Rhetorical Tactics in the Trial of Sextus Roscius of Ameria

Abstract

Pro Sexto Roscio Amerino is Cicero’s first “criminal case”, in which he attempts to clear his client of false accusations brought by his relatives and the confidant of the dictator, who sought to exploit the pretext of the massacres ordered by Sulla. The relatives of the young Sextus Roscius accused him of parricide, claiming that in June of the year 81 BC, he had ordered his father’s murder. With the help of Chrysogonus, Sulla’s confidant, these relatives managed to have the victim’s name—despite being considered a supporter of the dictator—added to the list of those affected by proscriptio, thus allowing his estate to be auctioned. In this way, both Chrysogonus and the relatives would fully benefit from the wealth of the murdered man, while obviously excluding the son of the elder Roscius, who would thus be deprived of his inheritance. To freely enjoy the wealth they had dishonourably seized, they sought to eliminate the rightful heir by accusing him of parricidium. The case concealed a treacherous political landscape, relying on the assumption that no prominent advocatus of the time would dare to take on the defence. However, the young Marcus Tullius Cicero decided to assume the seemingly hopeless case, not so much for legal reasons but rather for political ones. His endeavour—ultimately successful—required considerable courage, precise argumentation, and skilled oratory. It laid the foundation for his reputation as an ambitious advocatus and marked the beginning of his career as an orator and a participant in public life. Later, the orator himself reflected on the recognition he gained from the successful defence speech, while also harshly criticizing his early style, considering it exaggerated and unpolished. At the same time, he acknowledged the significance of his own courage.

In the following, we will first briefly outline the historical background, then sketch the legal and legislative context of the crime that formed the basis of the accusation. Finally, we will analyse the rhetorical approach employed in Pro Roscio Amerino, particularly the oratorical tactics through which Cicero exposed the true motives and mechanisms behind the accusation, ultimately securing his client’s acquittal.