Whatever the truth, Clodius ended up dead on the side of the Appian Way with a knife in his back and the people of Rome were appalled. This was a step too far. Clodius’ entourage carried his body to the Forum where they laid it on the rostra. He suddenly became a martyr for the Republic. He may have been an incestuous, sacrilegious, violent, horrible patrician co-opting the power of the plebeian Tribune, but he was their incestuous, sacrilegious, violent, horrible patrician co-opting their plebeian power and they were absolutely not OK with other senators killing him.
