Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
grief, and dejectedness for the calamities of his country, and
continually showed the same feeling to the last, whatever party
had misfortune or success.
The government of Sicily being allotted to him, he passed over to
Syracuse; where understanding that Asinius Pollio was arrived at
Messena, with forces from the enemy, Cato sent to him, to know
the reason of his coming thither: Pollio, on the other side,
called upon him to show reason for the present convulsions. And
being at the same time informed how Pompey had quite abandoned
Italy, and lay encamped at Dyrrhachium, he spoke of the
strangeness and incomprehensibility of the divine government of
things; "Pompey, when he did nothing wisely nor honestly, was
always successful; and now that he would preserve his country,
and defend her liberty, he is altogether unfortunate." As for
Asinius, he said, he could drive him out of Sicily, but as there
were larger forces coming to his assistance, he would not engage
the island in a war. He therefore advised the Syracusans to join
the conquering party and provide for their own safety; and so set
sail from thence.
When he came to Pompey, he uniformly gave advice to protract the
war; as he always hoped to compose matters, and was by no means
desirous that they should come to action; for the commonwealth
would suffer extremely, and be the certain cause of its own ruin,
whoever were conqueror by the sword. In like manner, he
persuaded Pompey and the council to ordain, that no city should
be sacked that was subject to the people of Rome; and that no
Roman should be killed, but in the heat of battle; and hereby he
got himself great honor, and brought over many to Pompey's party,
whom his moderation and humanity attracted. Afterwards being
sent into Asia, to assist those who were raising men, and
preparing ships in those parts, he took with him his sister
Servilia, and a little boy whom she had by Lucullus. For since
her widowhood, she had lived with her brother, and much recovered
her reputation, having put herself under his care, followed him
in his voyages, and complied with his severe way of living. Yet
Caesar did not fail to asperse him upon her account also.
Pompey's officers in Asia, it seems, had no great need of Cato;
but he brought over the people of Rhodes by his persuasions, and
leaving his sister Servilia and her child there, he returned to
Pompey, who had now collected very great forces both by sea and
land. And here Pompey, more than in any other act, betrayed his
intentions. For at first he designed to give Cato the command of
the navy, which consisted of no less than five hundred ships of
war, besides a vast number of light galleys, scouts, and open
boats. But presently bethinking himself, or put in mind by his
friends, that Cato's principal and only aim being to free his
country from all usurpation, if he were master of such great
forces, as soon as ever Caesar should be conquered, he would
certainly call upon Pompey, also, to lay down his arms, and be
subject to the laws, he changed his mind, and though he had
already mentioned it to Cato, nevertheless made Bibulus admiral.
Notwithstanding this, he had no reason to suppose that Cato's
zeal in the cause was in any way diminished. For before one of
the battles at Dyrrhachium, when Pompey himself, we are told,
made an address to the soldiers and bade the officers do the
like, the men listened to them but coldly, and with silence,
until Cato, last of all, came forward, and in the language of
philosophy, spoke to them, as the occasion required, concerning
liberty, manly virtue, death, and a good name; upon all which he
delivered himself with strong natural passion, and concluded with
calling in the aid of the gods, to whom he directed his speech,
as if they were present to behold them fight for their country.
And at this the army gave such a shout and showed such
excitement, that their officers led them on full of hope and
confidence to the danger. Caesar's party were routed, and put to
flight; but his presiding fortune used the advantage of Pompey's
cautiousness and diffidence, to render the victory incomplete.
But of this we have spoken in the life of Pompey. While,
however, all the rest rejoiced, and magnified their success, Cato
alone bewailed his country, and cursed that fatal ambition, which
made so many brave Romans murder one another.
After this, Pompey following Caesar into Thessaly, left at
Dyrrhachium a quantity of munitions, money, and stores, and many
of his domestics and relations; the charge of all which he gave
to Cato, with the command only of fifteen cohorts. For though he
trusted him much, yet he was afraid of him too, knowing full
well, that if he had bad success, Cato would be the last to
forsake him, but if he conquered, would never let him use his
victory at his pleasure. There were, likewise, many persons of
high rank that stayed with Cato at Dyrrhachium. When they heard
of the overthrow at Pharsalia, Cato resolved with himself, that
if Pompey were slain, he would conduct those that were with him
into Italy, and then retire as far from the tyranny of Caesar as
he could, and live in exile; but if Pompey were safe, he would
keep the army together for him. With this resolution he passed
over to Corcyra, where the navy lay, there he would have resigned
his command to Cicero, because he had been consul, and himself
only a praetor: but Cicero refused it, and was going for Italy.
At which Pompey's son being incensed, would rashly and in heat
have punished all those who were going away, and in the first
place have laid hands on Cicero; but Cato spoke with him in
private, and diverted him from that design. And thus he clearly
saved the life of Cicero, and rescued several others also from
ill-treatment.
