Catiline's Conspiracy
Preserved but no longer current.
Lucius Ser- gius Catilina, 64 B.C., conspired with a large number of dissolute young nobles to plunder the Roman treasury, extirpate the senate, and fire the capitol. Cicero, who was consul, got full information of the plot, and delivered his first Oration against Catiline November 8th, 63, whereupon Catiline quitted Rome. Next day Cicero delivered his second Oration, and several of the conspirators were arrested.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Catiline's Conspiracy” mean?
Lucius Ser- gius Catilina, 64 B.C., conspired with a large number of dissolute young nobles to plunder the Roman treasury, extirpate the senate, and fire the capitol. Cicero, who was consul, got full information of the plot, and delivered his first Oration against Catiline November 8th, 63, whereupon Catiline quitted Rome. Next day Cicero delivered his second Oration, and several of the conspirators were arrested.
Is “Catiline's Conspiracy” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.