Gaius Antius Restio

One of the few sources on Restio's life is a poem of his contemporary Catullus, telling that he was an enemy of Publius Sestius, a politician and good friend of Cicero.

[2] He belonged to an obscure plebeian gens, which only emerged in the second half of the second century BC, with a Marcus Antius Briso, tribune of the plebs in 137.

[4][5] Between 82 and 80, the conservative dictator Sulla amended the constitution of the Roman Republic, notably by curtailing the powers of the tribunes of the plebs.

[8] This ban closed a loophole in the previous legislation, which still permitted magistrates to use friends as surrogate organisers of political banquets.

At this point, a chilling illness and persistent cough shook me continually, until I fled to your embrace, and I restored myself both by leisure and nettle (an herb).

Publius Sestius, a friend of Cicero, is described by Catullus in one of his poems as having made a violent speech against Restio, while the latter was said to be a petitor.