Though his family background was a disadvantage, Cicero compensated through his education and hard work, building his own support network with successful advocacy in court. He ascended the cursus honorum to consulship in the minimum time. As consul, he quashed Catiline’s conspiracy. But his efforts to memorialize his consulship had mixed success. His position was brittle, as was shown when P. Clodius forced Cicero into exile for executing captured Catilinarians without a trial. Recalled the following year, Cicero became subservient to the power brokers. After service as a provincial governor and in Pompey’s army in the civil war, he made his peace with Caesar and slipped into the role of courtier while expressing resentment in correspondence. After Caesar’s assassination, Cicero thought he could revive the republic when D. Brutus and Octavian took up arms against Antony. But the unstable coalition soon fell apart, and Cicero’s death entailed.

A rumbling that was heard in Latium led the senate to consult the haruspices, Etruscan seers, for their opinion. They declared this a portent, listing the offended deities and possible dangers. Meanwhile, P. Clodius claimed that the destruction of the temple of Libertas had prompted the divine anger. In the senate, Cicero countered Clodius’ claims and put his own “spin” on the diviners’ opinion. Another senate speech deals with the allocation of consular provinces, with Cicero arguing that Caesar should retain his Gallic provinces. Continuing his forensic work, Cicero defended Cornelius Balbus, Cn. Plancius, and M. Aemilius Scaurus. In the senate, he exchanged invectives with L. Calpurnius Piso. He also wrote On the Orator and drew closer to Caesar, receiving a sizable loan of 800,000 sesterces. Toward the end of 54, he penned a letter to his political patron Lentulus Spinther defending his changed policies.