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