Marcus Porcius Catō Uticensis (95 BC–46 BC), known as Cato the Younger (Cato Minor) to distinguish him from his great-grandfather (Cato the Elder), was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy. Year 95 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Licinius Crassus and Year 46 BC was the last year of the pre-Julian calendar. This year had 445 days due to the errors that had accumulated in the pre-Julian calendar Marcus Porcius Cato ( Latin: M·PORCIVS·M·F·CATO (234 BC Tusculum &ndash149 BC was a Roman statesman surnamed the Censor The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Stoicism, a school of Hellenistic philosophy, was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early third century BC He is remembered for his legendary stubbornness and tenacity (especially in his lengthy conflict with Gaius Julius Caesar), as well as his immunity to bribes, his moral integrity, and his famous distaste for the ubiquitous corruption of the period. Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain

Life

Early life

Cato was born in 95 BC in Rome, the son of Marcus Porcius Cato and his wife Livia Drusa. Year 95 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Licinius Crassus and Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 He lost both of his parents very early and moved into the household of his maternal uncle Marcus Livius Drusus, who also looked after Quintus Servilius Caepio, Servilia Caepionis Maior, and Servilia Caepionis Minor from Livia's first marriage (though Quintus Servilius Caepio was generally known to be Cato's full brother), as well as Porcia (Cato's full sister), and Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus (Livius' adopted son). The younger Marcus Livius Drusus, son of Marcus Livius Drusus, was tribune of the plebeians in 91 BC Quintus Servilius Caepio the Elder was a Roman statesman and general Consul in 106 BC, Proconsul of Cisalpine Gaul 105 BC Servilia (male - Servilius is a Roman Gens name that may refer to Servilia (2nd century BC, wife of Quintus Lutatius Catulus Porcia, also known as Porcia Catonis or Porcia the Elder (before 95 BC &ndash 46/45 BC was the daughter of Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus and Livia Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus was a Roman nobleman who served as a Roman Senator of the Roman Republic that lived in the 1st century BC In Ancient Rome, Adoption of boys was a fairly common procedure particularly in the upper senatorial class Drusus was murdered when Cato was 4 years old.

Cato's stubbornness began in his early years. Sarpedon, his tutor, reports a very obedient and questioning child, although slow in being persuaded of things and sometimes very difficult to retrain. A story told by Plutarch tells of Quintus Poppaedius Silo, leader of the Marsi and involved in a highly controversial business in the Roman Forum, who made a visit to his friend Marcus Livius and met the children of the house. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Quintus Poppaedius Silo (sometimes seen as Pompaedius) was the leader of the Italian tribe of the Marsi and one of the leaders of the Italians during the Social The Marsi were an ancient people of Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus. This page refers to the main forum in the center of Rome See Imperial forums or Other forums in Rome (below for other forums in Rome and In a playful mood he asked the children's support for his cause. All of them nodded and smiled except Cato, who stared at the guest with most suspicious looks. Silo demanded an answer from him and seeing no response took Cato and hanged him by the feet out of the window. Even then, Cato would not say anything.

Plutarch also recounts a few other stories as well. One night, as some children were playing a game in a side room of a house during a social event; they were having a mock trial with judges and accusers as well as a defendant. One of the children, supposedly a good-natured and pleasant child, was convicted by the mock accusers and was being carried out of the room when he cried out desperately for Cato. Cato became very angry at the other children and saying nothing, grabbed the child away from the "guards" and carried him away from the others.

Plutarch also tells a story about Cato's peers' immense respect for him, even at a young age, during the Roman ritual military game, called "Troy," which all aristocratic teenagers participated in as a sort of "coming of age" ceremony, involving a mock battle with wooden weapons performed on horseback. While the child of one of Sulla's surrogates was chosen by the adult organizers to lead one of the "teams," they refused to follow him because of his character, and when they were finally asked who they would follow, the boys unanimously chose Cato.

Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the Roman dictator, liked to talk with Cato and his half-brother Caepio, and often requested the child's presence even when the boy openly defied his opinions and policies in public. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c Dictator was a Political office of the Roman Republic. The dictator was above the three branches of government in the Constitution of the Roman Republic According to Plutarch, at one point during the height of the civil strife, as respected Roman nobles were being led to execution from Sulla's villa, Cato, aged about 14, asked his Sarpedon, why no one had yet killed the dictator. Sarpedon's answer was "because they fear him, my child, more than they hate him," to which Cato replied, "give me a sword, that I might free my country from slavery. " After this, Sarpedon was careful not to leave the boy unattended around the capital, seeing how firm he was in his republican beliefs.

