Chapter 63: Marcus’s Reforms (1)
Chapter 63: Marcus’s Reforms (1)
Catiline could no longer evade the situation and remained silent, his mouth shut.
Before him, Cicero began his speech with a solemn expression, while Marcus watched with keen interest.
He was about to witness Cicero’s famous speech, which had been praised for over 2,000 years, as he impeached Catiline.
‘Cicero showed some eloquence during the Verres trial, but did he really speak so passionately?’ Marcus wondered. Roman speeches were often embellished, but Cicero’s impeachment of Catiline was even more so. Marcus secretly questioned whether Cicero had exaggerated his speech.
Cicero's first words were a thunderclap: “O Catiline, how long will you test our patience and tolerance?”
‘He really wrote it down without exaggeration...’ Marcus thought, feeling awkward and turning his head slightly.
Despite Marcus’s discomfort, Cicero’s oration captured everyone’s attention.
“What have you done so far? What was your motive for plotting a terrible conspiracy to trample on Rome’s traditions, honor, and dignity?
For the past few months, did you not notice the anxious faces of the citizens and the nervous guards on the streets? Even when your vile plot was exposed, you defended yourself with lies and hypocrisy. Even when given a chance to confess and save your honor, you refused and harbored even more malicious intentions.”
Unable to bear Cicero’s gaze, Catiline bowed his head.
Cicero clenched his fist and lamented to the sky, “O, what a miserable time! All the senators have learned your true nature. Yet you still offer no remorse. According to your plan, we should all be dead by tonight. What did you think when you looked at your fellow senators in the sacred Senate? Did you not make a death list, weighing our lives with your wicked and cunning eyes?”
The senators’ faces hardened as they recalled the contents of the death list. Cicero paused deliberately to let their anger build.
“O great gods who watch over Rome! Why must this noble city, full of virtuous citizens, suffer such a scoundrel’s threat? We are sincerely grateful that you saved us from this crisis at the last moment. We earnestly hope you will prevent such heinous criminals from endangering the state’s peace in the future.”
Cicero continued denouncing Catiline’s crimes for more than half an hour, tracing back to Rome’s early history and linking Catiline to numerous criminals. In Cicero’s words, Catiline became an unparalleled villain.
Even Marcus began to view Catiline as perhaps the worst criminal in history. Catiline’s followers also started to view him with doubt.
This scene demonstrated how much eloquence could sway people’s minds.
After pushing Catiline further for another twenty minutes, Cicero concluded his speech with a serious tone.
“So, Catiline, admit your guilt and surrender! Do not spill innocent blood by resisting in vain. The blood of innocent citizens should not flow because of your empty ambition.
Are you contemplating a last struggle? Look at the faces of your followers behind you. We sincerely hope that the gods will restore your sanity even now. Drop your weapons, Catiline! What are you hesitating for? Don’t you see what the silence of your followers means?”
Even an ordinary person would go mad under such relentless criticism for over an hour, especially when their rebellion had failed utterly and their spirit was broken. Catiline tried to respond several times but could not find the words.
His original plan was to fight bravely to the end rather than live miserably if the plan failed. But looking around, he saw no one willing to stand with him. His followers had all dropped their weapons, staring blankly with resignation and despair.
To issue a bold attack order now would only make Catiline appear ridiculous. In the end, there was no choice left. Catiline dropped his weapon and let out a hollow laugh.
“I lost… do as you please.”
As soon as the leader surrendered, his followers also discarded their weapons in agreement. More than 1,000 of Catiline’s supporters were captured and sent to Rome.
Cicero, having won without a fight, returned triumphantly, like a victorious general. But Marcus was the one who had made the most significant contribution to this suppression. The senators unanimously praised Marcus’s calmness and intelligence and sought to get close to him.
Some senators close to Crassus congratulated him on having such a reliable son. Crassus’s face beamed with pride as he returned to Rome, indifferent to the costs incurred in raising a legion. He considered it a legitimate expense for suppressing the rebellion, a cost he might recoup later but preferred not to, given his debt to the Senate.
The rebellion had ended peacefully, but the matter was not fully resolved. There remained a complex issue of how to deal with Catiline and his followers. There was sharp division over whether to trial them normally or execute them immediately under the Senate’s final authority.
Both sides had their arguments. Caesar, representing those who favored a trial, argued that the final measure should be reserved for truly urgent situations. He believed that the Senate’s final authority, an extra-legal force that suspended all Roman rights, should be used sparingly. If the Senate engaged in such acts, it risked setting a poor example for future generations.
Some senators, who might have opposed Caesar’s view, chose to remain silent. As Caesar suggested, the current situation did not seem an emergency. Some conservative senior senators agreed with Caesar.
Cato, however, sharply countered Caesar’s position. “Ladies and gentlemen, are you too optimistic about the situation? True, Catiline’s rebellion has been suppressed, but many of his supporters remain across Italy. Some still believe in his cause and claim he was unjustly oppressed by the Senate.”
“Is that true?” asked a senator.
