Mark Antony’s assault of Publius Clodius: Another look

  • Dean Alexander Independent Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13135/2532-5353/10905

Abstract

This paper re-examines Cicero’s claim that Mark Antony tried to kill Publius Clodius in 53 BC. By investigating the historical, political and particularly the persuasive contexts in which Cicero makes the claim, it will be argued that the orator is exaggerating and misrepresenting a minor encounter between the two men, but one that cannot have been a premeditated assassination attempt, as he portrays it in the Second Philippic. The motives adduced by modern scholars to explain Antony’s attempt are unconvincing and the ramifications for accepting Cicero’s mendacity significant.

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Author Biography

Dean Alexander, Independent Scholar

Dean Alexander (alede978@gmail.com) completed his undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Classics at the University of Otago, New Zealand. Under the supervision of Emeritus Professor Jon Hall, his Masters thesis examined the early career of Mark Antony. He then wrote his doctoral dissertation on Gaius Cassius, which re-assessed the latter’s role in Caesar’s assassination. His doctorate was conferred in 2017.

Published
2024-06-30
How to Cite
Alexander, D. (2024). Mark Antony’s assault of Publius Clodius: Another look. Ciceroniana On Line, 8(1), 155-175. https://doi.org/10.13135/2532-5353/10905
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2024): CICERONIANA ON LINE 2023 VIII, 1
Section
Papers

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