Catiline Against the Republic

The Catiline Conspiracy was a seminal event in the late Roman Republic, foreshadowing that republic’s collapse over the next several decades. Cicero’s denunciations of Catiline have been intently studied as models of rhetoric for over 2,000 years, while such notables as Caesar and Crassus also played important roles during the crisis. The conspiracy and its setting are well-described in Bret Mulligan’s book, which is designed to support a role-playing classroom exercise. However, it can also be simply read as a valuable sourcebook about ancient Rome and its political situation at that pivotal moment.

Mulligan begins by weaving a story about an ancient Roman who visits the homes of several key figures, each of whom explains the political position of their respective factions. Ample historical and geographic background are provided to orient the reader to the world of 63 BCE. This material encompasses not only major events, but the culture and values of Romans at that time, covering topics ranging from dress to naming conventions. The handful of maps and diagrams neatly complement the written material. The book also has translations of selected ancient texts, so that the reader can discover what near-contemporaries said both about the conspiracy and about various aspects of life in ancient Rome. The pages that describe the role-playing game and how to manage it are less relevant to the general reader, but are likely to be of interest to educators trying to immerse their students in an ancient Roman milieu.

Overall, this book serves not only as a guide to the Catiline Conspiracy, but to the last decades of the Roman Republic. The author firmly roots the central standoff between Cicero and Catiline in the soil of its time and place. While the book can be read cover to cover, it can also be used as a reference for those who want to periodically delve into specific aspects of Roman life or the political intrigues that reflected and accelerated the republic’s collapse. Moreover, in this age of backstories, those who are familiar with the later exploits of Caesar may enjoy the chance to see him before he became the conqueror of Gaul and of Rome itself.

In sum, The Crisis of Catiline is a valuable contribution to making ancient Rome accessible, in a way that helps readers to understand both how much and how little has changed.

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Our Reviewer: Dr. Scott Savitz is a defense researcher in the Washington, DC area. He earned his doctorate and a master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. A senior engineer at the RAND Corporation. He has led research on such diverse subjects as employment of unmanned maritime vehicles, the impact of non-lethal weapons, addressing threats from naval mines, testing of autonomous systems, gaps in Arctic military capabilities, how to make airbases less vulnerable, and many other topics. He is the author of The Fall of the Republic, a fictionalized account of the Catiline Conspiracy in ancient Rome. His previous reviews include Machiavelli's Legacy: The Prince After Five Hundred Years, The Machiavellian Enterprise: A Commentary on The Prince, Machiavelli's Three Romes, and Great Power Clashes along the Maritime Silk Road .

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Note: The Crisis of Catiline is also available in e-editions.

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