59 Catilina's Rebellion (2)

As the big day approached, Catilina became increasingly nervous.

He argued with other senators in the Senate. In the Concilium Plebis, he appealed to the people to make their voices heard.

Still, the camouflage seemed to work pretty well.

The Senate did not seem to know what Catillina was up to.

It was evident that Justus, who received Catilina's power of attorney, was acting secretly without being caught.

Both Cicero and Cato continued to escalate their criticism of Catilina, calling for him to turn himself in.

Other senators hurled unspeakable insults at him, but Catilina was no longer angry.

He thought that it was the last will of those who would die soon, that much was enough to endure.

'You two, Cicero and Cato, I will kill you particularly painfully.'

At the meeting on the final day, Catilina slowly looked around the senators one by one.

Several of the senators whose names appeared on the kill list were laughing hysterically, unaware of their fate tonight.

'Idiots. Let's see if you're still wearing the same smile when the sun rises tomorrow morning.'

Catilina put on his best stoic face and closed the Senate meeting, which would be his last.

On the way back, Cicero urged him to turn himself in again, but he just brushed it off.

It felt strange to think that it was until today to hear that boring sound.

As soon as the sun went down, Catilina convened a meeting of his supporters in Rome.

More than a thousand people gathered.

A steady stream of veterans seeking debt relief had been flocking to Rome for months.

They all wore armor tucked under their togas.

With the swords and spears in your stash, you have an army ready for battle.

"Perfect."

They're ready for battle.

All that's left is to execute things as planned.

Catilina looked around proudly at his comrades gathered for the revolution.

"Now we just have to wait for Justus to arrive."

"Yep. Everything is moving along without a hitch. Justus will be in Rome soon."

"You've gathered nearly a thousand comrades in Etruscan? The more I see of him, the better he is."

Catilina and Manlius' faces lit up as they realized the success of their plan.

"That's right. In fact, this plan was almost completed by him. It was not wrong to judge that he was moving alone in secret. Unlike the previous assassination plan, the senators still haven't got a clue what we're doing."

"That's what I thought. The answer was to keep the plan tightly secured to prevent leaks."

Justus didn't tell anyone but Catilina how things were going.

Others were convinced because the assassination plan had already been foiled before.

If you fail, you're doomed; if you succeed, you're the ruler of Rome.

There could be no objection to the idea of going carefully.

Justus had proven himself capable enough so far that they could trust him.

He proved his judgment by rallying the troops under the eyes of Rome.

If you combine the veterans of Capua, whom Manlius had already summoned, with the comrades whom Justus had recruited, the number reaches two thousand.

They were enough to take Rome in a single day if all went according to plan.

If you can control the Senate and elect Catilina as Dictator, that's the end of the story.

After a rough estimate of the time, Catilina finally decided that the time to go to war was approaching.

He toured fully armed comrades, inspiring the will of revolution and promising a better future.

People cheered especially enthusiastically at the end of the speech.

"All debts will be forgiven and the property of the senators we killed today will be divided equally. This will be a monumental day as we say goodbye forever to our poor and helpless past. Brave citizens! Come with me to wealth and honor!"

"Ooooohhh!"

"Hail Catilina!"

"Let's slaughter all the greedy pigs in the Senate!"

Catilina and his men left their hiding place and began to march.

The plan for the revolution was simple.

The group led by Justus was to descend through the Tiber River, west of Rome's seven hills.

From there, merge and pass through the Servian Walls to Capitoline Hill, where the temples of Jupiter and Juno are located.

The plan would have been almost successful if only these two places had been conquered as quickly as possible.

Confident of the revolution's success, Catilina added more strength to his walk.

The distance from the hideout to the rendezvous point is less than two hours.

No one got tired of it.

The team has finally arrived at the meeting point.

As always, they were greeted by the calm waters of the Tiber River.

"I guess Justus hasn't come yet."

Manlius looked around him cautiously.

