What is it about?
I offer a survey of the presence of Cicero, as winner of Catiline the conspirer, in the speeches of the protagonists of French revolution. Interestingly, each side ascribes him as a role model. I chose three case studies: the trial against king Louis XVI, where Robespierre uses the same arguments as Cicero against Catilinarians; the trial against a professor of Latin, Antoine Le Tellier, who is charged of anti-revolutionary propaganda for his readingos of Sallusts, and the last days of Robespierre, when he identifies himself with Cicero, while his political enemies claims he is 'a modern Catiline'.
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Why is it important?
This paper stresse the importance of Latin authors not only as literary sources but also as political models.
Perspectives
Reading original papers from French Revolution was a new and exciting experience for me; the website Gallica.eu is a precious mine of information of any kind, including engraves: I found one with the beheaded Robespierre and the caption 'Robespierre, the modern Catiline'.
Dr Francesca Romana Berno
Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
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This page is a summary of: Cicero in the Shadow of the Bastille, February 2022, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/9783110748703-020.
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