We know that the Roman politician Publius Sestius survived the attack by Lentidius's mob primarily because he was physically present in court a year later, where Marcus Tullius Cicero successfully defended himin the famous trial of 56 BC. [1, 2]

The primary historical evidence for this entire episode comes directly from the text of Cicero's surviving defense speech, titled Pro Sestio. [1, 2]

The Evidence from Cicero's Speech

In section 38 of Pro Sestio, Cicero explicitly details the chaotic street attack led by Clodius’s henchman, Lentidius. He provides specific proof of Sestius's survival through several points: [1, 2]

• The Assassin "Missed His Mark": Cicero mockingly tells the prosecutors to "Blame Lentidius! he missed his mark," because Lentidius failed to successfully assassinate Sestius despite leaving him bloody and unconscious. [1, 2]
• The False Rumor of Death: Cicero scolds another attacker named Titius for "crying out so indiscreetly that [Sestius] was dead" before it was actually true. [1]
• Regaining Consciousness: Cicero explicitly records that Sestius was carried away from the temple steps and "had just recovered his senses" after the mob dispersed. [1]
• The "Odium" Plot Failed: Cicero notes that the political opposition was thrown into a panic because "it became known that Sestius was alive". The mob had planned to kill one of their own men to blame Sestius's faction for initiating the violence, but Sestius's survival ruined their legal cover. [1]

Historical Context

Sestius was serving as a tribune of the plebs in 57 BC when he was nearly beaten to death by the armed gangs of his political rival, Clodius Pulcher. Because Sestius survived, his enemies later changed tactics and prosecuted him for public violence (vis) in 56 BC. Sestius was unanimously acquitted on March 14, 56 BC, and went on to serve as a Roman praetor and later a governor in Cilicia. [1, 2, 3]

If you are researching Roman politics, I can provide more details. Would you like to explore:

• The political rivalry between Clodius and Cicero?
• How Roman political factions used urban mobs as weapons?
• The legal arguments Cicero used to secure Sestius's unanimous acquittal?