Rome was on the brink of collapse

A ring of criminals conspired to murder the senators and overthrow the government.

Only one man could stop them and save the republic.

This is the story of how he did just that.

In 63 BC, trouble was brewing in Rome

Lucius Cataline just lost his 3rd election for office, running against Marcus Cicero

Fed up with the status quo, he decided this time he wouldn’t take “no,” for an answer…

Catiline began rounding up allies who shared his anger against Rome's elites

He built a network of aristocrats seeking change, glory and power by any means

And with that, the "Catilinarian Conspiracy" was born...

Their plan was simple — murder senators and seize control of the Republic

It was a literal coup against the government

Though the conspirators vowed to secrecy, rumors began to circle as they gained strength for their cause

Soon Marcus Cicero caught wind of their plans

As Consul, he was both a key leader and main target of the conspiracy 

He was suspicious of the rumors at first, but kept an open ear

Soon enough, however, hard evidence began falling in his lap...

A politician presented Cicero with unsigned letters affirming the Conspiracy — there was a clear plan to murder Rome's senators

To make matters worse, Cicero received reports that armies were beginning to form in support of the conspiracy

He launched a state of emergency...

On high alert, one question still plagued Cicero — who was leading the conspiracy?

He didn’t have much time to think

On November 7th, an assassin tried to murder Cicero

He escaped, but realized time was running out

Rome, and his own life, were hanging by a thread

Soon enough, Cicero deduced the main culprit

His discussions with senators, his personal network, and his informants led to a clear conclusion:

Cataline was the mastermind

Though Cicero found the culprit, his battle had just begun

To save the Republic, Cicero had to publicly convince the senate of Cataline’s guilt

This meant give a speech on the senate floor, and hope to persuade the their minds

If he failed, it would likely cost him his life and the Republic itself

On November 8th, 63 BC, Cicero took the floor

He gave what many consider to be his finest speech of all time, and publicly accused Cataline of high treason

It was a jarring accusation, and the senate floor erupted with chaos

Cataline feigned outrage, but he was shouted down by the senate

It became clear — they were won over by Cicero:

The guilty Cataline stood no chance

Soundly defeated, he fled Rome, denounced as a criminal

Though Cataline would rally his forces, he was ultimately defeated:

Cicero saved the Republic from collapse...

However this is far more than an interesting story from long ago

Cicero's heroism is filled with lessons that are relevant today more than ever...

Above all, Cicero's courage was unprecedented

As consul he could’ve fled Rome to seek safety

Instead he determined to quash the conspiracy himself, and faced literal death to do so

His heroism saved a budding empire, yet his speech against Cataline was his ultimate glory...

Cicero’s denouncement of Cataline was arguably the finest moment of his life:

It was the speech that saved an empire

It also inspired Cicero's genius idea in politics - societies live and die by their public speakers

Healthy society needs eloquent speakers who love virtue

Today, we're called to find the courage of Cicero

To not just fight for truth, but express the truth so beautifully that way sway the souls of all who meet us

To live good lives is to inspire goodness in others

And this is the sort of inspiration that saves an empire