Catilines

Catilines is a term used to refer to Lucius Sergius Catilina and the group of conspirators who allied with him in the Catiline conspiracy of 63 BCE, a major event in the late Roman Republic. Catiline, a patrician with populist support, sought to overthrow the Roman government, extinguish the power of his enemies in the Senate, and cancel debts to gain control of Rome.

The plot was uncovered by the consul Marcus Tullius Cicero, who presented the affair in a series of speeches known as the Catiline Orations. Cicero’s revelations helped to rally political support against the conspirators and led to measures designed to neutralize the threat within the city. Catiline fled Rome with a portion of his followers when confronted, and he died the following year while opposing Roman forces in the countryside. In the aftermath, some conspirators were executed or exiled, while others faced various resolutions as the political situation in Rome evolved.

The Catiline affair had lasting implications for Roman politics, underscoring the volatility of the Republic’s governance and intensifying factional conflict between the optimates and populares. It also left a significant literary and historical footprint. Primary sources include Cicero’s Catilinarian Orations and Sallust’s Bellum Catilinae, with later historians expanding on the episode. The term Catilines is used today mainly in historical contexts to denote Catiline and his co-conspirators or their movement.