Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
appearance, taken out of his hands by Pompey. And he was also
not far from losing his triumph, for Caius Memmius traduced him
to the people, and threatened to accuse him; rather, however, out
of love to Pompey, than for any particular enmity to him. But
Cato, being allied to Lucullus, who had married his sister
Servilia, and also thinking it a great injustice, opposed
Memmius, thereby exposing himself to much slander and
misrepresentation, insomuch that they would have turned him out
of his office, pretending that he used his power tyrannically.
Yet at length Cato so far prevailed against Memmius, that he was
forced to let fall the accusations, and abandon the contest. And
Lucullus having thus obtained his triumph, yet more sedulously
cultivated Cato's friendship, which he looked upon as a great
guard and defense for him against Pompey's power.
And now Pompey also returning with glory from the war, and
confiding in the good-will of the people, shown in their splendid
reception of him, thought he should be denied nothing, and sent
therefore to the senate to put off the assembly for the election
of consuls, till he could be present to assist Piso, who stood
for that office. To this most of the senators were disposed to
yield; Cato, only, not so much thinking that this delay would be
of great importance, but, desiring to cut down at once Pompey's
high expectations and designs, withstood his request, and so
overruled the senate, that it was carried against him. And this
not a little disturbed Pompey, who found he should very often
fail in his projects, unless he could bring over Cato to his
interest. He sent, therefore, for Munatius, his friend; and Cato
having two nieces that were marriageable, he offered to marry the
eldest himself, and take the youngest for his son. Some say they
were not his nieces, but his daughters. Munatius proposed the
matter to Cato, in presence of his wife and sisters; the women
were full of joy at the prospect of an alliance with so great and
important a person. But Cato, without delay or balancing,
forming his decision at once, answered, "Go, Munatius, go and
tell Pompey, that Cato is not assailable on the side of the
women's chamber; I am grateful indeed for the intended kindness,
and so long as his actions are upright, I promise him a
friendship more sure than any marriage alliance, but I will not
give hostages to Pompey's glory, against my country's safety."
This answer was very much against the wishes of the women, and to
all his friends it seemed somewhat harsh and haughty. But
afterwards, when Pompey, endeavoring to get the consulship for
one of his friends, gave pay to the people for their votes, and
the bribery was notorious, the money being counted out in
Pompey's own gardens, Cato then said to the women, they must
necessarily have been concerned in the contamination of these
misdeeds of Pompey, if they had been allied to his family; and
they acknowledged that he did best in refusing it. Yet if we may
judge by the event, Cato was much to blame in rejecting that
alliance, which thereby fell to Caesar. And then that match was
made, which, uniting his and Pompey's power, had well-nigh ruined
the Roman empire, and did destroy the commonwealth. Nothing of
which perhaps had come to pass, but that Cato was too
apprehensive of Pompey's least faults, and did not consider how
he forced him into conferring on another man the opportunity of
committing the greatest.
These things, however, were yet to come. Lucullus, meantime, and
Pompey, had a great dispute concerning their orders and
arrangements in Pontus, each endeavoring that his own ordinances
might stand. Cato took part with Lucullus, who was manifestly
suffering wrong; and Pompey, finding himself the weaker in the
senate, had recourse to the people, and to gain votes, he
proposed a law for dividing the lands among the soldiers. Cato
opposing him in this also, made the bill be rejected. Upon this
he joined himself with Clodius, at that time the most violent of
all the demagogues; and entered also into friendship with Caesar,
upon an occasion of which also Cato was the cause. For Caesar
returning from his government in Spain, at the same time sued to
be chosen consul, and yet desired not to lose his triumph. Now
the law requiring that those who stood for any office should be
present, and yet that whoever expected a triumph should continue
without the walls, Caesar requested the senate, that his friends
might be permitted to canvass for him in his absence. Many of
the senators were willing to consent to it, but Cato opposed it,
and perceiving them inclined to favor Caesar, spent the whole day
in speaking, and so prevented the senate from coming to any
conclusion. Caesar, therefore, resolving to let fall his
pretensions to the triumph, came into the town, and immediately
made a friendship with Pompey, and stood for the consulship. And
so soon as he was declared consul elect, he married his daughter
Julia to Pompey. And having thus combined themselves together
against the commonwealth, the one proposed laws for dividing the
lands among the poor people, and the other was present to support
the proposals Lucullus, Cicero, and their friends, joined with
Bibulus, the other consul, to hinder their passing, and, foremost
of them all, Cato, who already looked upon the friendship and
alliance of Pompey and Caesar as very dangerous, and declared he
did not so much dislike the advantage the people should get by
this division of the lands, as he feared the reward these men
would gain, by thus courting and cozening the people. And in
this he gained over the senate to his opinion, as likewise many
who were not senators, who were offended at Caesar's ill conduct,
that he, in the office of consul, should thus basely and
dishonorably flatter the people; practicing, to win their favor,
the same means that were wont to be used only by the most rash
and rebellious tribunes. Caesar, therefore, and his party,
fearing they should not carry it by fair dealing, fell to open
force. First a basket of dung was thrown upon Bibulus as he was
going to the forum; then they set upon his lictors and broke
their rods; at length several darts were thrown, and many men
wounded; so that all that were against those laws, fled out of
the forum, the rest with what haste they could, and Cato, last of
all, walking out slowly, often turning back and calling down
vengeance upon them.