Political development

After receiving his inheritance, Cato moved from his uncle's house and began to study Stoic philosophy and politics. He began to live in a very modest way, as his great-grandfather Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder had famously done. Marcus Porcius Cato ( Latin: M·PORCIVS·M·F·CATO (234 BC Tusculum &ndash149 BC was a Roman statesman surnamed the Censor Cato subjected himself to violent exercise, and learned to endure cold and rain with a minimum of clothes. He ate only what was necessary and drank the cheapest wine on the market. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice This was entirely for philosophical reasons, since his inheritance would have permitted him to live comfortably. He remained in private life for a long time, rarely seen in public. But when he did appear in the forum, his speeches and rhetorical skills were most admired.

Cato was first engaged to Aemilia Lepida, a patrician woman, but she was married instead to Quintus Caecilius Metellus Scipio, to whom she had been betrothed. Aemilia Lepida is the name of Roman women belonging to the Gens Aemilia. The Caecilii Metelli were one of the most important and wealthiest families in the Roman Republic. Incensed, Cato threatened to sue for her hand, but his friends mollified him, and Cato was contented to compose Archilochian iambics against Scipio in consolation. Later, Cato was married to a woman called Atilia. Atilia (sometimes spelt Attilia) daughter of C Atilius Serranus and first wife of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis whom he married after his intended wife By her, he had a son, Marcus Porcius Cato, and a daughter, Porcia, who would become the second wife of Marcus Junius Brutus. Marcus Porcius Cato, son of Cato the Younger by his first marriage to Atilia. Marcus Junius Brutus (85&ndash42 BC or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. Cato later divorced Atilia for unseemly behavior.

In 72, Cato volunteered to fight in the war with Spartacus, presumably to support his brother Caepio, who was serving as a military tribune in the consular army of Lucius Gellius Poplicola. Spartacus (c 109 BC-71 BC according to Roman historians was a Slave who became the leader (or possibly one of several leaders in the unsuccessful slave Gellius is often remembered as an indifferent commander, but his army inflicted the greatest of any defeats on Spartacus before Crassus raised his six legions and ultimately defeated Spartacus.

As a military tribune, Cato was sent to Macedon in 67 BC at the age of 28 and given command of a legion. Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Byzantine Greek form τριβούνος) was a title shared by 2–3 elected magistracies in the Events By place Rome Consuls Manius Acilius Glabrio and Gaius Calpurnius Piso. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," He led his men from the front, sharing their work, food and sleeping quarters. He was strict in discipline and punishment but was nonetheless loved by his legionaries. The Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. While Cato was in service in Macedon, he received the news that his beloved half-brother (from whom he was nearly inseparable) was dying in Thrace. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe He immediately set off to see him but was unable to see his brother before he died. Cato was overwhelmed by grief and, for once in his life, he spared no expense to organize lavish funeral ceremonies for his brother (which were Caepio's wishes). Caepio left his fortune to be divided between his daughter Servilia and Cato. Servilia Caepionis (b c107 BC - d after 42 BC is one of the few Roman women cited by ancient sources mainly due to her being the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother

At the end of his military commission in Macedon, Cato went on a private journey through the Roman provinces of the Middle East. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.

Cato and the Optimates

On his return to Rome in 65 BC, Cato was elected to the position of quaestor. Year 65 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome In response to the illegal exercise of Citizen rights Quaestors were originally appointed by the Consuls to investigate criminal acts and determine if the consul needed to take public action Like everything else in his life, Cato took unusual care to study the background necessary for the post, especially the laws relating to taxes. One of his first moves was to prosecute former quaestors for illegal appropriation of funds and dishonesty. Cato also prosecuted Sulla's informers, who had acted as head-hunters during Sulla's dictatorship, despite their political connections among Cato's own party and despite the power of Gnaeus Pompey Magnus, who had been known as the "teenage butcher" for his service under Sulla. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation The informers of Sulla were accused first of illegal appropriation of treasury money, and then of homicide. At the end of the year, Cato stepped down from his quaestorship amid popular acclaim, and he never ceased to keep an eye on the treasury, always looking for irregularities.

As senator, Cato was scrupulous and determined. He never missed a session of the Senate and publicly criticized ones who did so. From the beginning, he aligned himself with the Optimates, the conservative faction of the Senate. Optimates (singular optimas, The Best of Men, Italian: ottimati; also known as the priests or boni, the Many of the optimates at this time had been personal friends of Sulla, whom Cato had despised since his youth, yet Cato attempted to make his name by returning his faction to its pure republican roots.

