Publius Clodius Pulcher was a prominent political figure during the last years of the Roman Republic. The first modern, comprehensive biography of Clodius, The Patrician Tribune traces his career from its earliest stages until its end in 52 B.C., when he was murdered by a political rival.

Arguing that Clodius's story is crucial to our understanding of Roman constitutional, religious, and social history, Jeffrey Tatum explores Clodius's political successes, as well as the limitations of his popular strategies, within the broader context of Roman political practices. In the process, Tatum illuminates the relationship between the political contests of Rome's elite and the daily struggles of Rome's urban poor.