Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/242

228 and to declare illegal those extraordinary powers which the senate conferred in critical times by proclaiming martial law.

Caesar Elected Chief Pontiff. — Caesar attempted also to make the children of those proscribed by Sulla eligible to office. This seemed to be a reasonable concession when the executioners of the proscribed could be prosecuted for murder (p. 224). The conservative Cicero opposed the measure, and it failed.

It was probably Caesar who caused Labienus to propose and carry a law (lex Atia de sacerdotiis) restoring the quasi-popular election of the members of the four chief priestly colleges (p. 180). Partly in consequence of this popular change, he defeated Catulus, the leader of the oligarchy, at the polls, and was elected chief pontiff — a position of considerable political importance even yet, and of great value to him personally.

Second Catilinarian Conspiracy. — When Catiline, who was sinking deeper and deeper into debt, had been defeated at the consular election in 64, he seems once more to have decided to accomplish his aims, if necessary, by a revolution. The conditions were favorable. There was no army in Italy, no effective police in the city, the senate was negligent and weak, and Pompeius was in the far East. There was a large number of discontented, corrupt, pernicious, and dangerous persons who were likely to support a conspiracy (cf. pp. 213-214).

Besides his former accomplices, Cethegus, Paetus, and Vargunteius, Catiline was now joined by P. Cornelius Lentulus Sura, who had been consul in 71, had been expelled from the senate in 70, and was now praetor elect for 63; by the former praetor, L. Cassius Longinus, by L. Statilius, P. Gabinius Capito, M. Caeparius, and others of different classes. Catiline promised his fellow conspirators to proscribe the rich, distribute public lands, cancel debts, and to give them offices,