“If you don’t believe me, visit the Forum Romanum on the day of the assembly,” Cato replied.
Not all of Catiline’s supporters had participated directly in the rebellion. Many debtors in Rome wished for Catiline’s return, discontented and angry over their debts.
Caesar pointed out this discontent and insisted on a fair trial to reveal Catiline’s crimes clearly. “We must demonstrate the reasons for his punishment through a trial. This is a treason case led by a current consul. We must handle it with the utmost care, considering the citizens' turmoil.”
“I disagree! This is the time to show the Senate’s power. Regardless of his status as consul, Catiline’s disruption must end in ruin. We need a clear precedent!”
Cato’s argument for reinforcing Senate authority was compelling. The Senate had successfully suppressed Catiline and was tempted to show its strength further.
On the other hand, Cicero was torn between the sides. His decision could determine the outcome, as he had received Catiline’s surrender. He became an unwilling swing voter, struggling with the pressure of his role as a jurist.
Cicero sought advice from those he respected. His friend Atticus avoided giving a clear answer. Crassus, diplomatically, said he would follow the consul’s decision. Regretting not doing the same, Cicero found himself caught between conflicting opinions.
Ultimately, Cicero visited Marcus for his final input. Marcus, while not giving a direct answer, said, “There are pros and cons. Caesar and Cato’s opinions reflect their different positions rather than right or wrong.”
“That’s true,” Cicero agreed.
“In that case, I suggest you think about your future position rather than trying to judge what is right,” Marcus advised.
“If I make such a choice, I don’t need to worry. Rome should remain a republic led by the Senate. I believe this is an absolute value that I should not waver from.”
Marcus nodded, agreeing. He actually preferred the Senate’s final decree for his future plans. “Without the Senate’s final decree, the Senate would not have stopped the Gracchi brothers’ reform, and it would be the same for any future challenges.”
Cicero, after much deliberation, decided to support invoking the final decree. The next day, at the Senate meeting, he argued strongly for executing Catiline and his party without trial, for the sake of Rome’s order.
With Cicero’s influential support, the decision quickly shifted in favor of Cato’s position. In 62 BC, the Senate resolved to invoke its final decree with an overwhelming majority. Catiline, Manlius, and three others were sentenced to death.
The consul Silanus led the executioners to the prison without trial. When Catiline heard the announcement, he protested vehemently, “This is absurd! I am a consul of Rome. Even if my authority is suspended, I have the right to a trial! You are committing an illegal act!”
Manlius also protested angrily. “We are citizens of Rome! How dare you execute us without a trial!”
Their cries were futile. Silanus declared that the rebels had no right to leave a will and executed them immediately. Catiline’s life, once turbulent, ended miserably in prison, a pathetic end for a once-prominent consul.
The Senate announced Catiline’s execution to Rome, shocking the city with the news of a consul executed without trial. The debtors, discontented, could no longer voice their grievances against the Senate’s overwhelming response. Some questioned the severity, but none of the tribunes officially challenged it.
The Senate’s final decree became a symbol of terror, deterring opposition. Catiline’s followers scattered, and the Senate reveled in victory. Cato and Cicero were hailed as heroes, while Caesar faced criticism. However, the Senate’s intellectuals knew the problem was not fully resolved. They had quelled discontent with fear and authority, but the underlying issues remained.
The privileged class was content with a temporary reprieve, while debtors continued to suffer. Most people believed Rome would remain unchanged, but Marcus thought otherwise. Sensing the opportune moment, Marcus began to act.
Marcus had been attending the youth group defending the republic, introduced to him by Cicero. He needed their connections and conviction, believing he could use them in the future.
He sought their cooperation to protect the republic. His reputation, bolstered by his role in suppressing Catiline’s rebellion, helped him gain support. Brutus and Gaius Scribonius Curio, recently recognized as excellent orators, agreed to help. Curio’s father was a fervent republican and a close friend of Cicero and Cato.
With these allies, Marcus announced a rally in the Forum Romanum under his family name. The youths, though not yet senators, lent their prestigious family names. The rally attracted significant attention, as it was akin to holding an assembly.
The debtors, who had given up hope, awaited the rally eagerly, while creditors remained calm, trusting in Crassus’s family not to propose an absurd policy.
On the day of the rally, senators, tribunes, and countless citizens gathered in the Forum Romanum. Marcus surveyed the crowd from the podium, satisfied.
Crassus, next to him, expressed pride. “After today, your name and our family will mark Rome’s history. I’m proud of you.”
“It’s not just my power. Your help, along with Brutus, Curio, and Cassius’s, made this possible. I also learned from Justus’s observations of Catiline.”
“I merely adjusted your plan for Rome’s reality. You are the central figure here.”
Marcus acknowledged this. He had gathered influential people to support his cause, leveraging young noble families and Crassus’s guarantee. Now, he needed to convince the gathered people.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and felt both the crowd’s cheering and his pounding heart. This moment would etch his name in the minds of Rome’s citizens and nobles. The young man, once in the shadows, was about to make his mark.