"First Oration of Cicero Against Catiline" by Marcus Tullius Cicero is a speech delivered in 63 BC. Standing before the Roman Senate, Consul Cicero publicly denounces Senator Catiline for leading a conspiracy to overthrow the republic. This dramatic confrontation follows a failed assassination attempt on Cicero's life and marks the beginning of a crisis that would test Rome's survival. The speech's opening words remain famous after two thousand years, capturing Cicero's outrage at a conspiracy threatening the state's very existence.