Propaganda cup of Cato, for his election campaign for Tribune of the Plebs of 62 BC (left cup). Year 62 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome January 5 — The forces of the conspirator These cups, filled with food or drinks, were distributed in the streets to the people, and bore an inscription supporting the candidate to the election.

In 63 BC, he was elected tribune of the plebs for the following year, and assisted the consul, Marcus Tullius Cicero, in dealing with the Catiline conspiracy. Year 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Pompey conquers Phonecia, Coele-Syria Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Byzantine Greek form τριβούνος) was a title shared by 2–3 elected magistracies in the Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman Lucius Sergius Catilina (108 BC–62 BC known in English as Catiline, was a Roman Politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Lucius Sergius Catilina, a noble patrician, was leading a rebellion inside Rome, with the purpose of becoming king. Lucius Sergius Catilina (108 BC–62 BC known in English as Catiline, was a Roman Politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the The term " patrician " originally referred to a group of elite families in Ancient Rome, including both their natural and Cicero and Cato annihilated the danger and prosecuted all the men involved, proposing to sentence them to death (a very unusual thing for a Roman citizen). In the senate discussion on the subject, Julius Caesar agreed that the conspirators were guilty, argued against a public trial for them, yet advocated a sentence of life exile for the conspirators while their comrades were still in arms. In contrast, Cato argued that a capital punishment would have the effect of making examples of the traitors and would thereby safeguard the laws by preserving the state itself. The senate was convinced by Cato's argument, and after the traitors had been executed, the greater portion of Catiline's army quit the field, much as Cato had predicted.

Cato's political and personal differences with Caesar date from this day. In a meeting of the Senate dedicated to the Catilina affair, Cato harshly reproached Caesar for reading personal messages while the senate was in session to discuss a matter of treason. Cato accused Caesar of involvement in the conspiracy and suggested that he was working on Catilina's behalf, which might explain Caesar's otherwise odd stance that the conspirators should receive no public hearing yet be shown clemency. Caesar replied that it was only a love letter. Not believing the poor excuse, Cato took the paper from his hands and read it. Unfortunately, Caesar was right: it was indeed a love letter from his mistress Servilia Caepionis, Cato's half-sister. Servilia Caepionis (b c107 BC - d after 42 BC is one of the few Roman women cited by ancient sources mainly due to her being the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother This quickly turned into a minor personal scandal. Servilia was divorced from her husband and the Roman senators started to look out for their households, since Caesar was as notorious for liking to sleep with his political enemies' wives as he was notorious for purportedly sleeping with the king of Bithynia. Description Several major cities sat on the fertile shores of the Propontis (which is now known as Sea of Marmara) Nicomedia, Chalcedon, Cius

After divorcing Atilia, Cato married Marcia, daughter of Lucius Marcius Philippus, who bore him two or three children. Marcia was the second wife of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (Cato the Younger and the daughter of Lucius Marcius Philippus. Lucius Marcius Philippus (flourished 1st century BC) was a member of a Roman senatorial family While married to Marcia, the renowned orator Q Hortensius Hortalus, who was an admirer and friend of Cato, desired a connection to Cato's family and asked for the hand of Porcia, Cato's eldest daughter. Quintus Hortensius Hortalus (114 - 50 BC was a Roman Orator and advocate Cato refused because the potential match made little sense: Porcia was already married to Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, who was unwilling to let her go, and being nearly 60 years old, Hortensius was almost 30 years senior to Porcia. Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (d 48 BC was a politician of the late Roman Republic. Having recently lost his own wife, Hortensius immediately suggested that he take Marcia, on the grounds that she had already given Cato heirs. On the condition that Marcia's father consented to the match, Cato agreed to divorce Marcia, who then married Hortensius. Between Hortensius' death in 50 and his leaving Italy with Pompey in 49, Cato took Marcia and her children into his household again. Ancient sources differ on whether they were remarried.

Cato against the triumvirate

After the Catilina conspiracy, Cato turned all his political skills to oppose the designs of Caesar and his triumvirate allies (Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus), who had among them a near-monopoly on the reins of the Roman state. The term triumvirate (from Latin, "of three men" is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Marcus Licinius Crassus ( Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS (ca From Caesar, Pompey and Crassus had access to the popular assembly. From Pompey, Crassus and Caesar had access to the legions of Rome. From Crassus, Caesar and Pompey had the support of the tax-farmers and a fortune gained at the expense of the provinces.