As the battle approached, he returned to his old form of going around the battlefield.

As he looked around with sharp eyes, the tension that even stood on edge was conveyed to Catilina.

"We might be early, they might be late. Give it an hour or so."

"But I don't want to be spotted by any passers-by, so I think I'll stay stealthy."

"I will do that."

The last thing you want is to be seen by someone before you get there. That's why they intentionally chose to meet at the top of the northwest corner, where it's less crowded.

Catilina's group hid in the bushes near the river, careful not to let even the sound of their breathing escape.

But no matter how long we waited, Justus' troops wouldn't show up.

"What happened?"

Catilina couldn't hide his anxiety. By now, the allies they were waiting for in the north should have come down.

Just as he was starting to feel uneasy, Manlius turned around, shaking his head.

"Don't you think you can hear something?"

"Sound? What sound...…."

Catilina, who looked back reflexively, could also clearly hear it.

The footsteps were a bit disparate.

"Sounds like horses' hooves...."

Catilina nodded at Manlius' muttering to himself.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed in my ears, distinctly faint.

Catilina's face lit up as he took this as a sign that his allies were arriving.

"Justus must be very determined and gathered his men, for he has brought mounted men. There must be a reason for his delay."

But Manlius's expression was not happy.

Something wasn't right.

Justus must have decided to join them from the north.

But the sound of hooves was coming from the south, from the direction of Rome.

"Is it accidentally coming back up past the rendezvous point?"

It was a ridiculous assumption, but no cases could be recalled except for this.

"Oh, the reinforcements must have arrived!"

Someone's voice was heard.

Catilina and Manlius turned at the same time, their eyes widening.

In the distance, he spotted them approaching. It was a sizable force worthy of a major war.

The surroundings were dark, but the armor of a Roman legionnaire was visible in the flickering torchlight.

You can't go wrong with that.

Catilina's face couldn't be any paler.

"Uh, how do you...."

Others who caught up to the situation were stunned.

They were so shocked that their minds went blank, and they couldn't even think of running away.

Manlius, who had experience commanding armies, was the first to come to his senses.

His urgent voice cut through the dark night.

"It's the Senate! Don't panic, reinforcements are coming. Form up!"

There was a brief pause among the group.

Still, somehow managing to regain their composure, they quickly formed up.

Manlius said that he did not despair because he thought it would be worth trying when Justus's reinforcements arrived.

But when Catilina saw the numbers on the torches behind him, his eyes widened in horror.

A fully armed regular army seemed to be enough for one legion.

"This is ridiculous. How could a legion be present in downtown Rome...? Does Silanus mean to tell me that he mustered a legion without my knowledge?"

The consul has the right to command the military so that he can convene the military with the permission of the Senate.

It was possible to organize a legion without Catilina's knowledge sneakily.

However, in order to muster the legions, you will inevitably have to open the treasury.

And if enough money had been taken out to pay for a legion, there's no way Catilina wouldn't have noticed.

The question of whether it was a good or bad thing was solved immediately.

The people in the front row of the Roman legions were faces that Catilina knew well.

"Silanus. Cicero, Cato, Lucullus, and the rest of the Senate are nearly assembled, and...."

Next to these big names was a young man who didn't seem to fit in at all, so naturally, he couldn't help but notice.

"Marcus.... So, once again, the Crassus family has raised an army at their own expense."

Catilina could understand why he'd gotten hit in the back of the head with his eyes open.

He often stomped out of the Curia Hostilia in a fit of rage.

It was then that Silanus decided to organize a legion with the consent of the senators.

And to keep Catilina from finding out, Crassus paid for the legions to be formed.

Of course, there were still unanswered questions.

How in the world did they see through Catilina's plan and assemble a legion?

If they were organized as an insurance policy, that's understandable, but how did they pinpoint the exact date and location?

'Did they plant a spy?'

Given the leak of the assassination plan, that seems likely. Still, there was one aspect that didn't make sense.

