Sammy Carey

A Defense of Caesar’s Virtue and a Knock on Cato’s Victory

Catiline’s Conspiracy, a historical recounting of the event on its face, actually serves four

purposes for the modern twenty-first century reader and for the Roman reader. Sallust through

this work was not only able to offer a different perspective than the Ciceronian oration, but he

contributes to the philosophical discussion on Roman virtue, sheds a new light upon himself

through the autobiography, and creates an apology for Caesar as a Roman man of great character.

Through recounting the conspiracy many years after its occurrence and after Cicero’s published

work, Sallust seems to be less concerned with complete historical accuracy and more concerned

with conveying a message. By using this event, which was one of the major attacks on Rome by

its own citizens, Sallust is able to analyze what went wrong with Rome as well as offer a new

perspective on Caesar before his success and his fortune leads to corruption. Through Catiline’s

Conspiracy, Sallust offers his own opinion on what constitutes virtue through a comparison of

Caesar to the great Roman ancestors and through drawing parallels between Cato and Catiline.

Throughout the text, Sallust recounts the history of the Roman people in an attempt to

reveal what virtues allowed Rome to flourish over time, which for him are the most valuable to

possess in the face of any trouble. Before launching into a discussion of how ambition destroyed

Roman morality, Sallust makes clear what he believes were the two factors in Roman success on

behalf of manly virtue: strict obedience during times of war and compassion during times of

peace (Sallust 9). When discussing their Roman ancesotrs, Sallust explains that “when

courageous virtue had driven off danger, they brought aid to their allies and friends; they

established alliances more by conferring kindness” (Sallust 6). Sallust portrays Caesar as being a
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man who obeys the law and is concerned with precedent in times of trouble while also being

“made famous by his compassion and mercy” (Sallust 51 & 54). During his speech, Caesar

reminds his fellow Senate members that they must not act with rashness in the matter but that the

only way to resolve issues in Rome should be through the means and processes already

established. He calls them to worry about the precedent they will set in their decisions, believing

that the crimes committed “should not have more weight with you than your own dignity, and

you should not consider your anger more important than your reputation” (Sallust 51). In

Caesar’s speech, Sallust reveals not only his benevolence but his strict adherence to the law, two

attributes which Sallust holds up as a reason for Roman success.

Through a close read of Catiline’s Conspiracy, it seems as if Sallust is attempting to

explain Caesar’s fall as being a parallel to the fall of the Roman Republic, for both were great in

character and virtue until Fortune turned them against themselves. By writing this many years

after the actual event occurred and after Caesar’s assassination, Sallust is able to offer his beliefs

on the rise and fall of such a great military leader and Roman politician. He explains this though

using the parallels. Sallust states that “when hard work and just action had increased the

Republic… Fortune began to grow cruel and confuse everything. Men who had easily endured

hard work, dangers, uncertainty, and adversity found that leisure and wealth, things desirable at

other times, were a burden and the cause of misery” (Sallust 10). Caesar is described as a man

who is benevolent, hard working, selflessly devoted to friends, and vigilant of his own self

(Sallust 54). Sallust informs us that “for himself, he longed for a great command, an army, a new

war in which his excellence could shine” which was not a bad trait to have (Sallust 54). When

discussing how Rome came to be such a great power, Sallust explains that “each man was in a
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hurry to strike the enemy, to clim a wall, to be noticed doing such deeds. They thought that this

was true wealth; this meant a good reputation and great nobility. They were greedy for praise, but

with money they were generous; they wanted glory that was huge and wealth that was

honorable” (Sallust 7). To Sallust, Caesar was exactly this man for he only wanted glory in the

most honorable of ways, not in the way that Catiline seemed to.

In this work, Sallust had to maintain historical accuracy to an extent which meant that

Catiline had to be the conspirator, Cato’s policy needed to be enacted, and the battle must have

ended with the consul’s victory; however, the in-between actions and speeches could be

manipulated to advance Sallust’s purpose. For this reason, it can be claimed that Sallust chooses

to draw many parallels between the conspirator Catiline and the great Senator Cato, in order to

suggest an opinion on the corruption of mind and body in light of his characterization of Caesar.

Sallust praises Catiline for being “a man of great strength, both mental and physical,” while also

pointing out that “his nature was wicked and perverse” (Sallust 5). Cato, on the other hand, was a

“brilliant and great man” who had a “drive for self-restraint, propriety, and moral

absolutism” (Sallust 53-54). When looking at each man’s personal descriptions, Sallust is void of

these parallels but rather contrasts these men, but when looking closely at their speeches and the

reception by their men, the similarities become apparent.

Through Cato’s speech, Sallust is able to present Cato as a man rash to make decisions

even if those decisions align with his beliefs. Although Sallust does believe that Cato’s virtue is

praiseworthy, this type of character is not conducive to the longevity of the Roman Republic.

Cato represents integrity and intolerance, for he never turns aways from his beliefs causing him

to be devoted to his argument of death for the wicked. Cato uses the tactic of fear-mongering to
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get the Senate to execute the traitors and attack Catiline in war, by urging them to remember that

“the enemy is in the heart of Rome. We can neither make any plans nor have any discussion of

policy in secret. Therefore, speed is all the more necessary” (Sallust 52). Although the Senate

approved of his policy and they were able to defeat Catiline, the cost was great. Sallust reports

that “the army of the Roman people did not attain a joyful or bloodless victory,” but lost many of

their most energetic soldiers (Sallust 61). Sallust gives the perfect name to Cato’s policy, which

can be found in Catiline’s speech to rally his men, when he states that they must have “reckless

courage, remembering the manly virtue [they] have displayed before” (Sallust 58). Although

Cato was a man of high virtue for his absolutism and ethical actions, his manifestation of virtue

in speech leads to the death of many.

Catiline, also, uses many of the same tactics of speech and lines of arguments to convince

his men to attack the Senate and save the Republic’s freedom, just as Cato did. Both these men

deploy a call to save the Republic and themselves. Catiline, when addressing all those who have

banded together to carry out the conspiracy, states “so, why don’t you wake up? The things you

have often hoped for, liberty, and then wealth, honour, and glory are right before your eyes. All

these Fortune had made the prizes of victory” (Sallust 20). Cato uses a similar line of speech,

saying, “I call on you, you who have always valued your homes, villas, statues, and painting

more than the Republic… wake up at last and take control of the state… your freedom and our

life are at risk” (Sallust 52). Through these two statements, Sallust was able to show how both

these men value much of the same thing; however the perversity of one’s morals may lead one to

commit the wrong action in the name of liberty. Sallust is able to highlight how virtue goes
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beyond just one’s speeches and actions but must be analyzed at the core of a man’s soul and his

motivation for attack.

Through the conspiracy of Catiline and the political speeches of Cato and Caesar, Sallust

is capable of revealing the great Roman virtues that both these men possess, while also hinting at

which character is the most conducive to success. Although reckless courage may led to

momentary victory, strict obedience to the precedent and forgiveness to those who understand

their wrongdoing are necessary to allow a society to thrive under any condition.