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Symbolic illustration of Catilinarian Orations in the Prokopton42.com Library

Work

Catilinarian Orations

Cicero

Delivered during Catiline’s conspiracy, these four speeches accuse, mobilize, and justify the actions of the consul Cicero. They show eloquence turning a political threat into a public narrative of the Republic’s rescue.

Composition
63 BCE
Sources and precision

The range describes composition or formation of the text, distinct from the dates of the editions held.

Confidence B · strong consensus

Period
Antiquity
Languages
Latin · English · French
Extent
115 passages · 22,400 words

Before reading

What you will learn

Analyze a public accusation, distinguish evidence from dramatization, and examine tensions among state security, civic law, and the speaker’s self-portrait.

Short summary

Delivered during Catiline’s conspiracy, these four speeches accuse, mobilize, and justify the actions of the consul Cicero. They show eloquence turning a political threat into a public narrative of the Republic’s rescue.

Long summary

Cicero addresses Senate and people in turn to isolate Catiline, expose the conspirators, and defend measures taken against them. Apostrophe, questioning, and moral contrasts construct urgency as much as they describe it.

These speeches are political acts, not neutral records. Their staging of an enemy, their published form, and the punishment imposed on citizens require rhetorical effectiveness, legality, and the consul’s self-fashioned memory to be considered together.

Inside this work

The table of contents follows the divisions actually carried by the corpus.

Work › Division

  1. Passage 1
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  60. Passage 27
  61. Passage 28
  62. Passage 29
  63. Passage 1
  64. Passage 2
  65. Passage 3
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  70. Passage 8
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  92. Passage 1
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  109. Passage 18
  110. Passage 19
  111. Passage 20
  112. Passage 21
  113. Passage 22
  114. Passage 23
  115. Passage 24

Concepts covered

Historical context

The world around the text

The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.

These are modern reconstructions. They situate a documented place, practice, or transmission and are not period documents.

Modern reconstruction of Tusculum for Catilinarian Orations on Prokopton42.com
TusculumVilla and setting for major philosophical composition. The generated scene uses Tusculum and late Republic as its documented anchors.Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Cicero
Modern reconstruction of Nearby historical landmark, 146 BCE for Catilinarian Orations on Prokopton42.com
Nearby historical landmark, 146 BCERome destroys Corinth and dominates Greece politically, while Greek philosophy increasingly shapes Roman elites. The image situates Catilinarian Orations without claiming to show its scene of composition.
Modern reconstruction of Nearby historical landmark, 146 BCE for Catilinarian Orations on Prokopton42.com
Nearby historical landmark, 146 BCERome destroys Corinth and dominates Greece politically, while Greek philosophy increasingly shapes Roman elites. The image situates Catilinarian Orations without claiming to show its scene of composition.

What the world looked like

Roman world, 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE

Modern reconstruction of the material world around Catilinarian Orations: Technology, science, and care
Technology, science, and carePaved roads, aqueducts, concrete, glassware, mills, and hypocaust heating equip some cities, but energy comes mainly from bodies, animals, water, and wood. Astronomy, geometry, natural history, and engineering compile Greek, Egyptian, and Roman knowledge. Measurement exists without a modern laboratory. Physicians, midwives, baths, plants, and rudimentary surgery can help; reliable anaesthesia, antisepsis, and antibiotics do not exist.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Catilinarian Orations: Travel and communication
Travel and communicationOn foot, horseback, cart, or ship, road and sea networks connect the Empire. Travel remains slow, costly, and risky. Imperial couriers, letters on papyrus or tablets, inscriptions, and oral proclamations spread information. Everything is copied by hand.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Catilinarian Orations: Farming and food
Farming and foodGrain, vines, olives, pulses, and livestock supply cities and armies; estates, slavery, and tenancy organize part of the labour.
Modern reconstruction of the material world around Catilinarian Orations: Clothing, women and men
Clothing, women and menTunics and cloaks are common to both sexes; the stola, toga, footwear, colours, and jewellery mark citizenship, office, wealth, and origin.
State of technology
Paved roads, aqueducts, concrete, glassware, mills, and hypocaust heating equip some cities, but energy comes mainly from bodies, animals, water, and wood.
Science and knowledge
Astronomy, geometry, natural history, and engineering compile Greek, Egyptian, and Roman knowledge. Measurement exists without a modern laboratory.
Medicine and care
Physicians, midwives, baths, plants, and rudimentary surgery can help; reliable anaesthesia, antisepsis, and antibiotics do not exist.
Transport
On foot, horseback, cart, or ship, road and sea networks connect the Empire. Travel remains slow, costly, and risky.
Agriculture and food
Grain, vines, olives, pulses, and livestock supply cities and armies; estates, slavery, and tenancy organize part of the labour.
Communication
Imperial couriers, letters on papyrus or tablets, inscriptions, and oral proclamations spread information. Everything is copied by hand.
Clothing and fashion
Tunics and cloaks are common to both sexes; the stola, toga, footwear, colours, and jewellery mark citizenship, office, wealth, and origin.

Editions, translations, and provenance

The following carriers represent the text. They do not create new passage identities.

  • Latinoriginal
  • English AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11
  • French AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11
  • Frenchhistorical_translation
  • English AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11
  • Englishhistorical_translation
  • French AI-generated translation, non-officialCodex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

Source manifests: cicero.catilinarians, cicero.translation_carrier_fr_28, cicero.translation_carrier_en_07

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Catilinarian OrationsCicero

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