Basis of The Prosecution and Defense
In 65 BC, the Roman Senate passed the Lex Papia de Peregrinis, which challenged false claims of citizenship and expelled foreigners from Rome. It is most likely under this law that Archias was prosecuted. Cicero came to his former teacher's defense at his trial in 62 BC, only months after delivering the famous Catiline Orations.
The prosecution laid out four accusations in its case against Archias:
- There was no official enrollment record for Archias as a citizen of Heraclea
- Archias did not maintain a permanent residence in Rome
- The records of the praetors of 89 BC, which list Archias’ name, are unreliable
- Archias does not appear on the Roman census rolls taken during the period in which he claimed to have lived there.
Cicero argued in defense:
- There was no official enrollment record for Archias in Heraclea because the records office had notoriously been destroyed during the Social War, and representatives of Heraclea testified that Archias was in fact a citizen.
- He did have a residence in Rome.
- He also appeared in the records of the praetor Metellus, which were very reliable.
- Archias did not appear on the Roman census because he was away on campaign with Lucullus at each time they were taken.
Because of Archias' close association with Lucullus, the case was probably a political attack directed at the politician by one of his many enemies. Chief among his enemies, and one who would stand to gain much by disgracing Lucullus was Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus.
Read more about this topic: Pro Archia Poeta
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