name also appears on an inscription commemorating the granting of Roman citizenship to a group of Spanish cavalrymen for their service in the 'Social War' during the Siege of Asculum. The social upheaval which gripped Rome during the time Catiline was politically active & the chaotic, often-confusing events of the First & Second Catilinarian Conspiracies render his exploits a difficult endeavor to compose a coherent narrative around. It becomes quite easy to mistake the imaginary events of the 'First Catilinarian Conspiracy' with the actual events of the second, & the lengthy list of Catilinarian conspirators could likely occupy its own separate study.
While taking all of this into consideration, Barbara Levick has succeeded in writing an extremely well-organized, informative short study on Catiline, his conspiracy, & the people & events which helped shape his era in Roman history. In the preface to 'Catiline : Ancients In Action', Levick compares Lucius Sergius Catilina to Guy Fawkes, one of the main participants in Great Britain's famous 'Gunpowder Plot' of 1605. She points out that while Catiline's motives were primarily political in nature & Fawkes' mainly derived from religion, the 2 men & their respective failed coup d'états shared a number of similarities. It's a great jumping-off point for this fascinating look at Catiline's life & times. This study is 124 pages in length, & it consists of 7 well-organized chapters. You can most likely finish reading it in a couple of days.
In an early chapter Levick provides an excellent overview of Lucius Cornelius Sulla's years in power following the conclusion of his conflict with Gaius Marius during the Sullan Civil War of 83-82 BC. As dictator Sulla attempted to greatly restructure the Roman constitution, particularly in his efforts to regulate the careers of elected magistrates & in limiting the power of plebeian tribunes. Vocal & outspoken, Sulla openly acknowledged his drastic reforms. 'I have put the Senate in the saddle, let us see if it can ride.' The author also discusses Catiline's role in the Sullan proscriptions of 82-81, as well as his later relationship with the disaffected Sullan veterans in various areas of the Etruria region. There is a great deal of insight to be gained by reading Levick's excellent synopsis of this period in Late Republican history.
Marcus Tullius Cicero concocted the utterly-fallacious 'First Catilinarian Conspiracy' sometime during the course of his 64 BC election campaign. Its chief purpose was to destroy Catiline's image in the eyes of Roman voters & ensure Cicero's road to obtaining his first consulship. This imaginary plot, which Levick amusingly refers to as a 'farrago', revolved around an alleged attempt to assassinate 2 consular electees, Lucius Aurelius Cotta & Lucius Manlius Torquatus, by 2 previous candidates whose victory had been disqualified on charges of electoral bribery in the 65 consular election, Publius Autronius Paetus & Publius Cornelius Sulla. Cicero cleverly substitutes Catiline's name for Sulla's & begins integrating this hoax into the rhetoric for his own election campaign. He also expands upon it by introducing an additional element concerning the supposed attempt to seize Hither Spain by a quaestor, Calpurnius Piso, who in any event had recently died & was conveniently unable to defend himself. Levick does an outstanding job of explaining all of this in a manner that is easy to understand & also very enjoyable to read about.
In Chapter 5, Levick aptly summarizes Sallust's withering opinion on the depravity of Catiline's co-conspirators, describing them as 'all moral reprobates : debauchees, gluttons & gamblers who had squandered their patrimony; those who had had to buy legal immunity, men convicted of murder or sacrilege, or who feared conviction; perjurers & assassins of their fellow Romans; all who were being driven by criminality, poverty or a bad conscience were Catiline's closest friends.' Most historians concur that Publius Cornelius Lentulus 'Sura' & Gaius Cornelius Cethegus were Catiline's 2 primary lieutenants. Prior to becoming the lead conspirators these men had gained notoriety by committing heinous deeds during their early political careers. Lentulus had gained his sobriquet, 'Sura', which means 'Leg', during a senate hearing where he had been instructed to account for alleged misconduct while holding the Roman praetorship. While playing, Roman youths commonly would point to their leg as a way to explain their missing a ball that had been tossed to them. Lentulus had refused to explain his actions during the senate's investigation into his malfeasance, his only response being to arrogantly gesture to his 'Sura'. Cornelius Cethegus' misdeeds were more serious; at some point in the 70s BC he had attempted to assassinate the governor of Spain, Quintus Metellus Pius. Lentulus & Cethegus were among the 5 lead conspirators given death sentences on 5 December 63 BC at Rome's Tullianum. Levick introduces a fascinating theory that there were in fact multiple, unrelated insurrections occurring in Rome at the time of the Second Catilinarian Conspiracy, & it was advantageous to Cicero's political career for Catiline to be portrayed as their leader because the two men had been opponents in the consular elections of 64. It is an interesting possibility to consider.
