He then came forward as candidate for the consulship of the next year
(63). There were two other candidates, Antonius, the uncle of Mark
Antony, and Cicero himself. Antony was sure of an election, so the
struggle was really between Catiline and Cicero. The latter was
elected, owing to the popularity he had acquired by his prosecution of
Verres and his defence of the Manilian Law. Thus Cicero reached the
goal for which he had been so long striving.

Caesar was rising at the same time. The year previous (65) he had been
Curule Aedile, had built a row of costly columns in front of the
Capitol, and erected a temple to the Dioscúri (Castor and Pollux). But
what made him especially pleasing to the populace was his lavish
display at the public games and exhibitions.

Caesar was now looked upon as a prominent democratic leader. In 63 the
office of Pontifex Maximus, the head of the state religion, became
vacant by the death of its occupant, Metellus Pius. Caesar became a
candidate for the office, and was elected, receiving more votes than
both the rival candidates combined. He also received further evidence
of the popular favor by being chosen Praetor for the next year (62).

Cicero's consulship would have closed without adding anything to his
fame had it not been for Catiline. The latter's failure to be elected
caused him to enter into a plot to seize and burn the city. He had
many followers, men of noble families, among whom were the former
Consul Lentulus, who had been recently expelled from the Senate by the
Censors, and Cethégus, a bankrupt spendthrift, who was anxious to
regain a fortune by a change in government. There were veterans of
Sulla, starving peasants who had been dispossessed of their farms, and