Abstract
The paper deals with a well-known example of the adrogation of Publius Clodius Pulcher. Both the personality of Clodius and common aspects of adrogations are described briefly, as this information provides the necessary introduction to the main topic of this paper.
The testimony about Clodius' adrogation, as provided in Cicero's speech De domo sua, is one of the most important sources about the adoptions in ancient Rome, particularly in the later Republic. In the year 59 BC, Clodius was transferred from the patrician to the plebeian rank by the means of the adrogation.
Although Clodius then became a plebeian tribune, his adrogation was lacking the standard procedure and failed to fulfil certain conditions normally required for the performance of such transfer of one person sui iuris under the power of another. The paper focuses on the problematic aspects of Clodius' adrogation that are addressed by Cicero in his critical speech.
It shows the motivation of key persons in this story (where Caesar and Pompey played crucial role), a motivation clearly based on political grounds.