Overall, Barbara Levick's 'Catiline' is an outstanding study written on an extremely complicated subject in Roman history. Oftentimes the Conspiracy of Catiline is overlooked in light of its much more well-known counterpart, the Conspiracy of Julius Caesar which was led by his trusted friend Marcus Iunius Brutus. Catiline's shadowy exploits are numerous & multi-faceted. He fraternized with a socially-diverse group of people which included future triumvirs such as Caesar & Marcus Crassus, as well as the dictator, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Many of the men recruited to take part in the Catilinarian Conspiracy had very low-brow characters; they were either failed politicians or former criminals. In contrast, Catiline's closest friend was a exceptionally moral man with an outstanding reputation, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, 'Capitolinus'. Catulus served as 'pontifex maximus' during Catiline's adultery trial in 73 BC, & some historians believe he was at the very least partially responsible for Catiline's ultimate acquittal of the charges. For a more in-depth, all-encompassing historical biography of Catiline, I would suggest James T. Carney's 2023 'Catiline, Rebel of the Roman Republic: The Life and Conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina'. Carney's monograph highlights the findings of many notable Roman historians & academics such as Arthur Keaveney, author of the 1982 'Sulla : The Last Republican', & he also mentions Levick's work in this study.
The utter paucity of recent scholarly works written on Lucius Sergius Catilina render the chances of reading a new, original study on him a rare occurrence indeed. Catiline had a fairly unremarkable political career with a praetorship in 68 BC, followed by a short term as African 'pro praetor' from 67-66. He became a rebel after his failure to win 2 consecutive consular elections in 64 & 63, largely due to the efforts of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Sallust's 'Bellum Catilinae' contains a dramatic portrayal of Catiline hatching a plot to forcefully seize the Roman consulship which he feels was denied to him. The majority of the historiographical references on Catiline fall between the years 69 - 62 BC, & there is very little record of his military career other than some fragments of Sallust's 'Historiae' mentioning his participation in an unknown siege. His name also appears on an inscription commemorating the granting of Roman citizenship to a group of Spanish cavalrymen for their service in the 'Social War' during the Siege of Asculum. The social upheaval which gripped Rome during the time Catiline was politically active & the chaotic, often-confusing events of the First & Second Catilinarian Conspiracies render his exploits a difficult endeavor to compose a coherent narrative around. It becomes quite easy to mistake the imaginary events of the 'First Catilinarian Conspiracy' with the actual events of the second, & the lengthy list of Catilinarian conspirators could likely occupy its own separate study.
While taking all of this into consideration, Barbara Levick has succeeded in writing an extremely well-organized, informative short study on Catiline, his conspiracy, & the people & events which helped shape his era in Roman history. In the preface to 'Catiline : Ancients In Action', Levick compares Lucius Sergius Catilina to Guy Fawkes, one of the main participants in Great Britain's famous 'Gunpowder Plot' of 1605. She points out that while Catiline's motives were primarily political in nature & Fawkes' mainly derived from religion, the 2 men & their respective failed coup d'états shared a number of similarities. It's a great jumping-off point for this fascinating look at Catiline's life & times. This study is 124 pages in length, & it consists of 7 well-organized chapters. You can most likely finish reading it in a couple of days.
In an early chapter Levick provides an excellent overview of Lucius Cornelius Sulla's years in power following the conclusion of his conflict with Gaius Marius during the Sullan Civil War of 83-82 BC. As dictator Sulla attempted to greatly restructure the Roman constitution, particularly in his efforts to regulate the careers of elected magistrates & in limiting the power of plebeian tribunes. Vocal & outspoken, Sulla openly acknowledged his drastic reforms. 'I have put the Senate in the saddle, let us see if it can ride.' The author also discusses Catiline's role in the Sullan proscriptions of 82-81, as well as his later relationship with the disaffected Sullan veterans in various areas of the Etruria region. There is a great deal of insight to be gained by reading Levick's excellent synopsis of this period in Late Republican history.
