Cum dignitate otium. Remarks on Cicero's speech in defence of Sestius

Cicero delivered his speech in March 56 BC in defence of Publius Sestius, who was charged on the grounds of the lex Plautia de vi with acts of violence offending public order/public tranquillity. He convincingly proved that they were measures required by the situation of lawful defence. We need to make it clear: the speech can be considered primarily a brilliantly executed statement of one of the important fundamental postulates of Cicero's philosophy of the state rather than a lawyer's or orator's achievement. Pro Sestio is the first occasion on which Cicero, having returned from exile, was able to formulate his program of rethinking the idea of a res publica harrowed by civil strife and the preserving-renewing reorganisation of the state. In this speech Cicero clearly takes a stand for Sulla's "constitution", that is, for what he interpreted as Sulla's constitution: An argument for strengthening the position of the senate meant to govern the state. His defendant was acquitted, owing not only to the brilliant handling of the facts of the case, but most probably also to the political program presented in the speech with such exhaustive details: A captivating pathos that won his audience's approval.