How during that year Cicero successfully defended Murena when Cato endeavored to rob him of his coming Consulship, has been already told.

It may be that Murena's hands were no cleaner than those of Sulla and Autronius, and that they lacked only the consular authority and forensic eloquence of the advocate who defended Murena.

At this time, when the two appointed Consuls were rejected, Cicero had hardly as yet taken any part in public politics.

He had been Quaestor, AEdile, and Praetor, filling those administrative offices to the best of his ability.

He had, he says, hardly heard of the first conspiracy.[189] That what he says is true, is, I think, proved by the absence of all allusion to it in his early letters, or in the speeches or fragments of speeches that are extant.