Marcus Tullius Cicero concocted the utterly-fallacious 'First Catilinarian Conspiracy' sometime during the course of his 64 BC election campaign. Its chief purpose was to destroy Catiline's image in the eyes of Roman voters & ensure Cicero's road to obtaining his first consulship. This imaginary plot, which Levick amusingly refers to as a 'farrago', revolved around an alleged attempt to assassinate 2 consular electees, Lucius Aurelius Cotta & Lucius Manlius Torquatus, by 2 previous candidates whose victory had been disqualified on charges of electoral bribery in the 65 consular election, Publius Autronius Paetus & Publius Cornelius Sulla. Cicero cleverly substitutes Catiline's name for Sulla's & begins integrating this hoax into the rhetoric for his own election campaign. He also expands upon it by introducing an additional element concerning the supposed attempt to seize Hither Spain by a quaestor, Calpurnius Piso, who in any event had recently died & was conveniently unable to defend himself. Levick does an outstanding job of explaining all of this in a manner that is easy to understand & also very enjoyable to read about.
In Chapter 5, Levick aptly summarizes Sallust's withering opinion on the depravity of Catiline's co-conspirators, describing them as 'all moral reprobates : debauchees, gluttons & gamblers who had squandered their patrimony; those who had had to buy legal immunity, men convicted of murder or sacrilege, or who feared conviction; perjurers & assassins of their fellow Romans; all who were being driven by criminality, poverty or a bad conscience were Catiline's closest friends.' Most historians concur that Publius Cornelius Lentulus 'Sura' & Gaius Cornelius Cethegus were Catiline's 2 primary lieutenants. Prior to becoming the lead conspirators these men had gained notoriety by committing heinous deeds during their early political careers. Lentulus had gained his sobriquet, 'Sura', which means 'Leg', during a senate hearing where he had been instructed to account for alleged misconduct while holding the Roman praetorship. While playing, Roman youths commonly would point to their leg as a way to explain their missing a ball that had been tossed to them. Lentulus had refused to explain his actions during the senate's investigation into his malfeasance, his only response being to arrogantly gesture to his 'Sura'. Cornelius Cethegus' misdeeds were more serious; at some point in the 70s BC he had attempted to assassinate the governor of Spain, Quintus Metellus Pius. Lentulus & Cethegus were among the 5 lead conspirators given death sentences on 5 December 63 BC at Rome's Tullianum. Levick introduces a fascinating theory that there were in fact multiple, unrelated insurrections occurring in Rome at the time of the Second Catilinarian Conspiracy, & it was advantageous to Cicero's political career for Catiline to be portrayed as their leader because the two men had been opponents in the consular elections of 64. It is an interesting possibility to consider.
Overall, Barbara Levick's 'Catiline' is an outstanding study written on an extremely complicated subject in Roman history. Oftentimes the Conspiracy of Catiline is overlooked in light of its much more well-known counterpart, the Conspiracy of Julius Caesar which was led by his trusted friend Marcus Iunius Brutus. Catiline's shadowy exploits are numerous & multi-faceted. He fraternized with a socially-diverse group of people which included future triumvirs such as Caesar & Marcus Crassus, as well as the dictator, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Many of the men recruited to take part in the Catilinarian Conspiracy had very low-brow characters; they were either failed politicians or former criminals. In contrast, Catiline's closest friend was a exceptionally moral man with an outstanding reputation, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, 'Capitolinus'. Catulus served as 'pontifex maximus' during Catiline's adultery trial in 73 BC, & some historians believe he was at the very least partially responsible for Catiline's ultimate acquittal of the charges. For a more in-depth, all-encompassing historical biography of Catiline, I would suggest James T. Carney's 2023 'Catiline, Rebel of the Roman Republic: The Life and Conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina'. Carney's monograph highlights the findings of many notable Roman historians & academics such as Arthur Keaveney, author of the 1982 'Sulla : The Last Republican', & he also mentions Levick's work in this study.
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