In 56 BCE Marcus Caelius accused Lucius Calpurnius Bestia of bribery during the elections of 57 BCE, during which Bestia unsuccessfully applied for the office of the praetor. The accused was defended by Cicero, the former mentor of Caelius.
Finally, thanks to the speech of Cicero, Bestia was acquitted. Despite his defeat, Caelius did not give up and brought another accusation of bribery together in connection with the elections of the current year. However, his own process in the case of poisoning Clodia prevented him from implementing these plans.
