Catiline was known to have been a notorious killer during Sulla's proscriptions, and news of his abortive plot of 66 B.C. to seize power was leaking out by this time. In alarm, leading nobles were forced to turn to Cicero as their candidate. Cicero ultimately won the post of leading consul, with Antonius in the spot of secondary consul. There are some problems as to true authorship, for the text, although found grouped with the Epistulae Ad Familiares , is not found in the best extant manuscript of these letters, the Codex Mediceus 49.9. While these facts do not prove it to be spurious, they do force burden of proof equally upon those who accept Quintus' authorship and those who do not.
Cogent arguments exist for both sides.
For a full treatment of the opposing side's arguments, the introduction found in the Loeb Classical Library version of this text is highly recommended. There is also a difference in the title of the text found in various manuscripts. In better manuscripts it is referred to as the Commentariolum Consulatus Petitionis , while in inferior manuscripts it is called Epistula de Petitione Consulatus . Mary Henderson, Loeb Classical Library, vol. The Latin text source is Epistulae M. Tullii Ciceronis , ed.