146 THE WIVES OF THE (LESARS. 



A tribune of the people instituted the impeachment of the impious 

 offender ; and Clodius was accordingly cited to be heard in his de- 

 fence. He assumed a fearless air, and strenuously denying all the 

 facts alleged against him, offered to demonstrate by sufficient evidence 

 his absence from the city thoughout the day and night on which 

 the sacrifice to Fauna was performed. But this decisive impudence 

 was unavailing, as many credible witnesses appeared to controvert 

 the falsehood of his declarations ; and the testimony of Cicero, who 

 deposed to Clodius' s consulting him in Rome upon the very day of 

 asserted absence, was fatal to the credulity of the accused himself, as 

 well as to the mass of venal evidence by which he was prepared to 

 meet the formal imputations of his crime. This unexpected deposi- 

 tion on the part of Cicero, struck Clodius with amazement. In the 

 tumultuous dangers of the Cataline conspiracy.* Clodius had accom- 

 panied the Consul on every perilous occasion : he had visited the in- 

 sults shown to Cicero with the resentment of a friend, participating 

 their disgrace ; and, in many instances of factious violence, the person 

 of the orator was saved by his intrepid zeal. These, indeed, were 

 services which might at least have stayed a voluntary accusation on 

 the part of Cicero ; his defection, for the moment, covered Clodius 

 with astonishment, but in the sequel filled him with that implacable 

 abhorrence which subsequently drove him to the exile of Dyrra- 

 chium.1* In behalf of Cicero, it has been said that he was urged to that 

 ungracious measure by his wife Terentia ; J a woman of imperious 

 temper, who had long conceived a jealousy of Clodia, the sister of the 

 accused. She was a lady of distinguished charms, and entertained 

 the warmest admiration of the Roman orator. Her passion was 

 clandestinely imparted to him through the medium of one Tullas, 

 at once the intimate associate of Cicero and Clodius. As it was ob- 

 vious Clodia's wishes could be accomplished but by the repudiation 

 of Terentia, the latter eagerly embraced an opportunity, by which 

 the growing fondness of her rival might be checked, and the familar, 

 intercourse of both their houses might be converted into open animo- 

 sity. The present crisis seemed to offer the occasion she required ; 

 and, as her influence on Cicero was boundless, she impelled him to a 

 step which, as it seemed gratuitous, might fairly be denounced by 

 Clodius as an act of palpable ingratitude. 



No sooner was the accusation against Clodius set on foot, than the 

 difficulty of his situation was augmented by accumulated imputations, 

 several specifying acts of infamy or outrage, sufficiently indicative of 

 his depravity. But the aera of the commonwealth was come when 

 authority no longer rested on the justice of administration. The 



* Plutarch in vita Ciceron. 



f Alluding to the rupture of Cicero and Clodius, Paterculus significantly asks, 

 " Quid enim inter tarn dissimiles amicum esse poterat ?" He then relates the 

 measure carried by Clodius as a tribune of the people ; and implies that Caesar 

 and Pompey, if not declared abettors of the banishment of Cicero, at least con- 

 nived at his oppression. " Ita vir optime meritus de Repub. conservatse patrise 

 pretium calamitatum exilii tulit. Non caruerunt suspicione oppressi Ciceronis 

 Caesar et Pompeius." Vel. Paterc. 1. ii. e. 45. 



t Plutarch in vita Ciceron. 



