Rufus, M. Caelius
A young Roman noble distinguished as an elegant writer and eloquent speaker, but equally
conspicuous for his profligacy and extravagance. Notwithstanding his vices he lived on
intimate terms with Cicero, who defended him in B.C. 56 in an oration still extant. The
accusation was brought against him by Sempronius Atratinus, at the instigation of Clodia
Quadrantaria, whom he had lately deserted. Clodia charged him with having borrowed money from
her in order to murder Dion, the head of the embassy sent by Ptolemy Auletes to Rome, and with
having made an attempt to poison her. In 52 Caelius was tribune of the plebs and in 50 aedile.
During the years 51 and 50 he carried on an active correspondence with Cicero, who was then in
Cilicia, and many of the letters which he wrote to Cicero at that time are preserved in the
collection of Cicero's Letters. On the breaking out of the Civil War in 49 he espoused
Caesar's side, and was rewarded for his services by the praetorship in 48. Being at this time
overwhelmed with debt, he availed himself of Caesar's absence from Italy to bring forward a
law for the abolition of debts. He was, however, resisted by the other magistrates and
deprived of his office; whereupon he went into the south of Italy to join
Milo (q.v.), whom he had secretly sent for from Massilia. Milo was killed
near Thurii before Caelius could join him, and Caelius himself was put to death shortly
afterwards at Thurii.
