Speeches against Catilina

In the waning days of the Roman Republic, a charismatic but reckless nobleman, Lucius Sergius Catilina, plotted to overturn the established order. As consul, Cicero faced the urgent task of exposing this threat to the Senate and the people, delivering a series of impassioned orations that combine legal argument, moral indictment, and razor‑sharp rhetoric. The speeches capture a moment of intense political intrigue, where personal ambition clashes with the fragile stability of the Republic.

This edition presents all four of Cicero’s addresses together with careful notes that illuminate the language, historical references, and persuasive techniques that made them legendary. Listeners will hear the urgency of a statesman fighting for the rule of law, while the scholarly commentary helps decode the ancient context for modern ears. The result is a vivid, accessible window onto a pivotal episode of Roman history, where the power of words becomes a decisive weapon.