Iudiciale in M. Tullium Ciceronem

Iudiciale in M. Tullium Ciceronem
by: Gnaeus Dionysius Draco
PARS I | PARS II | PARS III | PARS IV | PARS V | PARS VI | PARS VII

Hodie, conventi sumus statuere culpam Marci Tullii Ciceronis, sicarius clamans honorum hominum memoriarumque.

Today, we are convened to determine the guilt of Marcus Tullius Cicero, bellowing coward - killer of honour, men and memories.

Quirites! You have my word that this oratio will last no longer than needed. The relevant legalities and customs in this case have already been touched briefly by my excellent colleague Marcus Horatius, and here I will attempt to clear out what the laws and traditions broken in this case mean for all of us, and the accused. In the Republic, every Roman citizen holds the right of provocatio, as stipulated by the Leges Valeriae. We know that Lucius Sergius tried to surrender to Marcus Tullius, and wanted to make an appeal to him to have things fought out in court, where such cases belong, rather than the Curia or on the battlefield. Obviously, the Consul did not think highly of this right, and Catilina was scornfully sent away. In the Republic, no Roman citizen can be convicted of anything without being tried before court first, according to the Lex Porcia. We know that Marcus Tullius, blissfully and temporarily oblivious of this law, eagerly ordered the execution of six dignified men, and masterminded the massacre that cost the life of a noble general, who had already been robbed of his honour and freedom. In the Republic, there cannot be a legal execution unless this happens with approval of the People Marcus Tullius claims to be the saviour of, yet denies them a voice in this deceptive heroism, and would probably have mercilessly killed his opponents himself, had he not been impedimented by his own poor abilities, and the onerous weight of the battle harness he wore, that had never been scratched by a sword or touched by a speck of dirt. These laws, the Leges Semproniae, have clearly been violated, and stand as a travesty of justice right where we can see it. In the Republic, anyone who violates the Leges Semproniae is justly rewarded with banishment and exile. The only reasons why this man is still here, are his own machinations. This man here before you is a tool of rampant destruction, and we cannot allow to have men of his caliber roam the free grounds of our Republic - and Rome itself - forever, in contempt of law, contradicting himself at every turn, and testifying of a lack of anything but callidous ambition. Let Iustitia speak, and may she speak swift and just.