Catiline (Lucius Sergius Catiline) (108-62 BC) was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC. who is known for his conspiracies to overthrow the Roman Republic and especially its aristocratic Senate
Born into an impoverished noble family, Catiline served in the Social War with Pompey and Cicero under Pompeius Strabo. Then he supports Sylla during the civil war of 84-81 BC. J.-C..
In 73 BC. he is accused of adultery with a vestal virgin, Fabia, who was the half-sister of Cicero's wife.
He became praetor in 68 BC. AD and governs the province of Africa for the next two years. On his return he was prosecuted for abuse of power and acquitted then in 66 BC. J.-C. he is accused of conspiracy with Autronius and Sylla, but this conspiracy is not well known to us.
In 64 BC. J.-C. he was beaten by Cicero in the consular elections for the year 63. Catilina then decided to present himself as the defender of the populares and veterans of Sylla. And he begins to organize a new conspiracy.
In 63 BC. J.-C. Cicero become consul discovers the conspiracy and reveals it to the Senate, in a famous speech beginning with these words:
“Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? - Until when, Catiline, will you abuse our patience?
who forced Catiline to flee Rome. He resided in Etruria with his friend Manlius, leaving it to his supporters to seek the complicity of the Allobroges (Gallic tribe of the Narbonensis province. They refused and even informed the Roman authorities. On the proposal of Cato of Utica, Catiline and his clique of conspirators were condemned to death by a senatus consultum ultimum, which was illegal. (sources:Sallust + Encyclopedia of Classical Antiquity published by Séquoia editions)
In January 62 BC. AD Catiline and his companions are intercepted and defeated by Roman troops at Pistorium (today Pistoia) and Catiline finds death there fighting. A senator commented:"What a beautiful death!... Too bad she did not serve the Republic".
The conspiracies of Catiline inspired several literary works:The Catilines of Cicero, speeches delivered in the Senate, which became an example of eloquence and rhetoric and the history of this conspiracy written by Sallust under the title of De Conjuratione Catilinæ.
The story of this conspiracy was written by Sallust and, in the 19th century, by Prosper Mérimée (1844). Cicero's Catilinarium adds striking details. Crébillon father, in Catilina (1748), Voltaire, in Rome saved, put on the scene the conspiracy and the tragic end of Catiline.