M. Tullius Cicero, For Milo
C. D. Yonge, Ed.

Take notice, O judges, what the real effect of this evidence must be. First of all, Milo is certainly acquitted of having set out with the express intention of waylaying Clodius on his road; this must be since there was apparently no chance whatever of his meeting him. In the next place, (for I see no reason why I should not do something for myself at the same time,) you know, O judges, that there have been men found to say while urging on this bill against Milo, that the murder was committed by the hand indeed of Milo, but by the plan of some one of more importance than he. Those abject and profligate men, forsooth, pointed me out as a robber and assassin. Now they are convicted by their own witnesses, who say that Clodius would not have returned to Rome that day if he had not heard the news about Cyrus I breathed again; I was delivered, I am not any longer afraid of being supposed to have contemplated an action which I could not possibly have suspected.

[48] Now I will examine the other point. For this expression occurs in their speech: “Therefore, Clodius never even thought of the plot against Milo, since he intended to remain in his Alban villa.” Yes, he meant to remain there, if he did not rather intend to go out and commit a murder. For I see that the messenger who is said to have brought him news of Cyrus's death did not announce that to him, but told him that Milo was at hand. For why should he bring any news about Cyrus, whom Clodius had left at Rome on his deathbed? I was with him—I signed his will as a witness together with Clodius; and he had openly made his will, and had left him and me his heirs. When he had left him the day before, at the third hour, at the very point of death, was news sent express to him the next day, at the tenth hour that he was at last dead?