Cicero

a conservative equestrian novus homo who was a brilliant speaker and orator, and was invited to join the First Triumvirate but declined; later he sided with Pompey against Caesar. Though he had supported Pompey, he was offered clementia by Caesar  (who would have hardly stirred the public to loyalty if he proscribed all his enemes a la Sulla).

He ran against Catiline for the consulship in 63, and was very much involved in the persecution of those accused of being involved in the Catilinarian Conspiracy.