Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
pardon; for himself, he did not confess to any defeat in all his
life, but rather, so far as he had thought fit, he had got the
victory, and had conquered Caesar in all points of justice and
honesty. It was Caesar that ought to be looked upon as one
surprised and vanquished; for he was now convicted and found
guilty of those designs against his country, which he had so long
practiced and so constantly denied. When he had thus spoken, he
went out of the assembly, and being informed that Caesar was
coming with his whole army, "Ah," said he, "he expects to find us
brave men." Then he went to the senators, and urged them to make
no delay, but hasten to be gone, while the horsemen were yet in
the city. So ordering all the gates to be shut, except one
towards the sea, he assigned their several ships to those that
were to depart, and gave money and provision to those that
wanted; all which he did with great order and exactness, taking
care to suppress all tumults, and that no wrong should be done to
the people.
Marcus Octavius, coming with two legions, now encamped near
Utica, and sent to Cato, to arrange about the chief command.
Cato returned him no answer; but said to his friends, "Can we
wonder all has gone ill with us, when our love of office survives
even in our very ruin?" In the meantime, word was brought him,
that the horse were going away, and were beginning to spoil and
plunder the citizens. Cato ran to them, and from the first he
met, snatched what they had taken; the rest threw down all they
had gotten, and went away silent, and ashamed of what they had
done. Then he called together all the people of Utica, and
requested them upon the behalf of the three hundred, not to
exasperate Caesar against them, but all to seek their common
safety together with them. After that, he went again to the
port, to see those who were about to embark; and there he
embraced and dismissed those of his friends and acquaintance whom
he had persuaded to go. As for his son, he did not counsel him
to be gone, nor did he think fit to persuade him to forsake his
father. But there was one Statyllius, a young man, in the flower
of his age, of a brave spirit, and very desirous to imitate the
constancy of Cato. Cato entreated him to go away, as he was a
noted enemy to Caesar, but without success. Then Cato looked at
Apollonides, the stoic philosopher, and Demetrius, the
peripatetic; "It belongs to you," said he, "to cool the fever of
this young man's spirit, and to make him know what is good for
him." And thus, in setting his friends upon their way, and in
dispatching the business of any that applied to him, he spent
that night, and the greatest part of the next day.
Lucius Caesar, a kinsman of Caesar's, being appointed to go
deputy for the three hundred, came to Cato, and desired he would
assist him to prepare a persuasive speech for them; "And as to
you yourself," said he, "it will be an honor for me to kiss the
hands and fall at the knees of Caesar, in your behalf." But Cato
would by no means permit him to do any such thing; "For as to
myself," said he, "if I would be preserved by Caesar's favor, I
should myself go to him; but I would not be beholden to a tyrant,
for his acts of tyranny. For it is but usurpation in him to
save, as their rightful lord, the lives of men over whom he has
no title to reign. But if you please, let us consider what you
had best say for the three hundred." And when they had continued
some time together, as Lucius was going away, Cato recommended to
him his son, and the rest of his friends; and taking him by the
hand, bade him farewell.
Then he retired to his house again, and called together his son
and his friends, to whom he conversed on various subjects; among
the rest, he forbade his son to engage himself in the affairs of
state. For to act therein as became him, was now impossible; and
to do otherwise, would be dishonorable. Toward evening he went
into his bath. As he was bathing, he remembered Statyllius, and
called out aloud, "Apollonides, have you tamed the high spirit of
Statyllius, and is he gone without bidding us farewell?" "No,"
said Apollonides, "I have said much to him, but to little
purpose; he is still resolute and unalterable, and declares he is
determined to follow your example." At this, it is said, Cato
smiled, and answered, "That will soon be tried."
After he had bathed, he went to supper, with a great deal of
company; at which he sat up, as he had always used to do ever
since the battle of Pharsalia; for since that time he never lay
down, but when he went to sleep. There supped with him all his
own friends and the magistrates of Utica.
After supper, the wine produced a great deal of lively and
agreeable discourse, and a whole series of philosophical
questions was discussed. At length they came to the strange
dogmas of the stoics, called their Paradoxes; and to this in
particular, That the good man only is free, and that all wicked
men are slaves. The peripatetic, as was to be expected, opposing
this, Cato fell upon him very warmly; and somewhat raising his
voice, he argued the matter at great length, and urged the point
with such vehemence, that it was apparent to everybody, he was
resolved to put an end to his life, and set himself at liberty.
And so, when he had done speaking, there was a great silence, and
evident dejection. Cato, therefore, to divert them from any
suspicion of his design, turned the conversation, and began again
to talk of matters of present interest and expectation, showing
great concern for those that were at sea, as also for the others,
who, traveling by land, were to pass through a dry and barbarous
desert.
