121 



CATO, MARCUS PORCIUS. 



CATS, JACOB. 



122 



counsels added greatly to the Roman influence, and procured him the 

 honour of a triumph in the following year. He had now attained to 

 the summit of military glory, but his zeal was not fatigued. The new 

 consul, Tiberius Sempronius, being despatched on an expedition against 

 the Thracians and the neighbourhood of the Danube, Cato accompanied 

 him as one of bis lieutenants. 



When Antiochus invaded Greece, we find Cato again in military 

 employment in the Peloponnesus, securing the fidelity of Corinth, 

 .(Egium, and Patrae; and in 191, by a bold movement, he dislodged 

 Antiochus from the pass of Thermopylae, and had the chief glory of 

 the victory gained there by II. Acilius Glabrio. In 184, the year in 

 which Plautus died (it is useful to connect the life of Cato with the 

 literature of his country), he was elected censor, and, as was before 

 observed, with Valerius for his colleague. This censorship ho made 

 memorable in the annals of Roman history by the strictness with 

 which he executed its important duties. He was now 50 years of 

 age, and he continued for more than 30 years to take a prominent 

 part in public life. But the unflinching determination with which 

 he attacked the crimes and vices of the nobles called up many assail- 

 ants upon himself. No Roman waa ever a party to more public pro- 

 secutions, or had to defend himself against more. Even in his 81st 

 year, he bad to support himself against an accusation which had no 

 foundation but the malice of his enemies. But these attacks produced 

 no effect upon bis courage. When Sergius Galba had disgraced his 

 country by the massacre of the Lusitanians after they had surrendered 

 upon terms, and was brought to public trial at Rome, Cato again 

 subscribed his name as one of the prosecutors, and took an active 

 part in the proceedings. This trial was followed almost immediately 

 by his death, at the nge of 85, in the year B.c. 149. Thus as he 

 entered active life Boon after the invasion of Italy by Hannibal, BO 

 he just lived to see the commencement of the third Punic war, a 

 war indeed into which the Romans were induced to enter chiefly by 

 the urgent advice of Cato himself. 



So far we have seen in him the successful soldier and the vigorous 

 statesman. As an orator, an agriculturist, an historian, he was 

 scarcely less celebrated. When yet living on his Sabine farm, he had 

 been in the daily habit of appearing in the petty courts of the neigh- 

 bourhood as the able advocate of his friends ; afterwards at Rome he 

 wan one of the most distinguished orators in the forum ; and as many 

 as 150 of his orations were preserved and admired for many ages. As 

 a writer on agriculture, he is still known by his work entitled ' Do 

 Re liustica,' which, however, is certainly not in the form in which he 

 wrote it. The language is not sufficiently antiquated for the age in 

 which he lived; and besides thu>, there is abundant evidence that 

 several parts of the work are lost, particularly the dedication to his 

 son. The work, as we have it, consists of very brief directions for the 

 management of a farm, and for economical housekeeping, from the 

 buying of an estate to a charm for curing oxen and a receipt for 

 cheesecakes. It is in this work that he lays down the principle, which 

 excites the just indignation of Plutarch, the duty of selling off old 

 oxen, old waggons, and old slaves. ( 2.) Of his historical work but 

 a few fragments remain. It was entitled ' Origines,' and according to 

 the life of Cato, which passes under the name of Cornelius Nepos, the 

 first book treated of the Roman monarchy, the second and third of 

 the origin of the chief cities of Italy, the fourth and fifth of the first 

 and second Punic wars ; the sixth and seventh continued the history 

 down to the praetorship of Galba above mentioned. In the latter part 

 of his history he enlarged upon his own achievements without any 

 affectation of modesty. This history was written at the close of his 

 life, to that Livy is guilty of an anachronism in making the tribune 

 L. Valerius quote the ' Origines ' against the author at the time when 

 Cato was consul. (Liv. xxziv. 5.) 



Cato wag twice married. By his first wife he had a eon, Marcus, 

 who married a daughter of L. /Emiliux Paulus, the sister of the second 

 Scipio Africanus, and died while praetor during his father's lifetime. 

 His second wife was Salonia, by whom he had a son, surnamcd from 

 his mother Saloniuug. This son was the grandfather of Cato Uticensis. 

 The character of Cato is boldly drawn by Livy in the 40th chapter of 

 his 39th book. He was indeed, as Livy calls him, a man of iron body 

 and iron soul, " ferrei prope corporis animique." The chronology of 

 the life of Cato is tolerably certain, notwithstanding the errors of Livy, 

 Plutarch, Valerius Maximus, and Cornelius Nepos. See Clinton's 

 ' Fasti." His historical fragments are printed at the end of Cort's 

 ' Salhiit ;' they have been also published by Krause in his ' Fragmenta 

 veterum Historicorum Romanorum,' Berolini, 1833 ; and separately by 

 Lion, under the title ' Catoniana,' Oott., 1826. The fragments of his 

 ' Orations ' are given by Meyer in his ' Oratorum Romanorum Frag- 

 menta,' Turici, 1842. The ' De Re Rustica' is found in Gesner's and 

 in Schneider's collection of Latin works on that subject. 