Cato's opposition took two forms. First, in 61 BC, Pompey returned from his Asian campaign with two ambitions: to celebrate a Triumph, and become consul for the second time. Year 61 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome September 29 — Pompey the Great A Roman triumph ( la [[wikttriumphus triumphus]], Old Latin la triumpus, attested as the exclamation la TRIVMPE in the Carmen Arvale; via Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire In order to achieve both goals, he asked the Senate to postpone consular elections until after his Triumph. At first, due to Pompey's enormous popularity, the Senate was willing to oblige him. Then Cato intervened and convinced the Senate to force Pompey to choose. The result was Pompey's third Triumph, one of the most magnificent ever seen in Rome.

When faced with the same request from Caesar, Cato used the device of filibuster, speaking continuously until nightfall, to prevent the Senate from voting on the issue of whether Caesar would be allowed to stand for consul in absentia. Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire Thus Caesar was forced to choose between a Triumph or a run for the consulship. Caesar chose to forgo the Triumph and entered Rome in time to register as a candidate in the election (which he won). Caesar's consular colleague was Marcus Bibulus, the husband of Cato's daughter Porcia. Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (d 48 BC was a politician of the late Roman Republic.

When Caesar became consul, Cato opposed the agrarian laws that established farmlands for Pompey's veterans on public lands in Campania, from which the republic derived a quarter of its income. Caesar responded by having Cato dragged out by lictors while Cato was making a speech against him at the rostra. The Rostra or Rostra Vetera was the platform located within the Comitium of the Roman Forum beside the Curia from which Orators Many senators protested this extraordinary and unprecedented use of force by leaving the forum, one senator proclaiming he'd rather be in jail with Cato than in the Senate with Caesar. Caesar was forced to relent but countered by taking the vote directly to the people, bypassing the Senate. Bibulus and Cato attempted to oppose Caesar in the public votes but were harassed and publicly assaulted by Caesar's retainers. Eventually, Bibulus confined himself to his home and pronounced unfavorable omens in an attempt to lay the legal groundwork for the later repeal of Caesar’s consular acts.

Cato did not relent in his opposition to the triumvirs, unsuccessfully attempting to prevent Caesar's 5-year appointment as governor of Illyria and Cisalpine Gaul or the appointment of Crassus to an Eastern command. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Cisalpine Gaul ( Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning " Gaul on this side of the Alps " was the Roman name for a geographical area (later

Cato in Cyprus

Clodius (who worked closely with the triumvirate) desired to exile Cicero, and felt that Cato's presence would complicate his efforts. Clodius is the Roman Nomen Claudius altered to a spelling that would have sounded Plebeian to Roman ears Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman He, with the support of the triumvirs, proposed to send Cato to annex Cyprus. Plutarch recounts that Cato saw the commission as an attempt to be rid of him, and initially refused the assignment. When Clodius passed legislation conferring the commission on Cato "though ever so unwillingly," Cato accepted the position in compliance with that law. His official office while in Cyprus was Quaestor pro Praetore (an extraordinary Quaestorship with Praetorian powers)

Cato appeared to have two major goals in Cyprus. The first was to enact his foreign policy ideals, which--as expressed in a letter to Cicero--called for a policy of "mildness" and "uprightness" for governors of Roman-controlled territories. The second was to implement his reforms of the quaestorship on a larger scale. This second goal also provided Cato with an opportunity to burnish his Stoic credentials: the province was rich both in gold and opportunities for extortion. Thus, against common practice, Cato took none, and he prepared immaculate accounts for the senate, much as he had done earlier in his career as quaestor. According to Plutarch, Cato ultimately raised the enormous sum of 7,000 talents of silver for the Roman treasury. The talent ( Latin: talentum, from Ancient Greek: "scale balance" is an ancient unit of Mass. He thought about every unexpected event, even to tying ropes to the coffers with a big piece of cork on the other end, so they could be located in the event of a shipwreck. Unfortunately, luck played him a trick. Of his perfect accounting books, none survived: the one he had was burnt, the other was lost at sea with the freedman carrying it. Only Cato's untainted reputation saved him from charges of extortion.

The Senate of Rome recognized the effort made in Cyprus and offered him a reception in the city, an extraordinary praetorship, and other privileges, all of which he stubbornly refused as unlawful honours.

