The Romans consequently condemned him for violence, ordered Antonius to the war (being ignorant, of course, of their conspiracy), and themselves changed their apparel.  The crisis kept Cicero likewise where he was.  The government of Macedonia had fallen to him by lot, but he did not set out for that country,—­retiring in favor of his colleague on account of his occupation in the prosecutions,—­nor for Hither Gaul, which he had obtained in its place, on account of the immediate situation.  Instead, he charged himself with the protection of the city, but sent Metellus to Gaul to prevent Catiline from alienating it.

[-34-] It was extremely well for the Romans that he remained.  For Lentulus made preparations to burn down the city and commit wholesale slaughter with the aid of his fellow conspirators and of Allobroges, who chanced to be there on an embassy:  these also he persuaded to join him[24] and the others implicated in the revolution in their undertaking.  The consul learning of their purpose arrested the men sent to carry it out and brought them with their letter into the senate-chamber, where, by granting them immunity, he proved all the conspiracy.  As a consequence Lentulus was forced by the senate to resign the praetorship, and was kept under guard along with the others arrested while the remnant of the society was being sought for.  These measures pleased the populace equally:  especially so, when, during a speech of Cicero’s on the subject, the statue of Jupiter was set up on the Capitol at the very time of the assembly, and by instructions of the soothsayers was placed so as to face the East and the Forum.  For these prophets had decided that some conspiracy would be brought to light by the erection of the statue, and when its setting up coincided with the time of the conspirators’ arrest, the people magnified the divine power and were the more angry at those charged with the disturbance.

[-35-] A report went abroad that Crassus was also among them, and one of the men arrested, too, gave this information; still, not many believed it.  Some, in the first place, thought they had no business to suspect him of such a thing; others regarded it as a trumped-up charge emanating from the guilty parties, in order that the latter might thereby get some help from him, because he possessed the greatest influence.  And if it did seem credible to any persons, at least they did not see fit to ruin a man who was foremost among them and to disquiet the city still more.  Consequently this charge fell through utterly.

Now many slaves, and freemen as well, some through fear and others for pity of Lentulus and the rest, made preparations to deliver them all forcibly and rescue them from death.  Cicero learned of this beforehand and occupied the Capitol and Forum betimes by night with a garrison.  At dawn he received from above an inspiration to hope for the best:  for in the course of sacrifices conducted in his house by the Vestals in behalf of the populace, the fire, contrary to custom, shot up in a tongue of great length.  Accordingly, he ordered the praetors to administer an oath to the populace and have them enlisted, in case there should be any need of soldiers, and meanwhile himself convened the senate:  then, by throwing them into agitation and fright, he persuaded them to condemn to death the persons held under arrest.