Roman Civilization

CMS 206 /History 206

In January 62, Antonius' army, led by M. Petreius, defeated Catiline. All the citizens who fought with Catiline fought bravely and preferred death to surrender (Sallust, BC 59-61). Back at Rome, the political fallout from the Catilinarian affair continued. Caesar, now praetor, worked with Metellus Nepos in pro-Pompeian moves that could be characterized as anti-optimate, and anti-Cicero. Immediately upon entering office Caesar accused Catulus of financial fraud relating to his oversight of the construction of the new temple to Jupiter on the Capitol (Suetonius, Iul. 15; Dio 37.44). Nepos then moved that stewardship of the project be transferred from Catulus to Pompey (Dio 37.44). Then, with Caesar's support, Nepos tried to promulgate a bill to recall Pompey, according to Dio to deal with the Catilinarians, according to Plutarch, to check Cicero's growing power (Dio 37.43; Plut. Cic. 23).

Cato vetoed both proposals and riots broke out (id.; Suet., Iul. 16). The Senate met, passed a senatusconsultum ultimum and removed Nepos and Caesar from office (Dio 37.44; Suet., Iul. 16.). Nepos left for Pompey, but Caesar resigned his office calmly and returned home. When a mob gathered their in his support he sent them home, and won the gratitude of the Senate, and his own reinstatement (Suet., Iul. 16.). At this point Caesar become somewhat vulnerable to charges that he had conspired with the Catilinarians, but Cicero defended him, and Caesar revenged himself. (Suet., Iul. 17.) Cicero had taken the trouble to write a lengthy letter to Pompey relating his account of the Catilinarian affair in early 62, to which Pompey responded more coolly than Cicero would have liked (ad Fam. 5.7). The letter was used as evidence against Cicero's client, P. Sulla, who was tried by the younger Torquatus before the consular election on charges that linked him to the Catilinarians. The early months of 62 had witnessed the trials of a number of Catilinarians, against all of whom Cicero testified and all of whom were convicted (pro Sulla 6). Torquatus professed outraged that Cicero would defend anyone accused of complicity in the conspiracy and suggested that Cicero was acting like a rex, using his influence to acquit or convict, and that Cicero had falsified the evidentiary records of the Senate hearings in the matter (pro Sulla 21, 40, 48). Whatever such accusations reflect about the state of Cicero' auctoritas, Sulla was acquitted.

Cato offered the only successful popular measure of 62, a bill underwriting the cost of corn for the plebs (Plut. Cat. Min. 26; Caes. 8.). The optimates offered Pompey a slap when his rival Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus was finally allowed to triumph after a four year wait. Crassus departed for Syria, perhaps to signal horror at Pompey's return, perhaps to look after business interests (Plutarch, Pomp. 43; pro Flacco 32). In the fall, Rome was captivated by the scandal of the Bona Dea affair. Clodius was accused of slipping into Caesar's house, where the women's festival was held (ad Att. 1.12, 13). The scandal would endure for months, bring all business of the Senate to a halt in the first months of 61, and overshadow even Pompey's return to Rome. It concluded with Clodius' acquittal, and because of testimony Cicero offered against him, spark Clodius' enmity against Cicero ultimately to the cost of his career.

In December 62, Pompey landed at Brundesium. He dismissed his men, and his wife, signaling in these gestures, his desire to maintain constitutional norms and an overture to the optimates (Ad Att. 1.12).