Cato in the Civil War

The triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus was broken in 54 BC at the same time as Cato's election as praetor. See also the First Triumvirate (Argentina which came to power in 1811 Year 54 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Appius Claudius Pulcher and Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities the commander of an Army, either before Judging their enemy in trouble, Cato and the optimates faction of the Senate spent the coming years trying to force a break between Pompey and Caesar. It was a time of political turmoil, when demagogues like Publius Clodius tried to make their political careers by wooing crowds with bribery and resorting to violence, going so far as abandoning his patrician status to be converted to a pleb. Demagogy (also demagoguery) ( Ancient Greek δημαγωγία from dēmos "people" and agein "to lead" refers to a political Publius Clodius Pulcher (born around 92 BC died January 18, 52 BC was a Roman Politician of the Populares  cause chiefly remembered for his As a leading spokesman for the republican cause, Cato fought them all.

In 52 BC, Cato ran for the office of consul for the following year, unsuccessfully. Year 52 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius In a time of rampant bribery and electoral fraud, he ran a scrupulously honest campaign, and, unsurprisingly, lost to his less conscientious opponents. Cato accepted the loss with unusual equanimity, but refused to run a second time.

In 49 BC, Cato called for the Senate to formally relieve Caesar of his expired proconsular command and to order Caesar's return to Rome as a civilian and thus without proconsular legal immunity. Year 49 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus In all previous attempts, Pompey had blocked such attempts, but Pompey was now concerned with Caesar's widespread bribery and support for political violence. With the tacit support of Pompey, Cato successfully passed a resolution ending Caesar's proconsular command. Caesar made numerous attempts to negotiate, at one point even conceding to give up all but one of his provinces and legions. This concession satisfied Pompey, but Cato, along with the consul, Lentulus, refused to back down. Faced with the alternatives of returning to Rome for the inevitable trial and retiring into voluntary exile, Caesar crossed into Italy with only one legion, implicitly declaring war on the Senate. ^[1]

Caesar crossed the Rubicon accompanied by the thirteenth legion to take power from the Senate in the same way that Sulla had done in the past. Rubicon ( Rubicō, Italian: Rubicone) is a 29 km long River in northern Italy. Legio XIII, known after 31 BC as Gemina (the "twin legion" is one of the more historically remarkable Roman legions. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c Formally declared an enemy of the State, Caesar pursued the senatorial party, now led by Pompey, who abandoned the city to raise arms in Greece, with Cato among his companions. After first reducing Caesar's army at the battle of Dyrrhachium (where Cato commanded the port), the army led by Pompey was ultimately defeated by Caesar in the battle of Pharsalus (48 BC). The Battle of Pharsalus was a decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War. Year 48 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Gaius Julius Caesar, Cato and Metellus Scipio, however, did not concede defeat and escaped to the province of Africa to continue resistance from Utica. Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica (b c 100 BC or 98 BC - d Utica is an ancient city northwest of Carthage near the outflow of the Medjerda River into the Mediterranean Sea, traditionally considered to be the first Due to his presence in this city and command of the port there, Cato is sometimes referred to as Cato Uticensis (from Utica). Caesar pursued Cato and Metellus Scipio after installing the queen Cleopatra VII on the throne of Egypt, and in February 46 BC the outnumbered Caesarian legions defeated the army led by Metellus Scipio at the Battle of Thapsus. Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt Year 46 BC was the last year of the pre-Julian calendar. This year had 445 days due to the errors that had accumulated in the pre-Julian calendar The Battle of Thapsus took place on April 6 46 BC near Thapsus (modern Ras Dimas, Tunisia) Acting against his usual strategy of clemency, Caesar had Scipio and all his troops slaughtered upon their surrender.

In Utica, Cato did not participate in the battle and, unwilling to live in a world led by Caesar and refusing even implicitly to grant Caesar the power to pardon him, he committed suicide. According to Plutarch, Cato attempted to kill himself by stabbing himself with his own sword, but failed to do so due to an injured hand. One of Cato's slaves found him on the ground and called for a physician to stitch up and bandage Cato's wounds. Cato waited until they left him and then tore off the bandages and the stitches with his fingers and pulled out his own intestines, thereby ending his life.