When the company was broke up, he walked with his friends, as he
used to do after supper, gave the necessary orders to the
officers of the watch, and going into his chamber, he embraced
his son and every one of his friends with more than usual warmth,
which again renewed their suspicion of his design. Then laying
himself down, he took into his hand Plato's dialogue concerning
the soul. Having read more than half the book, he looked up, and
missing his sword, which his son had taken away while he was at
supper, he called his servant, and asked, who had taken away his
sword. The servant making no answer, he fell to reading again;
and a little after, not seeming importunate, or hasty for it, but
as if he would only know what was become of it, he bade it be
brought. But having waited some time, when he had read through
the book, and still nobody brought the sword, he called up all
his servants, and in a louder tone demanded his sword. To one of
them he gave such a blow in the mouth, that he hurt his own hand;
and now grew more angry, exclaiming that he was betrayed and
delivered naked to the enemy by his son and his servants. Then
his son, with the rest of his friends, came running, into the
room, and falling at his feet, began to lament and beseech him.
But Cato raising up himself, and looking fiercely, "When," said
he, "and how did I become deranged, and out of my senses, that
thus no one tries to persuade me by reason, or show me what is
better, if I am supposed to be ill-advised? Must I be disarmed,
and hindered from using my own reason? And you, young man, why
do not you bind your father's hands behind him, that when Caesar
comes, he may find me unable to defend myself? To dispatch
myself I want no sword; I need but hold my breath awhile, or
strike my head against the wall."
When he had thus spoken, his son went weeping out of the chamber,
and with him all the rest, except Demetrius and Apollollides, to
whom, being left alone with him, he began to speak more calmly.
"And you," said he, "do you also think to keep a man of my age
alive by force, and to sit here and silently watch me? Or do you
bring me some reasons to prove, that it will not be base and
unworthy for Cato, when he can find his safety no other way, to
seek it from his enemy? If so, adduce your arguments, and show
cause why we should now unlearn what we formerly were taught, in
order that rejecting all the convictions in which we lived, we
may now by Caesar's help grow wiser, and be yet more obliged to
him, than for life only. Not that I have determined aught
concerning myself, but I would have it in my power to perform
what I shall think fit to resolve; and I shall not fail to take
you as my advisers, in holding counsel, as I shall do, with the
doctrines which your philosophy teaches; in the meantime, do not
trouble yourselves; but go tell my son, that he should not compel
his father to what he cannot persuade him to." They made him no
answer, but went weeping out of the chamber. Then the sword
being brought in by a little boy, Cato took it, drew it out, and
looked at it; and when he saw the point was good, "Now," said he,
"I am master of myself;" and laying down the sword, he took his
book again, which, it is related, he read twice over. After this
he slept so soundly, that he was heard to snore by those that
were without.
About midnight, he called up two of his freedmen, Cleanthes, his
physician, and Butas, whom he chiefly employed in public
business. Him he sent to the port, to see if all his friends had
sailed; to the physician he gave his hand to be dressed, as it
was swollen with the blow he had struck one of his servants. At
this they all rejoiced, hoping that now he designed to live.
Butas, after a while, returned, and brought word they were all
gone except Crassus, who had stayed about some business, but was
just ready to depart; he said, also, that the wind was high, and
the sea very rough. Cato, on hearing this, sighed, out of
compassion to those who were at sea, and sent Butas again, to see
if any of them should happen to return for anything they wanted,
and to acquaint him therewith.
Now the birds began to sing, and he again fell into a little
slumber. At length Butas came back, and told him, all was quiet
in the port. Then Cato, laying himself down, as if he would
sleep out the rest of the night, bade him shut the door after
him. But as soon as Butas was gone out, he took his sword, and
stabbed it into his breast; yet not being able to use his hand so
well, on account of the swelling, he did not immediately die of
the wound; but struggling, fell off the bed, and throwing down a
little mathematical table that stood by, made such a noise, that
the servants, hearing it, cried out. And immediately his son and
all his friends came into the chamber, where seeing him lie
weltering in his blood, great part of his bowels out of his body,
but himself still alive and able to look at them, they all stood
in horror. The physician went to him, and would have put in his
bowels, which were not pierced, and sewed up the wound; but Cato,
recovering himself, and understanding the intention, thrust away
the physician, plucked out his own bowels, and tearing open the
wound, immediately expired.
In less time than one would think his own family could have known
this accident, all the three hundred were at the door. And a
little after, the people of Utica flocked thither, crying out
with one voice, he was their benefactor and their savior, the
only free and only undefeated man. At the very same time, they
had news that Caesar was coming; yet neither fear of the present
danger, nor desire to flatter the conqueror, nor the commotions
and discord among themselves, could divert them from doing honor
to Cato. For they sumptuously set out his body, made him a
magnificent funeral, and buried him by the seaside, where now
stands his statue, holding a sword. And only when this had been
done, they returned to consider of preserving themselves and
their city.