Marcus Tullius Cicero – 63 B.C., Rome, Roman Empire – The First Oration Against Senator Catiline
Now, here’s a legendary speech that is still remembered thousands of years later. Around 63 B.C., Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero uttered the first of his four orations accusing Catiline, a senator on the brink of bankruptcy, of trying to undermine the Senate with a plot to assassinate public officials.
The speech is typically remembered for two quotes, one of which is Cicero’s famous exclamation, “Oh, what times! Oh, what behavior!” According to a World History article, the orations led to the uncovering and thwarting of a conspiracy masterminded by Catiline, who later died as a result.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login