Violence and corruption are signals of troublesome times, and without doubt remind us of the late Republic. But, within the general framework of empire, from the second century onwards patronage evolves towards a practice very often difficult to distinguish from bribery, whereas after the murder of Tiberius Gracchus in 133, violence between citizens intensifies until it becomes a regular element in Roman politics, equally affected by bribery and new forms of patronage. The analysis of the crucial relationship of patronage, violence and bribery, at least of the main aspects of its evolution, is the main goal of this chapter. Ancient authors underlined the connection between violence and the crisis of the Roman Republic as one of the consequences of the moral decline of Roman society. If the figure of Cicero is absolutely central to our knowledge of the Roman Republic, he is also fundamental to our understanding of political violence in the late Republic.