6 Lessons from Cicero's most famous speech

Cicero was Rome's greatest orator.

His most famous speech is a character assassination.

Here are 6 tools from it you can use

(or be on guard against)

Background:

The politician Catiline, campaigned on a populist ticket (debt relief, property redistribution)

But he also had many  allies among the nobles.

When his bid to be elected consul failed 2x,

He started planning a revolution.

Cicero was consul that year.(63 BC)

He campaigned to make sure Catiline lost the election. 

Then he found out about Catiline's secret revolutionary plans

His First Oration Against Catiline aims to expose Catiline and thwart him

In front of the Roman Senate

(see CoG Podcast #67) 

Cicero has 2 related goals for this, the First "Catilinarian" Oration

1). Isolate Catiline from the rest of the Senate (So nobody respectable wants to associate with him)

2). Drive Catiline from the City, into open war (prevent him from achieving an easy coup)