Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Pro Sestio

Pro Sestio was an oration given by the Roman orator and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero in defence of Publius Sestius for charges of public violence (vis) in February or March 56 BC. Sestius was a friend of Cicero's, and had been instrumental in Cicero's recall from exile in 57. Cicero argued that Sestius should not be punished because his actions were not only in self-defence but also in the interest of the republic. The defence was successful: Sestius was acquitted unanimously by the jury on 14 March 56 BC. The speech is important in the study of Roman politics due to its seeming opposition of optimates and populares as labels for politicians standing for order and demagoguery, respectively. Whether this is actually what Cicero meant in his use of the words optimates and populares, and especially to what extent they reflected contemporary political realities, is debated.