Cato the Younger

When Cato died,[*](In 46 B.C. A single letter of his to Cicero is extant (ad div. xv. 5): cf. chapter xxiii. 3.) he was forty-eight years old. His son received no harm at the hands of Caesar, but he was of an easy disposition, as we are told, and in his relations with women not blameless. In Cappadocia he enjoyed the hospitality of Marphadates, one of the royal family, who had a comely wife; and since young Cato spent more time with them than was seemly,

he was satirized in such writings as these:

1. On the morrow Cato journeys,—after a good round thirty days;

1. Marphadates and Porcius, two friends with but a
2. single Soul.

1. Nobody born, illustrious, our Cato hath a royal
2. Soul.

But all such ill-report was blotted out and removed by the manner of his death. For he fought at Philippi against Caesar and Antony, in behalf of liberty; and when his line of battle was giving way, he deigned not either to fly or to hide himself, but challenged the enemy, displayed himself in front of them, cheered on those who held their ground with him, and so fell, after amazing his foes by his valour.

And still more true is it that the daughter of Cato was deficient neither in prudence nor courage. She was the wife of the Brutus who slew Caesar, was privy to the conspiracy itself, and gave up her life in a manner worthy of her noble birth and her lofty character, as is told in the Life of Brutus.[*](Chapters xiii. and liii.) Statyllius, too, who declared that he would follow Cato’s example,[*](Cf. above, chapter lxvi. 4.) was prevented at the time by the philosophers from destroying himself, as he wished to do, but afterwards gave most faithful and efficient service to Brutus, and died at Philippi.[*](Cf. the Brutus, li. 4.)