Editing Cicero (section)

===Early legal activity===

While Cicero had feared that the law courts would be closed forever, they were reopened in the aftermath of [[Sulla's civil war]] and the purging of Sulla's political opponents in the [[Sulla's proscription|proscriptions]]. Many of the orators whom Cicero had admired in his youth were now dead from age or political violence. His first major appearance in the courts was in 81&nbsp;BC at the age of 26 when he delivered ''[[Pro Quinctio]]'', a speech defending certain commercial transactions which Cicero had recorded and disseminated.<ref>{{harvnb|Tempest|2011|p=32}}. See also {{cite book |last=Cicero |title=Pro Quinctio |year=1930 |translator-last=Freese |translator-first=J J |url=http://attalus.org/cicero/quinctius.html |access-date=10 April 2023 |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410150714/http://attalus.org/cicero/quinctius.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

His more famous speech defending [[Sextus Roscius]] of [[Amelia, Umbria|Ameria]] – {{lang|la|[[Pro Roscio Amerino]]}} – on charges of [[parricide]] in 80&nbsp;BC was his first appearance in criminal court. In this high-profile case, Cicero accused a freedman of the dictator Sulla, [[Lucius Cornelius Chrysogonus|Chrysogonus]], of fabricating Roscius' father's proscription to obtain Roscius' family's property. Successful in his defence, Cicero tactfully avoided incriminating Sulla of any wrongdoing and developed a positive oratorical reputation for himself.{{sfn|Tempest|2011|p=37}}

While Plutarch claims that Cicero left Rome shortly thereafter out of fear of Sulla's response,{{sfn|Plut. ''Cic.''|loc=3.2}} according to Kathryn Tempest, "most scholars now dismiss this suggestion" because Cicero left Rome after Sulla resigned his dictatorship.{{sfn|Tempest|2011|p=37}} Cicero, for his part, later claimed that he left Rome, headed for Asia, to develop his physique and develop his oratory.{{sfn|Cic. ''Brut.''|loc=315–316}} After marrying his wife, [[Terentia]], in 80&nbsp;BC, he eventually left for Asia Minor with his brother [[Quintus Cicero|Quintus]], his friend [[Titus Atticus]], and others on a long trip spanning most of 79 through 77&nbsp;BC.{{sfn|Tempest|2011|pp=37–38}} Returning to Rome in 77&nbsp;BC, Cicero again busied himself with legal defence.<ref>{{harvnb|Tempest|2011|p=39}}. {{harvnb|Plut. ''Cic.''|loc=5.1–2}} claims that Cicero was unpopular and received a warning against oratory from the oracle at Delphi; this is unlikely and contradicted by Cicero's own claims.</ref>