# The Conspiracy of Catiline 1.39-41

Greek and Roman Historians, The Conspiracy of Catiline, Lines 1.39-1.41. Latin.

Canonical: https://interlinea.aeterna-institute.org/library/latin/greek-and-roman-historians/the-conspiracy-of-catiline/1.39

On the following day, the 9th of November, Cicero address a public meeting in the Forum and delivered his Second Speech Against Catiline informing the people of what had happened. A few days later (on or about the 17th of November) news reached Rome that Catiline, accompanied like a consul by twelve lictors, had arrived at Manlius' camp. The two men were immediately declared public enemies; the consuls were instructed to enlist troops: Antonius was to pursue Catiline without delay and Cicero was to remain in Rome to defend the capital; and amnesty was offered to those who laid down their arms by a certain day. Once again there was not a single defector from Catiline's ranks to take advantage of this offer.
Of the conspirators left in Rome, Cethegus was all for instant action but was overruled by Lentulus. Plans were laid that on the 16th of December a tribune, Lucius Calpurnius Bestia, should attack Cicero and rouse the people against him for accusing innocent men and provoking dangerous war. Then, on the 17th, under cover of the uncontrolled revelry of the Saturnalia, Statilius and Gabinius were to start fires in twelve places, and in the resulting confusion Cethegus was to kill Cicero at his home and other leading men were to be assassinated. The conspirators were then to break out of the burning city and join Catiline who was to be at hand with his army to receive them.
At this point a further call was male upon Cicero's time and energy. With a fine disregard for the perils of the hour Servius Sulpicius Rufus, one of the unsuccessful candidates for the consulship, combined with Marcus Porcius Cato to accuse Lucius Licinius Murena, consul-elect for 62 B.C., of electoral malpractice. Cicero interrupted his search for evidence against the conspirators and accepted the brief for the defense. Scarcely was the trial over and the defendant safely acquitted than the evidence enabling him to arrest the conspirators came into his hands.

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Greek and Roman Historians, The Conspiracy of Catiline. Text: The Latin Library (thelatinlibrary.com), used with permission. Changes: HTML markup removed and the text divided into reading sections by Interlinea.
License: Used with permission (https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/about.html). Source: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/historians/narrative/catiline.html.