Hello.

Because Cicero was the consul at the time of the conjuration, we have to read carefully his assertions. Ciceron is also a politician, using his memoirs as a political and public support.

On the other hand, Sallust gives an engaged and pro-republican speech using historical contexts: the conspiracies of Catalina and Jugurtha.

I would recommend Sallust, although both are complementary, Cicero being an active republican as well.

Generally the concordia ordinum is a political slogan from Cicero that represents his plea for an alliance (or closer alliance) between the Senatorial and Equestrian classes, especially with respect to rallying them together against Cataline.

It's worth remembering that Cataline was immensely well connected and had a great many followers. Support was needed to see him off entirely.

As for veracity of this source or that - I'd say neither Cicero or Sallust can be wholly relied upon. Both are, of course, very useful, but it's important to keep in mind their respective characters and the reasons for their writings.

Well thank you for replying. I could see I totally missed the point.

I would say Cicero is more reliable on the concordia ordinum he attempted to instaure. This era of Rome evolves around the rise of a middle class in Italy. Sylla and Marius were representants of a social and economical clivage, as well as the emancipation of the citizenship.

The equestrian class and the plebeian institutions and laws had hurtful confrontations with the nobility. The equites were removed from tribunals, the power of the Tribunes was diminished under Sylla's dictatorship, etc.

Cataline was very influencial but had little power and was heavily in debt. He could never reach the consulate accordlingly to his plans. He conjurated with criminals, poor freemen, slaves and as well in debt nobles. This faction was meant to be a revolt, like Spartacus' war, rather than a revolution.

The concordia ordinum was a coalition against rising criminality and the lack of a police, in part. Cicero's memoirs provide examples and structures of the different alliances of that time. Many conjurators lived, not necessarily connected despite their common goals.

Still Sallust is to me the best narrator of Cataline's life.