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Lentulus, Cethegus, Autronius and their companions were strangled in their cells, on the afternoon of the debate upon their fate. A few weeks later Catiline's army was cut to pieces, and he himself was killed. So desperately his haggard bands had fought that they fell in their ranks where they stood, and never Roman commander gained a victory that cost him more dear.
Catiline waited for a signal from his friends in the city, and Lentulus, Cethegus, Autronius, and the rest of the leaders waited for Catiline to arrive. Conspirators never think that they have taken precautions enough or have gained allies enough; and in endeavoring to secure fresh support they made a fatal mistake.
Autronius had been a party to Catiline's conspiracy, and Autronius had been Cicero's school-fellow; but Cicero, for some reserved reason with which we are not acquainted, refused to plead for Autronius. There is, I maintain, no ground for suggesting that Cicero had shown by his speeches before his Consulship any party adherence.
Autronius had been convicted of conspiracy and banished, and, having been a Catilinarian conspirator, had been in truth on Cæsar's side. Nor were geographical facts sufficiently established to tell Cicero what places were and what were not without the forbidden circle. He sojourned first at Vibo, in the extreme south of Italy, intending to pass from thence into Sicily.
Lentulus was no doubt there, and Cethegus, and two of the Sullan family, and Cassius Longinus, and Autronius, and Læca, and Curius. All of them were or had been conspirators in the same cause. Cæsar was there too, and Crassus. A fellow conspirator with Catiline would probably be a Senator. Cicero knew them all.
Among those who at Cicero's period dealt with politics in Rome all of whom, no doubt, spoke of the Republic as the vessel of State which was to be defended by all persons there were four classes. These were they who simply desired the plunder of the State the Catilines, the Sullas of the day, and the Antonys; men such as Verres had been, and Fonteius, and Autronius.
How during that year Cicero successfully defended Murena when Cato endeavored to rob him of his coming Consulship, has been already told. It may be that Murena's hands were no cleaner than those of Sulla and Autronius, and that they lacked only the consular authority and forensic eloquence of the advocate who defended Murena.
The reason for having come this journey is that there was no place where I could be independent except on Sica's estate, especially till the bill is emended, and at the same time because I find that from this spot I can reach Brundisium, if you were only with me, but without you I cannot stay in those parts owing to Autronius.
"Twenty thousand sesterces for him to deposit with trustees until the election is over. Then he as go-between will make sure of a majority of the tribesmen, and distribute to them the money if all goes well at the comitia. It was the best bargain I could make; for Autronius really controls the tribe, and some one might outbid us." Sequestres. Interpres. Assembly of the Roman tribes for election.
His elocution was but poorly recommended by his action: for though the former was sufficiently copious and diffusive, there was nothing graceful in the latter. His contemporary, P. Autronius, had a very clear, and strong voice; but he was distinguished by no other accomplishment.
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