CATO, MARCUS PORCIUS, who was surnamed UTICENSIS (of 

 Utica) from the place of his death, was the great-grandson of Cato tho 

 Censor, and was born B.C. 93. Ho is said to have shown in early youth 

 great powers of mind and firmness of character. When very young he 

 was chosen to fill the office of priest of Apollo, and that he might the 

 better discharge the duties of his office, he determined to secure the 

 instructions of a preceptor in morality. The character of his mind 

 naturally led him to embrace the philosophy of the Porch, and he 

 became a pupil of Antipater the Stoic. Inflexible decision, severity 

 woo. DIT. VOL. ii. 



and harshness, appear to have been the prominent features of bis mind ; 

 and the great privations and hardships to which he frequently subjected 

 aimself, such as abstaining from food and making long journeys bare- 

 leaded and in all weathers, were calculated to strengthen these 

 peculiarities. His half-brother Csopio was lost at sea, on which occasion 

 be is said to have relaxed tbe sternness of his spirit, and he who rarely 

 laughed was then seen to weep. The body was cast ashore by the 

 waves, and was buried by Cato with great honours. 



Coin of Cato. 

 British Museum. Actual size. Silver. Weight GO grains. 



Cato's military career commenced with his serving as a volunteer 

 in the war of Spartacus, in which campaign he is said to have refused 

 the distinctions with which Gallus, his commander, would have 

 rewarded him. He afterwards went as a legionary tribune to Mace- 

 donia, and there presented a model of sobriety and courage. Tho 

 designs of Metellus subsequently induced him to become a candidatu 

 for the office of tribune of tho people. He was successful in his 

 application, and gained by his conduct the general esteem of the public. 

 Cato took part with Cicero against Catiline, and first gave him the title 

 of 'Pater Patriae' ('Father of his Fatherland') : the speech which he 

 made on this occasion respecting the punishment of the conspirators 

 is preserved in Sallust. (' Catil.,' c. 52.) He vehemently opposed tho 

 union of Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar, and though threatened with 

 banishment, fearlessly spoke against Ceesar's Agrarian Law. Through 

 the influence of Clodius he was sent to seize Cyprus, in the hope that 

 he would destroy his own influence by failing in the enterprise ; and, 

 that he might be kept the longer away from Rome, he was ordered to 

 go to Byzantium to settle the affairs of that town. On his return ho 

 was elected praetor, in which office he endeavoured as far as possible 

 to put a stop to bribery and corruption. At length, being unable to 

 bring about a reconciliation between Caesar and Pompey, he sided with 

 the latter, and on the death of Pompey went over to Africa. Somo 

 dispute arising about the command of the troops in Africa, Cato resigned 

 it to Q. Metellus Scipio, the father-in-law of Pompey ; but he after- 

 wards repented of this step, and wished that he had retained tho 

 command in compliance with the wishes of the army. Africa soon 

 submitted to Caosar, and the little that remained to oppose him was 

 contained in the city of Utica. Cato encouraged his countrymen to 

 stand a siege, but the approach of Cresar alarmed them into submission. 

 Upon this Cato advised his friends to save themselves by flight, and 

 he even accompanied them to the port. Those who remained in Utica 

 chose Lucius Caesar to intercede for them with the conqueror, ami 

 Cato, though he would not allow his own name to be included in tho 

 petition, is said to have composed the speech which L. Cojsar was to 

 make. After an evening's meal, and a spirited conversation with 

 some other philosophers, he withdrew to his chamber, and after 

 embracing his son and friends with unusual affection, he lay down 

 and read a portion of Plato's 'Phaedon' on the immortality of the soul. 

 His son and friends in vain entreated him to desist from his resolution 

 to commit suicide. He stabbed himself below the breast, and died tho 

 same night. The inhabitants of Utica exhibited the utmost sorrow at 

 the death of one whom they regarded as their benefactor and deliverer, 

 nor did the approach of Cassar prevent them from solemnising his 

 funeral with the greatest pomp. When Caesar heard of Cato's death 

 he is said to have exclaimed, " Cato, I envy thee thy death, since thou 

 hast envied me the glory of saving thy life ! " He died, according to 

 some, in the forty-eighth, and according to others, in the fifty-ninth 

 year of his age. 



(Plutarch, Life of Cato ; Cicero, De Offic., i. 31 ; Sallust, Catil., cc. 

 52-54; Valer. Maxim., ii. 10, 7 ; Aul. Gell., iv. 10; Horat, Od. i. 12, 

 35, ii 1, 24; Lucan, i. 128; Virg., jEn., vi. 841, viii. 670; Juven., 

 ii. 90.) 



CATO DIONYSIUS. [DioNvsius.] 



CATS, JACOB, a very eminent Dutch poet, whose writings were 

 for a long period far more popular than those of any of their authors 

 among his countrymen, was bom at Brouwershaven, in Zealand, 

 November 10th, 1577. His mother dying while he was very young, 

 and his father marrying again, he was taken in charge by a maternal 

 uncle, who spared no cost on his education ; but his progress in his 

 earlier studies was far from great. At Leyden he went through a 

 course of jurisprudence, and made some proficiency in Greek. On 

 quitting Leyden, he proceeded to Orleans, where he took the degree of 

 Doctor of Laws ; arid he remained some time in France, both in order 

 to perfect himself in the language and to enjoy the lively society into 

 which he was introduced there. On his return home, he first practised 

 as advocate in Brouwershaven, where he soon obtained considerable 

 repute in his profession. Being attacked however by an obstinate 

 tertian fever, he was advised to try the effects of travelling and change 

 of air, on which he visited England, but reaped no other advantage 



