Note 12 — INTRODUCTION.

There is some uncertainty about the dates here. Cicero (pro Sulla §52) says the meeting in Laeca's house took place nocte ea quae consecuta est posterum diem Nonarum Novembrium; this (if genuine) fixes it to the night of Nov. 6. At this meeting his assassination was resolved upon. We should naturally suppose that the attempt was made on the morning of Nov. 7; and this agrees with Sallust Cat. 28 and Cic. in Cat. 1. §9 (illa ipsa nocte). But elsewhere (see esp. 1. §1, 1. §8, 2. §13) Cicero seems to distinguish between what had happened on the 'night before last' (superiore or priore nocte), i.e. the meeting in Laeca's house; and 'last night' (proxima nocte), i.e. the attempt on his own life. Hence it seems better to assume that there was an interval of a day between the meeting and the attempted murder.