Background Flashcards
What happens in §§1-23?
exordium (intro) - §§1-6
- reassures audience about armed presence
preliminary arguments -§§7-23
- self-defence is a valid justification
- Senate and Pompey have not already condemned Milo
- the question is who attacked whom
What happens in §33?
“Cicero rounds on a henchman of Clodius, accusing him of possessing documents which would reveal the terrifying programme of legislation Clodius intended to pass in his praetorship”
What happens in §§36-42?
Clodius was violent by nature, citing high-profile examples
Milo was peaceful, and could have killed Clodius justifiably many times before
He would not have killed him on the Appian way, because it was unjustified and his reputation was precarious
What happens in the rest of the speech (§§53-105)?
transition - §§67-71
supplementary argument - §§72-91
- “Clodius’ death was in the best interests of the state; even if Milo had not acted in self-defence, he should be rewarded rather than punished”
peroratio (closing statement) - §§92-105
Why wasn’t Cicero performing at his best?
The Clodians kept clamouring, despite the armed presence, which meant he lacked his usual “constantia” (firmness)
What ‘actually’ happened on the Appian way, according to Asconius?
Clodius’ slaves (ca. 30) were armed with swords, as was the norm for travelling people. Clodius was wounded, but was carried to an inn. When Milo found out, he ordered him to be dragged out and killed. The two factions had met by accident, and Milo didn’t mean for Clodius to be injured, but deliberately had him killed once he had been
What happened to Milo afterwards?
He was convicted, 38 to 15. He was then tried for and found guilty of corruption among other offences, and was exiled to Massilia
