Transforming the Trial into a Battle: Military Language in the Exordium of Cicero’s Pro Milone

Abstract

In the exordium of his Pro Milone Cicero employs military language and a number of topoi found in cohortationes, in order to portray Clodius and his followers as enemies of the res publica. By lending a military tone to the judicial confrontation, Cicero underlines the gravity of the particular case and its impact on the salvation of the state, reinforces Milo’s favour-able portrayal and denigrates that of Clodius. Furthermore, in this way he suggests that since Clodius acted like an enemy of the state, his murder involves no greater ethical conflict than the killing of an enemy of the state. Consequently, Milo’s action should be judged according to the unwritten and natural law which justifies homicide when someone has to encounter the violence and weapons of the enemies.