[Sidenote:  Quarrel of Clodius and Milo.] [Sidenote:  Violence of the time.]

Clodius was a very desperate and lawless character, and his subsequent history shows, in a striking point of view, the degree of violence and disorder which reigned in those times.  He became involved in a bitter contention with another citizen whose name was Milo, and each, gaining as many adherents as he could, at length drew almost the whole city into their quarrel.  Whenever they went out, they were attended with armed bands, which were continually in danger of coming into collision.  The collision at last came, quite a battle was fought, and Clodius was killed.  This made the difficulty worse than it was before.  Parties were formed, and violent disputes arose on the question of bringing Milo to trial for the alleged murder.  He was brought to trial at last, but so great was the public excitement, that the consuls for the time surrounded and filled the whole Forum with armed men while the trial was proceeding, to ensure the safety of the court.

[Sidenote:  Conspiracy of Catiline.] [Sidenote:  Warm debate in the Senate.] [Sidenote:  Caesar in danger of violence.]

In fact, violence mingled itself continually, in those times, with almost all public proceedings, whenever any special combination of circumstances occurred to awaken unusual excitement.  At one time, when Caesar was in office, a very dangerous conspiracy was brought to light, which was headed by the notorious Catiline.  It was directed chiefly against the Senate and the higher departments of the government; it contemplated, in fact, their utter destruction, and the establishment of an entirely new government on the ruins of the existing constitution.  Caesar was himself accused of a participation in this plot.  When it was discovered, Catiline himself fled; some of the other conspirators were, however, arrested, and there was a long and very excited debate in the Senate on the question of their punishment.  Some were for death.  Caesar, however, very earnestly opposed this plan, recommending, instead, the confiscation of the estates of the conspirators, and their imprisonment in some of the distant cities of Italy.  The dispute grew very warm, Caesar urging his point with great perseverance and determination, and with a degree of violence which threatened seriously to obstruct the proceedings, when a body of armed men, a sort of guard of honor stationed there, gathered around him, and threatened him with their swords.  Quite a scene of disorder and terror ensued.  Some of the senators arose hastily and fled from the vicinity of Caesar’s seat to avoid the danger.  Others, more courageous, or more devoted in their attachment to him, gathered around him to protect him, as far as they could, by interposing their bodies between his person and the weapons of his assailants.  Caesar soon left the Senate, and for a long time would return to it no more.

[Sidenote:  Caesar’s struggle for the office of pontifex maximus.]