[111] For extortion--_Pecuniarum repetundarum_. Catiline had been praetor in Africa, and, at the expiration of his office, was accused of extortion by Publius Clodius, on the part of the Africans. He escaped by bribing the prosecutor and judges. [112] To declare himself a candidate within the legitimate number of days--_Prohibitus erat consulatum petere, quod intra legitimos dies profiteri_ (se candidatum, says Cortius, citing Suet. Aug. 4) _nequiverit_. A person could not be a candidate for the consulship, unless he could declare himself free from accusation within a certain number of days before the time of holding the _comitia centuriata_. That number of days was _trinundinum spatium_, that is, the time occupied by three market-days, _tres nundinae_, with seven days intervening between the first and second, and between the second and third; or _seventeen days_. The _nundinae_ (from _novem_ and _dies_) were held, as it is commonly expressed, every ninth day; whence Cortius and others considered _trinundinum spatium_ to be twenty-seven, or even thirty days; but this way of reckoning was not that of the Romans, who made the last day of _the first ennead_ to be also the first day _of the second_. Concerning the _nundinae_ see Macrob., Sat. i. 16. "Muller and Longius most erroneously supposed the _trinundinum_ to be about thirty days; for that it embraced only seventeen days has been fully shown by Ernesti. Clav. Cic., sub voce; by Scheller in Lex. Ampl., p. 11, 669; by Nitschius Antiquitt. Romm. i. p. 623: and by Drachenborch (cited by Gerlach) ad Liv. iii. 35." _Kritzius_. [113] Cneius Piso--Of the Calpurnian gens. Suetonius (Vit. Caes., c. 9) mentions three authors who related that Crassus and Caesar were both concerned in this plot; and that, if it had succeeded, Crassus was to have assumed the dictatorship, and made Caesar his master of the horse. The conspiracy, as these writers state, failed through the remorse or irresolution of Crassus. [114] Catiline and Autronius--After these two names, in Havercamp's and many other editions, follow the words _circiter nonas Decembres_, _i.e._, about the fifth of December. [115] On the first of January--_Kalendis Januariis_. On this day the consuls were accustomed to enter on their office. The consuls whom they were going to kill, Cotta and Torquatus, were those who had been chosen in the place of Antronius and Sylla. [116] The two Spains--Hither and Thither Spain. _Hispania Citerior_ and _Ulterior_, as they were called by the Romans. [117] XIX. Nor were the senate, indeed, unwilling, etc.--See Dio Cass. xxxvi. 27. [118] XX. Just above mentioned--In c. 17. [119] Favorable opportunity--_Opportuna res_. See the latter part of c. 16. [120] Assert our claims to liberty--_Nosmet ipsi vindicamus in libertatem_.Unless we vindicate ourselves into liberty. See below, "En illa, illa, quam saepe optastis, libertas," etc.