Page:Cicero And The Fall Of The Roman Republic.djvu/145

63 B.C.] The consular elections were unusually late that year. The polling was fixed for the 20th of October, and Manlius, a veteran centurion of Sulla's army and a confederate of Catiline, was said to have come to Rome with a gang of his associates, intending to organise a riot on the election day In view of this danger Cicero assembled the Senate on the 19th, and obtained a decree postponing the election till the 28th in order to give time for further inquiries. Next day (October 20th) he publicly questioned Catiline in the Senate with regard to seditious and inflammatory words which he was reported to have used in addressing the people. Catiline showed a bold front: he replied "that there were two bodies in the State, the one weak with a feeble head, the other strong without a head; to this he would take good care that a head should be supplied." Cicero thought that the challenge should be taken up at once, but he could not on this occasion carry the Senate with him. The resolutions passed were mild and colourless, and Catiline strode forth from the Senate-house triumphant.

On the 21st of October the consul laid fresh information before the House. He told the senators that he had reason to know that the revolutionary party had lost patience, that an armed insurrection under the leadership of Manlius was impending in Etruria, and that the 27th of October was fixed for the outbreak. Next day (the 22d) the