The prevailing scholarly view on pro Caecina opines that the speech is a striking example of Cicero’s resort torhetoricaldeception.Thispaperposits,tothecontrary,thatthereareplausiblereasonstorelyontheorator’splea.Therefore,itisnotwarrantedtoaccuseCiceroofdeceit.Thecontroversyaboutthespeechisaparadigmexampleofmisconceptionsaboutthe intimaterelationshipbetweenRoman law and rhetoric.