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Why did Catiline attract supporters for his conspiracy?
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Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero, detail of a marble bust; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
Catiline attracted a diverse range of supporters by positioning himself as a champion of the poor and oppressed, specifically through his proposals to cancel debts and implement the proscription of wealthy citizens.1
His platform appealed to various discontented groups within Roman society, including:
- Dispossessed victims: Those who had lost their property during Sulla’s proscriptions.1
- Struggling veterans: Former soldiers of Sulla who had failed to succeed as farmers on the land they were awarded.1
- Social malcontents: A mix of aristocratic malcontents, opportunists, and those described as desperadoes.1
By systematically enlisting these groups, Catiline sought to stage an armed insurrection to seize control of the government after his repeated failures to win the consulship.1