Consimili impetu mortis C. Licinius Macer, vir praetorius, Calvi pater, repetundarum reus, dum sententiae diriberentur, in maenianum conscendit: si quidem, cum M. Ciceronem, qui id iudicium cogebat, praetextam ponentem vidisset, misit ad eum qui diceret se non damnatum sed reum perisse, nec sua bona hastae posse subici, ac protinus, sudario, quod forte in manu habebat, ore et faucibus suis coartatis, incluso spiritu poenam morte praecucurrit.
In a similar hurry into death was C. Licinius Macer, an ex-Praetor, father of Calvus. He was on trial for extortion and climbed up to a balcony while the votes were being sorted. Seeing M. Cicero, who was president of the court, taking off his magistrates gown, he sent him a message to say that he had died, not as a man convicted, but as a defendant and his property could not be put to public auction. Then he covered his mouth and throat with a handkerchief that he happened to have in his hand and stopped his breathing, thus anticipating sentence by death.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book9.json