Catilinari «parricidae rei publicae»,

This paper, starting from a passage from Cato’s speech in the Senate reported by Sallust in his De coniuratione Catilinae, takes into consideration some comparative notes between patria, and the figure of the pater. Pater patriae is attested in literature from the late republic to indicate a person who performed acts in defence of the civitas. What is pointed out is the political and rhetorical value of the use of parricidium and parricidae in the fights of the later republican phase, and therefore against the Catilinarians too.