1Meanwhile, since Clodius knew — for it was not difficult to learn it from the people of Lanuvium — that Milo had a customary, legally required and necessary journey to make to Lanuvium on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of February to appoint a flamen, because Milo was dictator of Lanuvium, he himself suddenly set out from Rome the day before, in order, as was understood from the event, to lay an ambush for Milo in front of his own estate; 1and he set out in such a way that he abandoned a turbulent assembly, held on that very day, in which his madness was missed, an assembly which he would never have abandoned had he not wished to be at the place and time of the crime.
28Milo, on the other hand, having been in the senate that day until the senate was dismissed, came home, changed his shoes and clothes, waited a little while his wife, as happens, got herself ready, and then set out at a time when Clodius, if indeed he had been going to come to Rome that day, could already have returned. 28Clodius meets him, travelling light, on horseback, with no carriage, no baggage, no Greek companions, as he usually had, without his wife, which was almost never the case: while this waylayer, who had arranged that journey to commit murder, was riding in a carriage with his wife, wrapped in a travelling cloak, with a large, cumbersome, womanish and dainty retinue of maids and boys.
29He meets Clodius in front of Clodius's estate at about the eleventh hour, or not far off it. 29At once a number of men with weapons make an attack on him from higher ground; 29those in front kill the driver. 29But when Milo had thrown back his cloak, leapt down from the carriage and was defending himself with a keen spirit, those who were with Clodius drew their swords, and some began to run back to the carriage to attack Milo from behind, while others, because they thought he was already killed, began to cut down his slaves who were behind; 29of these, those who were loyal and resolute in spirit towards their master were partly killed; and partly, since they saw that there was fighting at the carriage, were prevented from helping their master, and heard from Clodius himself that Milo had been killed and really believed it, those slaves of Milo did — I shall say it openly, not to divert the charge, but as it happened — without their master ordering it, or knowing it, or being present, what each man would have wished his own slaves to do in such a situation.