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What role did Cato the Younger play in the Senate debate over Catiline’s conspirators?
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Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero, detail of a marble bust; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
During the Senate debate regarding the fate of the conspirators involved in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Cato the Younger played a decisive role by advocating for their execution.1
While Julius Caesar argued against the death penalty during the proceedings, Cato’s firm stance helped sway the Senate. Following this debate, the conspirators were executed on the responsibility of the consul Cicero. Cato’s support for this action was significant, and his subsequent political career was marked by his continued opposition to the coalition of Caesar, Pompey, and Marcus Licinius Crassus.123