Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
himself mingled with the crowd, and sitting among the spectators,
clapped and applauded Cato, bade him bestow rewards on those who
did well, and called on the people to pay their honors to him, as
for himself he had placed his whole authority in Cato's hands.
At the same time, Curio, the colleague of Favonius, gave very
magnificent entertainments in another theater; but the people
left his, and went to those of Favonius, which they much
applauded, and joined heartily in the diversion, seeing him act
the private man, and Cato the master of the shows, who, in fact,
did all this in derision of the great expenses that others
incurred, and to teach them that in amusements men ought to
seek amusement only, and the display of a decent cheerfulness,
not great preparations and costly magnificence, demanding the
expenditure of endless care and trouble about things of little
concern.
After this Scipio, Hypsaeus, and Milo, stood to be consuls, and
that not only with the usual and now recognized disorders of
bribery and corruption, but with arms and slaughter, and every
appearance of carrying their audacity and desperation to the
length of actual civil war. Whereupon it was proposed, that
Pompey might be empowered to preside over that election. This
Cato at first opposed, saying that the laws ought not to seek
protection from Pompey, but Pompey from the laws. Yet the
confusion lasting a long time, the forum continually, as it were,
besieged with three armies, and no possibility appearing of a
stop being put to these disorders, Cato at length agreed, that
rather than fall into the last extremity, the senate should
freely confer all on Pompey, since it was necessary to make use
of a lesser illegality as a remedy against the greatest of all,
and better to set up a monarchy themselves, than to suffer a
sedition to continue, that must certainly end in one. Bibulus,
therefore, a friend of Cato's, moved the senate to create Pompey
sole consul; for that either he would reestablish the lawful
government, or they should serve under the best master. Cato
stood up, and, contrary to all expectation, seconded this motion,
concluding, that any government was better than mere confusion,
and that he did not question but Pompey would deal honorably, and
take care of the commonwealth, thus committed to his charge.
Pompey being hereupon declared consul, invited Cato to see him in
the suburbs. When he came, he saluted and embraced him very
kindly, acknowledged the favor he had done him, and desired his
counsel and assistance, in the management of this office. Cato
made answer, that what he had spoken on any former occasion was
not out of hate to Pompey, nor what he had now done, out of love
to him, but all for the good of the commonwealth; that in
private, if he asked him, he would freely give his advice; and
in public, though he asked him not, he would always speak his
opinion. And he did accordingly. For first, when Pompey made
severe laws for punishing and laying great fines on those who had
corrupted the people with gifts, Cato advised him to let alone
what was already passed, and to provide for the future; for if he
should look up past misdemeanors, it would be difficult to know
where to stop; and if he would ordain new penalties, it would be
unreasonable to punish men by a law, which at that time they had
not the opportunity of breaking. Afterwards, when many
considerable men, and some of Pompey's own relations were
accused, and he grew remiss, and disinclined to the prosecution,
Cato sharply reproved him, and urged him to proceed. Pompey had
made a law, also, to forbid the custom of making commendatory
orations in behalf of those that were accused; yet he himself
wrote one for Munatius Plancus, and sent it while the cause was
pleading; upon which Cato, who was sitting as one of the judges,
stopped his ears with his hands, and would not hear it read.
Whereupon Plancus, before sentence was given, excepted against
him, but was condemned notwithstanding. And indeed Cato was a
great trouble and perplexity to almost all that were accused of
anything, as they feared to have him one of their judges, yet did
not dare to demand his exclusion. And many had been condemned,
because by refusing him, they seemed to show that they could not
trust their own innocence; and it was a reproach thrown in the
teeth of some by their enemies, that they had not accepted Cato
for their judge.
In the meanwhile, Caesar kept close with his forces in Gaul, and
continued in arms; and at the same time employed his gifts, his
riches, and his friends above all things, to increase his power
in the city. And now Cato's old admonitions began to rouse
Pompey out of the negligent security in which he lay, into a sort
of imagination of danger at hand; but seeing him slow and
unwilling, and timorous to undertake any measures of prevention
against Caesar, Cato resolved himself to stand for the
consulship, and presently force Caesar either to lay down his
arms or discover his intentions. Both Cato's competitors were
persons of good position; Sulpicius, who was one, owed much to
Cato's credit and authority in the city, and it was thought
unhandsome and ungratefully done, to stand against him; not that
Cato himself took it ill, "For it is no wonder," said he, "if a
man will not yield to another, in that which he esteems the
greatest good." He had persuaded the senate to make an order,
that those who stood for offices, should themselves ask the
people for their votes, and not solicit by others, nor take
others about with them, to speak for them, in their canvass. And
this made the common people very hostile to him, if they were to
lose not only the means of receiving money, but also the
opportunity of obliging several persons, and so to become by his
means both poor and less regarded. Besides this, Cato himself
was by nature altogether unfit for the business of canvassing, as
he was more anxious to sustain the dignity of his life and
character, than to obtain the office. Thus by following his own
way of soliciting, and not suffering his friends to do those
things which take with the multitude, he was rejected, and lost
the consulship.
