Marcus Tullius Cicero, who held the consulship in 63 B.C.E., adhered to traditional republican notions of class and society. In his speech in defense of Murena, Cicero voices the traditional expectations of the patron-client relationship.

Men of small means are only able to earn favours from our order or pay us back in one way and that is by helping us and following us about when we are candidates for office. It is not possible and it cannot be asked of us senators or of the Roman knights that they should attend for whole days their friends who are candidates. If they come in large numbers to our houses and on occasion accompany us down to the forum, if they condescend to walk with us the length of a public hall, we think that we are...