Source edition
Cicero. M. Tulli Ciceronis Orationes, Volume 4. Clark, Albert Curtis, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1909.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This oration was delivered by Cicero during his consulship before the Roman assembly to defend the elderly Gaius Rabirius, who was prosecuted for treason regarding his alleged involvement in the killing of the tribune Saturninus decades earlier. At the outset, Cicero warns that this trial is not merely about one individual, but represents a crisis that threatens the authority of the consuls, the senate, and the survival of the state. He fiercely criticizes the prosecutor, Labienus, for using an archaic and cruel procedure that violates Roman laws protecting citizens' liberty. In the core of the speech, Cicero reconstructs the historical context of the ultimate decree of the senate, arguing that Rabirius acted rightly by taking up arms under the consul's command to protect the state. He asserts that prosecuting Rabirius is equivalent to condemning all the great leaders of that era, including Marius. Finally, Cicero appeals to the citizens to maintain the authority of the state's magistrates and pleads for a merciful verdict for the aged defendant.