Conjecturing that Pompey the Great was fled toward Egypt or
Africa, Cato resolved to hasten after him; and having taken all
his men aboard, he set sail; but first to those who were not
zealous to continue the contest, he gave free liberty to depart.
When they came to the coast of Africa, they met with Sextus,
Pompey's younger son, who told them of the death of his father in
Egypt; at which they were all exceedingly grieved, and declared
that after Pompey they would follow no other leader but Cato.
Out of compassion therefore to so many worthy persons, who had
given such testimonies of their fidelity, and whom he could not
for shame leave in a desert country, amidst so many difficulties,
he took upon him the command, and marched toward the city of
Cyrene, which presently received him, though not long before they
had shut their gates against Labienus. Here he was informed that
Scipio, Pompey's father-in-law, was received by king Juba, and
that Attius Varus, whom Pompey had made governor of Africa, had
joined them with his forces. Cato therefore resolved to march
toward them by land, it being now winter; and got together a
number of asses to carry water, and furnished himself likewise
with plenty of all other provision, and a number of carriages.
He took also with him some of those they call Psylli, who cure
the biting of serpents, by sucking out the poison with their
mouths, and have likewise certain charms, by which they stupefy
and lay asleep the serpents.
Thus they marched seven days together, Cato all the time going on
foot at the head of his men, and never making use of any horse or
chariot. Ever since the battle of Pharsalia, he used to sit at
table, and added this to his other ways of mourning, that he
never lay down but to sleep.
Having passed the winter in Africa, Cato drew out his army, which
amounted to little less than ten thousand. The affairs of Scipio
and Varus went very ill, by reason of their dissensions and
quarrels among themselves, and their submissions and flatteries
to king Juba, who was insupportable for his vanity, and the pride
he took in his strength and riches. The first time he came to a
conference with Cato, he had ordered his own seat to be placed in
the middle, between Scipio and Cato; which Cato observing, took
up his chair, and set himself on the other side of Scipio, to
whom he thus gave the honor of sitting in the middle, though he
were his enemy, and had formerly published some scandalous
writing against him. There are people who speak as if this were
quite an insignificant matter, and who nevertheless find fault
with Cato, because in Sicily, walking one day with Philostratus,
he gave him the middle place, to show his respect for philosophy.
However, he now succeeded both in humbling the pride of Juba, who
was treating Scipio and Varus much like a pair of satraps under
his orders, and also in reconciling them to each other. All the
troops desired him to be their leader; Scipio, likewise, and
Varus gave way to it, and offered him the command; but he said,
he would not break those laws, which he sought to defend, and he,
being, but propraetor, ought not to command in the presence of a
proconsul, (for Scipio had been created proconsul,) besides that
people took it as a good omen; to see a Scipio command in Africa,
and the very name inspired the soldiers with hopes of success.
Scipio, having taken upon him the command, presently resolved, at
the instigation of Juba, to put all the inhabitants of Utica to
the sword, and to raze the city, for having, as they professed,
taken part with Caesar. Cato would by no means suffer this; but
invoking the gods, exclaiming and protesting against it in the
council of war, he with much difficulty delivered the poor people
from this cruelty. And afterwards, upon the entreaty of the
inhabitants, and at the instance of Scipio, Cato took upon
himself the government of Utica, lest, one way or other, it
should fall into Caesar's hands; for it was a strong place, and
very advantageous for either party. And it was yet better
provided and more strongly fortified by Cato, who brought in
great store of corn, repaired the walls, erected towers, and made
deep trenches and palisades around the town. The young men of
Utica he lodged among these works, having first taken their arms
from them; the rest of the inhabitants he kept within the town,
and took the greatest care, that no injury should be done nor
affront offered them by the Romans. From hence he sent great
quantity of arms, money, and provision to the camp, and made this
city their chief magazine.
He advised Scipio, as he had before done Pompey, by no means to
hazard a battle against a man experienced in war, and formidable
in the field, but to use delay; for time would gradually abate
the violence of the crisis, which is the strength of usurpation.
But Scipio out of pride rejected this counsel, and wrote a letter
to Cato, in which he reproached him with cowardice; and that he
could not be content to lie secure himself within walls and
trenches, but he must hinder others from boldly using their own
good-sense to seize the right opportunity. In answer to this,
Cato wrote word again, that he would take the horse and foot
which he had brought into Africa, and go over into Italy, to make
a diversion there, and draw Caesar off from them. But Scipio
derided this proposition also. Then Cato openly let it be seen
that he was sorry he had yielded the command to Scipio, who he
saw would not carry on the war with any wisdom, and if, contrary
to all appearance, he should succeed, he would use his success as
unjustly at home. For Cato had then made up his mind, and so he
told his friends, that he could have but slender hopes in those
generals that had so much boldness, and so little conduct; yet if
anything should happen beyond expectation, and Caesar should be
overthrown, for his part he would not stay at Rome, but would