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Party Politics in the Age of Caesar

VI. Cato and the “Populares”

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Opitmates” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

• Optimates dominated by old Sullans, plebeian nobility

• Q. Lutatius Catulus

• Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius

• most of the Metelli

• 2 Luculli sons of Caecilia Metella

• Hortensius, orator bro-in-law of

Catulus

• C. Calpurnius Piso (cons. 67)

• purpose to maintain the status quo which Sulla had put in place

• esp . Sullan authority of senate

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Opitmates” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

• did not function as group in elections

• stranglehold on the Senate in the 60s

• opposition in tribal assemblies

• restoration of tribunate in 70

• some optimate tribunes

• populares had the people’s vote

• advantage: disunity of popular leaders

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

• Prominent Popular Leaders

• Pompey

• Crassus

• Caesar

• Catiline

• not unified

• Pompey & Crassus open enemies

• would align with optimates for advancement over the other

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

Cn. Pompeius Magnus

• most hated by optimates

• personal injuries

• diminished their senatorial authority

• extraordinary powers

• most departures from precedent

• Consulship of 70

• darling of urban plebs

• controlled tribal assembly even when away

• 63 needed senate to confirm his acts after Mithridatic War

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

M. Licinius Crassus

• patrician

• fabulously wealthy (Sullan proscriptions)

• corrupt

• strong in clients

• used tribunes, but not properly popularis

• bought senators (loans and courts)

• enemy of Pompey

• worked with optimates against P

• married sons into optimate families

• failed to obtain commissions

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

C. Iulius Caesar

• patrician

• Marian connections

• sponsored popular laws

• glorification of Marius

• angered optimates

• supported Crassus & Pompey

• Crassus’s revolutionary?

• supported Catiline’s consulship for 63

• 63 teamed up with Pompey

• popular legislative agenda

• pontifex maximus

• treason trial

• centuriate assembly dissolved

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

L. Sergius Catilina

• patrician

• most ruthless of Sullani

• Crassus connection (65 BC)

• large following among debtors

• not concerned with tribunes, assembly, legislation

• ready for open revolution

• repeated attempts at consulship

• 64, 63 BC

Thursday, April 30, 15

“Populares” before Catiline’s Conspiracy

• Senatorial support

• Pompey

• lured them to his staff in the East

• Crassus

• client rich- persuasive with optimates

• Caesar

• strong influence with fellow patricians

( populares)

• Catiline

• debt-ridden senators, optimate friends

• shifting alliances

Thursday, April 30, 15

Cato’s Leadership of the “ Optimates”

M. Porcius Cato

• 63 BC conspiracy of Catiline

• senatus consulum ultimum

• concordium ordinum (propertied classes)

• nonibus Dec. debate on the Catilinarians

• Crassus stays away, Caesar there

• consulares recommend death

• Caesar (praetor elect) persuasive

• Catulus, Cicero try to stem the tide

• Cato (tribune elect) succeeds

• prisoners executed, Cicero = Pompey

• Pompey’s men counter Cicero

• stoic Cato now optimates’ leader

• competent administrator

• too young/moral? to be a Sullanus

Thursday, April 30, 15

Union of Cato’s enemies

• 60 First Triumvirate

• Pompey, Crassus, Caesar

• amici, socii Cicero- populares

• bypass the optimate controlled senate

• take legislation to popular assembly

• Cicero refuses to ally

• 59 consulship of Caesar & Bibulus

• Cato optimate puppet master to maintain status quo

• agrarian bill

• optimate opposition met with force

• Senate oath to uphold law

• Bibulus’ domus -bound auspices ploy

• legislation on extortion

• military command for Caesar

• foreign policy votes glide through Cato-less senate

• optimates turn to guerilla propaganda campaign

• mixed election outcomes for 58

Thursday, April 30, 15

Removal of Cato

• 58 BC optimates fight back

• Domitius & Memmius, praetors, attack illegalities of Caesar’s consulship

• several day altercation in Senate

• pamphlets published (speeches)

• optimate tribune threatens to prosecute Caesar for violation of vetoes, laws, auspices

• all 10 tribunes “agree” not to keep Caesar & his troops away from Gaul

• Caesar counters

• Clodius’ bill to exile Cicero

• Clodius’ bill to annex Cyprus

• Cato now compromised & neutralized

Thursday, April 30, 15

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