Conspiratio

Conspiratio is a Latin noun meaning a secret agreement among a group to commit wrongdoing, typically a political plot against the state. It describes coordinated actions by multiple individuals with the aim of subverting authority, overthrowing leaders, or scheduling violent acts. The word appears in classical and late antique Latin literature and is often used to characterize organized wrongdoing rather than a simple plan.

Etymology and form: The term derives from conspirare, "to breathe together" or "to plot," with the abstract noun suffix -atio. It is a feminine noun and part of the Roman vocabulary for political crime and criminal associations. In many sources, conspiratio is used alongside or in contrast with other terms such as coniuratio, which denotes sworn conspiracies or leagues.

Examples and usage: The Catiline Conspiracy (Conspiratio Catilinae) of 63 BCE is one of the best-known instances, described in Cicero's speeches and later histories. Other references appear in authors such as Sallust and Tacitus, where conspiratio denotes plots against the emperor or the republic. In modern scholarship, the term preserves its historical meaning when Latin sources are translated or discussed; it is used to discuss the concept of organized treachery in ancient Rome.