The plan was so tightly guarded that few people were privy to the details.

The approaching Roman legions halted at some distance from Catilina's party.

The consuls, Silanus, Cicero, and, surprisingly, Marcus, slowly drove their horses forward.

First, Cicero greeted him in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone.

"Well, Catilina, what brings you out for a walk to the River Tiber at such an odd hour?"

"...What are you doing here, leading a bunch of heavily armed soldiers?"

"I've been informed that there is a group of ruffians plotting to threaten Rome, and by coincidence or necessity, I recognize your face."

"There must have been a misunderstanding... We were just training for any possible danger here."

It was a ridiculous excuse, even if he thought about it himself. Silanus asked with a wry smile.

"Danger? What danger are you talking about?"

"That's the anxiety that the Senate might persecute me by force. Why. Isn't there a precedent for that from Gracchus brothers?"

"Is that what you're calling an excuse now?"

Cicero stared at Catilina with a mixture of bewilderment, anger, and pity in his eyes.

The mocking look that had been on his face just moments before was gone.

It was just bitter to see a Roman consul making such a lame excuse.

Silanus also shook his head from side to side and sighed deeply.

"It is time to put an end to this ridiculous skit. Young man, and since you have done the most to deserve it, you will put the finishing touches on it yourself."

"Understood."

Amid the subtle flowing tension, a confident voice came out of Marcus' mouth, unshakable by the atmosphere.

"Your conspiracy has already been revealed to the world, Mr. Catilina. Don't tarnish your honor any more and admit your guilt."

"Conspiracy? What conspiracy did I have. I am the consul of this country. Are you saying that my training on the Tiber River with armed men is evidence of conspiracy? Oh, of course, moving fully armed people without Senate permission could be controversial. But...."

"Mr. Catilina."

A firm yet insensitive word cut out the endless excuses.

Marcus's voice was not loud, but it was clear to the ears of the senators behind him.

"Forgetting the duties of a consul to safeguard the security of Rome, Catilina was overcome by vain desires and wielded his authority at will. As the result, the citizens of Rome suffered from constant confusion, and good debtors and creditors were torn apart and set against each other."

"...What ridiculous slander...!"

"Suddenly, when his intentions didn't work out, the consul hatched a terrible plot to overthrow the country by force: he tried to assassinate his fellow consul, Silanus, and his former consul, Cicero."

Catilina tried to cut off again in the middle, but Marcus took the parchment out of his arms before that.

"Here you will find a detailed plan of how Catilina attempted to assassinate two of his fellow senators. When I found this, I immediately advised Cicero and Silanus that it would be wise to end their morning meetings."

Cicero nodded with a sigh of relief.

"My dear senators, everything Marcus says is true. Thanks to you, I and Silanus were able to escape Catilina's terrible plot."

"Cicero, considering the honor of the Senate, gave Catilina the opportunity to turn himself in; but Catilina refused to repent and continued his tyranny, until at last he had delusions of overthrowing Rome by force and assuming the dictatorship."

Catilina's heart skipped a beat when she heard the word dictatorship.

A puzzled look crossed Manlius's face.

At this point, it's safe to say that the rebellion and subsequent details of the plan have leaked out.

Still, Catilina had one last hope.

There's still no physical evidence that's absolutely indisputable. It's just an assassination plan, and if Catilina says he didn't write it, that's it.

It should be argued that it is fabricated evidence.

With his mind made up, Catilina was just about to open his mouth.

As if waiting, Markus pulled out a few more sheets of parchment.

"This is a decree to organize those who will attend the rebellion in the province of Etruscan. This contains the seal of Catilina, which authenticates his identity and that he is the incumbent consul, and this is a list of the senators who have decided that their life will be taken when he revolts. To my horror, the names of Silanus and Cicero are on it, as well as Cato, Caesar, and Lucullus."

"That's ridiculous...…!"

Catilina reflexively tried to shout a rebuttal but couldn't finish his sentence.

