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| Toynbee "Catellina" |
Catiline (Lucius Sergius Catilina) the famous
Roman conspirator; born c. 108 B.C., praetor 68, died 62. C., who
was the descendant of an ancient patrician family which had fallen
into poverty, was a candidate for the consulship in 64, but was
disqualified in consequence of an impeachment for oppression during
his praetorship. In revenge he formed a plot to murder the two
consuls who had been elected. This plot having failed he engaged in
a more extensive conspiracy which came to a head during the
consulship of Cicero, 63 B.C. By the vigilance of the latter all
C.'s plans were baffled, and he himself was forced to leave Rome.
Shortly after, Cicero obtained legal evidence against the rest of
the conspirators, and at once summoned their leaders to the Senate,
where they were condemned to death, the sentence being carried out
that same night. A force was then dispatched against C., who was
defeated and killed while fighting with great valour, at Faesuiae
(Fiesole) in the neighbourhood of Florence, 62 B.C. According to
medieval authorities it was on this occasion that the town of
Fiesole was destroyed by the Romans.
D. alludes possibly to the survivors of Catiline's forces, who,
according to legend, where the founders of Pistoia, il seme (di
Pistoia),
[Inf. xxv. 12]
[Pistoia]; D. alludes to the conspiracy
of C. and its frustration by Cicero,
Conv. IV. v. 19
[Cicerone:
Fiesole.]
©Oxford University Press 1968. From A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante by Paget Toynbee
(1968) by permission of Oxford University Press