But soon, people discovered that Catiline had not fled abroad but had instead joined forces with his trusted ally Manlius and his assembled army.
The fact of Catiline's rebellion was unequivocal, and he, along with Manlius, was declared a public enemy of Rome by the Senate.
Given that many of Catiline's supporters were still stirring up trouble inside Rome, the Senate convened an emergency meeting, tasking Cicero to identify the leaders of Catiline's conspiratorial group and have them arrested.
As one conspirator after another was apprehended, including a former governor who was an Elder, the atmosphere in Rome grew tense. The Elders began to suspect one another and conducted themselves with extraordinary caution.
One of the arrested conspirators was brought to the Senate and claimed he had previously been sent by Crassus to inform Catiline. Since Crassus had publicly supported Catiline's bid for governor twice, the accusation plunged Crassus into peril.