Thus the other party not only carried their point of dividing the
lands, but also ordained, that all the senate should swear to
confirm this law, and to defend it against whoever should attempt
to alter it, indicting great penalties on those that should
refuse the oath. All the senators seeing the necessity they were
in, took the oath, remembering the example of Metellus in old
time, who refusing to swear upon the like occasion, was forced to
leave Italy. As for Cato, his wife and children with tears
besought him, his friends and familiars persuaded and entreated
him, to yield and take the oath; but he that principally
prevailed with him was Cicero, the orator, who urged upon him
that it was perhaps not even right in itself, that a private man
should oppose what the public had decreed; that the thing being
already past altering, it were folly and madness to throw himself
into danger, without the chance of doing his country any good; it
would be the greatest of all evils, to embrace, as it were, the
opportunity to abandon the commonwealth, for whose sake he did
everything, and to let it fall into the hands of those who
designed nothing but its ruin, as if he were glad to be saved
from the trouble of defending it. "For," said he, "though Cato
have no need of Rome, yet Rome has need of Cato, and so likewise
have all his friends." Of whom Cicero professed he himself was
the chief, being; at that time aimed at by Clodius, who openly
threatened to fall upon him, as soon as ever he should get to be
tribune. Thus Cato, they say, moved by the entreaties and the
arguments of his friends, went unwillingly to take the oath,
which he did the last of all, except only Favonius, one of his
intimate acquaintance.
Caesar, exalted with this success, proposed another law, for
dividing almost all the country of Campania among the poor and
needy citizens. Nobody durst speak against it but Cato, whom
Caesar therefore pulled from the rostra, and dragged to prison:
yet Cato did not even thus remit his freedom of speech, but as
he went along, continued to speak against the law, and advised
the people to put down all legislators who proposed the like.
The senate and the best of the citizens followed him with sad and
dejected looks, showing their grief and indignation by their
silence, so that Caesar could not be ignorant how much they were
offended; but for contention's sake, he still persisted,
expecting Cato should either supplicate him, or make an appeal.
But when he saw that he did not so much as think of doing either,
ashamed of what he was doing and of what people thought of it, he
himself privately bade one of the tribunes interpose and procure
his release. However, having won the multitude by these laws and
gratifications, they decreed that Caesar should have the
government of Illyricum, and all Gaul, with an army of four
legions, for the space of five years, though Cato still cried out
they were, by their own vote, placing a tyrant in their citadel.
Publius Clodius, who illegally of a patrician became a plebeian,
was declared tribune of the people, as he had promised to do all
things according to their pleasure, on condition he might banish
Cicero. And for consuls, they set up Calpurnius Piso, the father
of Caesar's wife, and Aulus Gabinius, one of Pompey's creatures,
as they tell us, who best knew his life and manners.
Yet when they had thus firmly established all things, having
mastered one part of the city by favor, and the other by fear,
they themselves were still afraid of Cato, and remembered with
vexation what pains and trouble their success over him had cost
them, and indeed what shame and disgrace, when at last they were
driven to use violence to him. This made Clodius despair of
driving Cicero out of Italy while Cato stayed at home.
Therefore, having first laid his design, as soon as he came into
his office, he sent for Cato, and told him, that he looked upon
him as the most incorrupt of all the Romans, and was ready to
show he did so. "For whereas," said he, "many have applied to be
sent to Cyprus on the commission in the case of Ptolemy, and have
solicited to have the appointment, I think you alone are
deserving of it, and I desire to give you the favor of the
appointment." Cato at once cried out, it was a mere design upon
him, and no favor, but an injury. Then Clodius proudly and
fiercely answered, "If you will not take it as a kindness, you
shall go, though never so unwillingly;" and immediately going
into the assembly of the people, he made them pass a decree, that
Cato should be sent to Cyprus. But they ordered him neither
ship, nor soldier, nor any attendant, except two secretaries; one
of whom was a thief and a rascal, and the other a retainer to
Clodius. Besides, as if Cyprus and Ptolemy were not work
sufficient, he was ordered also to restore the refugees of
Byzantium. For Clodius was resolved to keep him far enough off,
whilst himself continued tribune.
Cato being in this necessity of going away, advised Cicero, who
was next to be set upon, to make no resistance, lest he should
throw the state into civil war and confusion, but to give way to
the times, and thus become once more the preserver of his
country. He himself sent forward Canidius, one of his friends,