Papirius Carbo and the younger Marius, had massacred Sulla's supporters wholesale, confiscated his property, and declared him a public enemy.
He was thereupon declared a public enemy and superseded by C. Cassius (the murderer of Caesar),who attacked him in Laodicea.
The charge was that Rabirius had killed Saturninus in zoo B.C., and by bringing it the democrats challenged the right of the senate to declare a man a public enemy.
Robespierre frankly demanded that Louis as a public enemy should be put to death without form of trial.
Whether innocent or guilty these families will find their business spread over the papers, becoming public enemy number one.