After expelling Cicero from Rome, Clodius still had to prevent him from returning. The presence of Cato the Younger – Cicero’s ally made it very difficult to implement these plans. To get rid of him from Rome, Clodius offered him to get Cyprus for Rome.
According to Plutarch, Cato, having realized the true intentions of Clodius, refused. In response, Clodius pushed through the law that officially incorporated Cyprus into the Roman Republic and ordered Cato to take him. Upon returning to Rome from this trip, he rejected all the rewards and promotions offered to him, considering them “unworthy”.
