Marcus Tullius Cicero, Pro Plancio [On Behalf of Plancius]

Jacques-Emmanuel Bernard (Université du Sud-Toulon-Var)

Ed. by Sophia Papaioannou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Domains

Rhetoric and Oratory

Dates

First circulation or publication 54

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Speech/ Address

Resources

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Cicero’s speech

Pro Plancio

was delivered in August 54 BC to defend Cnaeus Plancius, who had been accused of using bribery in order to win the election to the curule aedileship for the year 55. Plancius was arraigned pursuant to the

Lex Licinia

– issued only a year earlier, in 55 BC, by the consul M. Licinius Crassus – which condemned

sodalicium

, that is electoral corruption, organized through religious associations (

sodalitates

) which sometimes tended to turn into political clubs, from which votes could be bought (see

Pro Plancio

, secs. 45-47).

The prosecutor was Plancius’ unsuccessful opponent M. Iuventius Laterensis, who had lost the election, aided by another prosecutor (the subscriptor), L. Cassius Longinus. Cicero entertained a friendly relationship both with Cneus Plancius,

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1594 words

Citation: Bernard, Jacques-Emmanuel. "Pro Plancio". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 December 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=20497, accessed 21 November 2024.]