Chapter 20

49 You come back from Gaul to stand for the quaestorship. Dare to say you visited your mother before you visited me! I had already received Caesar’s letter asking me to accept satisfaction from you, so I would not even let you speak of reconciliation. Afterward you paid me your respects, and I supported you in your candidacy for the quaestorship. It was then that you tried to kill Publius Clodius in the Forum, with the Roman people’s approval. Though you attempted it of your own accord, not at my prompting, you proclaimed that unless you killed him you could never, in your judgment, make sufficient amends for your injuries to me. I therefore find it extraordinary that you say Milo acted at my prompting, when I never encouraged you, though you offered me the same service unasked. Yet had you persisted, I would have preferred that deed to be credited to your glory rather than to my favor.

49 You came back from Gaul to run for quaestor. Dare to say you visited your mother before me! Caesar had already written to me. He asked me to accept your apology. So I didn’t even let you discuss making peace. After that, you treated me with respect. I supported you during your campaign for quaestor. During that time, you tried to kill Publius Clodius in the forum. The Roman people approved. You tried it on your own, without my urging. Still, you kept telling people this: you could never make up for your wrongs against me unless you killed him. So why claim I pushed Milo to do it? That really puzzles me. You offered to do the same thing yourself. I never encouraged you. Still, if you’d kept at it, I’d have preferred it to count as your achievement, not a favor to me.