But whereas, upon such occasions, not only those who missed the
office, but even their friends and relations, used to feel
themselves disgraced and humiliated, and observed a sort of
mourning for several days after, Cato took it so unconcernedly,
that he anointed himself, and played at ball in the Field, and
after breakfasting, went into the forum, as he used to do,
without his shoes or his tunic, and there walked about with his
acquaintance. Cicero blames him, for that when affairs required
such a consul, he would not take more pains, nor condescend to
pay some court to the people, as also because that he afterwards
neglected to try again; whereas he had stood a second time to be
chosen praetor. Cato answered, that he lost the praetorship the
first time, not by the voice of the people, but by the violence
and corrupt dealing of his adversaries; whereas in the election
of consuls, there had been no foul play. So that he plainly saw
the people did not like his manners, which an honest man ought
not to alter for their sake; nor yet would a wise man attempt the
same thing again, while liable to the same prejudices.
Caesar was at this time engaged with many warlike nations, and
was subduing them at great hazards. Among the rest, it was
believed he had set upon the Germans, in a time of truce, and had
thus slain three hundred thousand of them. Upon which, some of
his friends moved the senate for a public thanksgiving; but Cato
declared, they ought to deliver Caesar into the hands of those
who had been thus unjustly treated, and so expiate the offense
and not bring a curse upon the city; "Yet we have reason," said
he, "to thank the gods, for that they spared the commonwealth,
and did not take vengeance upon the army, for the madness and
folly of the general." Hereupon Caesar wrote a letter to the
senate, which was read openly, and was full of reproachful
language and accusations against Cato; who, standing up, seemed
not at all concerned, and without any heat or passion, but in a
calm and, as it were, premeditated discourse, made all Caesar's
charges against him show like mere common scolding and abuse, and
in fact a sort of pleasantry and play on Caesar's part; and
proceeding then to go into all Caesar's political courses, and to
explain and reveal (as though he had been not his constant
opponent, but his fellow-conspirator,) his whole conduct and
purpose from its commencement, he concluded by telling the
senate, it was not the sons of the Britons or the Gauls they need
fear, but Caesar himself, if they were wise. And this discourse
so moved and awakened the senate, that Caesar's friends repented
they had had a letter read, which had given Cato an opportunity
of saying so many reasonable things, and such severe truths
against him. However, nothing was then decided upon; it was
merely said, that it would be well to send him a successor. Upon
that Caesar's friends required, that Pompey also should lay down
his arms, and resign his provinces, or else that Caesar might not
be obliged to either. Then Cato cried out, what he had foretold
was come to pass; now it was manifest he was using his forces to
compel their judgment, and was turning against the state those
armies he had got from it by imposture and trickery. But out of
the Senate-house Cato could do but little, as the people were
ever ready to magnify Caesar and the senate, though convinced by
Cato, were afraid of the people.
But when the news was brought that Caesar had seized Ariminum,
and was marching with his army toward Rome, then all men, even
Pompey, and the common people too, cast their eyes on Cato, who
had alone foreseen and first clearly declared Caesar's
intentions. He, therefore, told them, "If you had believed me,
or regarded my advice, you would not now have been reduced to
stand in fear of one man, or to put all your hopes in one alone."
Pompey acknowledged, that Cato indeed had spoken most like a
prophet, while he himself had acted too much like a friend. And
Cato advised the senate to put all into the hands of Pompey; "For
those who can raise up great evils," said he, "can best allay
them."
Pompey, finding he had not sufficient forces, and that those he
could raise, were not very resolute, forsook the city. Cato,
resolving to follow Pompey into exile, sent his younger son to
Munatius, who was then in the country of Bruttium, and took his
eldest with him; but wanting somebody to keep his house and take
care of his daughters, he took Marcia again, who was now a rich
widow, Hortensius being dead, and having left her all his estate.
Caesar afterward made use of this action also, to reproach him
with covetousness, and a mercenary design in his marriage.
"For," said he, "if he had need of wife, why did he part with
her? And if he had not, why did he take her again? Unless he
gave her only as a bait to Hortensius; and lent her when she was
young, to have her again when she was rich." But in answer to
this, we might fairly apply the saying of Euripides.
To speak of mysteries -- the chief of these
Surely were cowardice in Hercules.
For it is much the same thing to reproach Hercules for cowardice,
and to accuse Cato of covetousness; though otherwise, whether he
did altogether right in this marriage, might be disputed. As
soon, however, as he had again taken Marcia, he committed his
house and his daughters to her, and himself followed Pompey. And
it is said, that from that day he never cut his hair, nor shaved
his beard, nor wore a garland, but was always full of sadness,