Clodius
Also known as: Publius Clodius · Family: Roman · Role: officer · First appears: Lucullus
Clodius was an enemy of Lucullus and later, as praetor, took command against Spartacus. He became a companion of Tigranes after taking him from prison, and was involved with Pompeia, Caesar’s wife, who had no aversion to him. Despite his attempt upon her chastity, Caesar helped him gain the tribuneship; Cato the Younger then intervened against him and forced him to leave Rome. Cicero was once his friend, but Terentia urged Cicero to testify against him.
As tribune, Clodius secured Cicero’s exile, declaring that “Clodius proposed to the people a decree of exile” and forbidding Italians from sheltering him. He also became a patron of Pompey, taking him about and displaying him as a tool to the people, while opposing Cicero and resisting Pompey’s efforts to recall him. After Pompey and the people defeated his opposition, Cicero returned sixteen months after his exile. Antony took part with Clodius, and Fulvia was later the widow of Clodius.
Relationship record
Life events
- Clodius secured Cicero's exile and prohibited Italians from sheltering him.(Cicero · 📍 Rome)
- With: Cicero
- “Clodius proposed to the people a decree of exile, and by his own order interdicted him fire and water, prohibiting any within five hundred miles in Italy to receive him into their houses.”
- Cicero was recalled from exile after Pompey and the people defeated Clodius's opposition.(Cicero · 📍 Rome)
Lucullus
- enemies with Lucullus “that which most of all prejudiced Lucullus, was Publius Clodius”
Crassus
- enemies with Spartacus “Afterwards Clodius, the praetor, took the command against them”
Pompey
- friends with Tigranes “he took Tigranes, the captive, out of prison, and kept him about him as his companion”
- enemies with Cicero “Clodius, who was then tribune of the people, began to despise him, and engage in the most audacious attempts. For when he had banished Cicero”
- protégé: Pompey “Clodius, the vilest and most impudent wretch alive, who took him about, and exposed him as a tool to the people”
Caesar
- courtship with Pompeia “He was in love with Pompeia, Caesar's wife, and she had no aversion to him”
- with Caesar (interaction) “the most disgraceful thing that was done in Caesar's consulship, was his assisting to gain the tribuneship for the same Clodius who had made the attempt upon his wife's chastity”
Cato the Younger
- enemies with Cato the Younger “Cato, having boldly interfered, and having made Clodius appear so infamous that he was forced to leave the town”
Cicero
- enemies with Terentia “she urged him on to taking a part against Clodius, and delivering his testimony”
- friends with Cicero “Cicero was at this time his friend”
Antony
- with Antony (interaction) “he took part with Clodius, the most insolent and outrageous demagogue of the time”
- married with Fulvia “Fulvia, the widow of Clodius the demagogue”
⭐ Character constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →
Extracted from the original text of Plutarch's Lives. Made with Rho MD.