Page:Cicero And The Fall Of The Roman Republic.djvu/103



CHAPTER IV.

CICERO AS A MAGISTRATE.

69-63 B.C.

HILE the case against Verres was still pending Cicero had been elected curule ædile, and in the year 66 B.C. he served the office of prætor. He had no difficulty in his contest for this magistracy, and he tells Atticus that he need not put himself out of the way to come to Rome to help him. There appear to have been two abortive attempts at a voting before the election was actually carried through, and on each occasion it was clear that Cicero was at the head of the poll.

Meanwhile political agitations were astir which brought Cicero for the first time to the front as an orator dealing directly with the affairs of the State.

81