What Marcus is holding is clearly the power of attorney that Catilina entrusted to Justus.

He went on to read the list of people on the killing register.

Catilina's kill list wasn't just a name.

It is also recorded in detail how to kill and how to distribute the remaining assets.

Senators whose names were on the killing list spat out curses.

In other words, they almost lost their lives and their property overnight. It was natural to be infested with anger.

At the same time, they breathed a sigh of relief, realizing how threatening Catilina's rebellion could have been.

"If that young man had not seen through the plot beforehand, it could have been a real disaster."

"I know. I feel like I'm in big debt."

The senators weren't actually wrong.

Contrary to the original history's plan, Catilina's plot was quite threatening.

If you make the most of the powers of an incumbent consul, you can secretly gather your comrades to Rome.

It was not wrong to judge that there was a surprise uprising inside.

Even if it failed, a significant number of senators would have lost their lives.

The senators shouted at him, hurling all sorts of accusations at him, but nothing fell on the ears of Catilina, the main target of their attacks.

He just stared at the killing papers in Markus's hands, still half-fascinated.

'How the hell did that end up in Marcus' hands.... Ugh!'

Catilina staggered off balance for a moment from the powerful shock in his head.

It felt like something that was in pieces was coming together.

"Don't tell me... that Justus...…."

It was a shock. Catalina felt like screaming at the top of his lungs that it was a lie.

Even if it went wrong, something must have gone wrong for a long time.

Catilina composed himself, calming his racing heart.

Justus belonged to the equites.

And the equites are largely under the influence of the Crassus family.

It was Justus who took the time to decide on an assassination plan carefully.

He was the one who wrote it down so that the assassins would be sure to know how to do it.

But that's not all.

Justus wrote the killing register, saying there should be clear standards to kill and save.

He didn't even let anyone else know how the plan was going to play out, saying it had to be secure.

He was completely fooled, as they sent him a stamped letter from Etruscan saying they were going to join the rebellion.

It must have been fabricated data, too.

So far, it was clear that all of Catilina's plots were in the hands of Marcus.

"You mean to tell me that you've been playing with... from the beginning...."

Catilina muttered like a madman, unable to contain himself.

Then he glared at Marcus, his eyes filled with murder and rage, and exclaimed, "I'm going to kill you!"

"It's a trap! I-I fell into a trap set by him! He sent me a spy to get me to do something! I'm...!"

Marcus smiled bittersweetly at Catilina, who had started to lose it and was freaking out.

"Mr. Catilina. There was a chance to solve the problem, but it was Catilina himself who messed it up. And there was a way to stop several times in the middle, but it was Catilina himself who made the choice. Passing one's choice on others is nothing but to further undermine one's own value."

Catilina couldn't argue. In retrospect, Justus was always looking for confirmation from Catilina that he was really going to do it.

It was Catilina who made a choice, not anyone else.

In fact, Marcus would have given him his wish if he had asked for help by giving up everything and taking exile abroad.

It was also Catilina himself who did not want to give up on anything he had.

It's because he couldn't let go of his ambition for power.

The problem is that he did not have the ability to match his ambition and pride.

The senators watching the scene are impressed by how calmly and unflinchingly Marcus confronts Catilina.

Many found it hilarious that Catilina was cornered after pretending to be unaware of the charges against him.

A young man who hadn't even been in the Senate yet had perfectly succeeded in impeaching Rome's current consul.

It's easy to lose your cool in the excitement, but his being polite to the end made the other elders like him even more.

Crassus looked at his son with a look of unbridled pride on his face.

It didn't take long for them to recognize the young man as the same man who had spoken at the Verres trial and ranted about the need to defend the republic.

With all the evidence in hand, Marcus left the final touches to Cicero.

Dismounting from his horse, Cicero took a step forward. He slowly raised a finger and pointed at Catilina.

The words that broke the traitor's dream of becoming a dictator into pieces began to flow out of his mouth.