After Cato

Romans

Cato is remembered as a Stoic philosopher and one of the most active paladins of the Republic. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the His high moral standards and incorruptible virtue gained him praise even from his political enemies, such as Sallust (one of our sources for the anecdote about Caesar and Cato's sister). For the philosopher see Sallustius; for other uses see Sallust (disambiguation. Sallust also wrote a comparison between Cato and Caesar (Cato's long-time rival - Caesar was praised for his mercy, compassion, and generosity, while Cato for his discipline, rigidity, and moral integrity). For the philosopher see Sallustius; for other uses see Sallust (disambiguation. After Cato's death, both pro- and anti-Cato treatises appeared; amongst them Cicero wrote a panegyric, entitled Cato, to which Caesar (who never forgave him for all the obstructions) answered with his Anti-Cato. Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman The Anticato (sometimes Anti-Cato; Latin: Anticatones) was a Polemic written by Julius Caesar in hostile reply to Cicero's pamphlet has not survived, but some of its contents may be inferred from Plutarch's Life of Cato, which also repeats many of the stories that Caesar put forward in his Anti-Cato. Plutarch specifically mentions the accounts of Cato's close friend Munatius Rufus and that of the later Neronian senator Thrasea Paetus as references used for parts of his biography of Cato.

Republicans under the Empire remembered him fondly, and the poet Virgil, writing under Augustus, made Cato a hero in his Aeneid. It was safe to praise an enemy of Caesar, and heaping posthumous praise on Cato highlights one's opposition to the new shape of Rome without directly challenging Augustus.

Lucan, writing under Nero, also made Cato the hero of the fragmentary later books of his epic, the Pharsalia. Marcus Annaeus Lucanus ( November 3, 39 AD – April 30, 65 AD better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Pharsalia was also an ancient district in Greece in which Pharsalus was located From the latter work originates the epigram, "Victrix causa diis placuit sed victa Catoni" ("The conquering cause pleased the gods, but the conquered cause pleased Cato"). ^[2] Other Imperial authors such as Horace, the Tiberian authors Velleius Paterculus and Valerius Maximus along with Lucan and Seneca in the 1st century AD and later authors such as Appian and Dio celebrated the historical importance of Cato the Younger in their own writings.

A statue of Cato the Younger. The Louvre Museum. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France He is about to kill himself while reading the Phaedo, a dialogue of Plato which details the death of Socrates. Plato 's Phaedo (ˈfiːdoʊ Greek: Φαίδων, Phaidon) is one of the great Dialogues of his middle period along with Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece The statue was begun by Jean-Baptiste Roman (Paris, 1792 - 1835) using white Carrara marble. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Carrara is a City in the Province of Massa-Carrara ( Tuscany, Italy) famous for the white or blue-gray Marble quarried there It was finished by François Rude (Dijon, 1784 - Paris, 1855). Dijon ( diʒɔ̃ is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region

Renaissance

In Dante's The Divine Comedy, Cato is portrayed as the guardian of the seaward approach to the island of purgatory. The Divine Comedy See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification In Canto I, Dante writes of Cato:

I saw close by me a solitary old man, worthy, by

his appearance, of so much reverence that never

son owed father more.

Long was his beard and mixed with white hair,

similar to the hairs of his head, which fell to his

breast in two strands.

The rays of the four holy lights so adorned his

face with brightness that I saw him as if the sun

had been before him.

Enlightenment

Cato was also lionized during the republican revolutions of the Enlightenment. Joseph Addison's play, Cato, a Tragedy (first staged on April 14, 1713) celebrated Cato as a martyr to the republican cause. Joseph Addison (May 1 1672 – June 17 1719 was an English essayist and Poet. Joseph Addison (May 1 1672 – June 17 1719 was an English essayist and Poet. The play was a popular and critical success: it was staged more than 20 times in London alone, and it was published across 26 editions before the end of the century. George Washington often quoted Addison's Cato and had it performed during the winter at Valley Forge, in spite of a Congressional ban on such performances. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the The death of Cato (La mort de Caton d'Utique) was also a popular theme in revolutionary France, being sculpted by Philippe-Laurent Roland (1782) and painted by Bouchet Louis André Gabriel, Bouillon Pierre, and Guérin Pierre Narcisse in 1797. The sculpture of Cato by Jean-Baptiste Roman and François Rude (1832) stands in the Musee du Louvre.

Chronology

• 95 BC – Birth in Rome
• 67 BC – Military tribune in Macedon
• 65 BC – Quaestor in Rome (some scholars date this to 64 BC)
• 63 BC – Catilina's conspiracy
• 63 BC – Tribune of the Plebs
• 60 BC – Forces Caesar to choose between consulship and triumph
• 59 BC – Opposes Caesar's laws
• 58 BC – Governorship of Cyprus (leaves at the end of 58/returns March 56)
• 55 BC – unsuccessful 1st run for praetorship
• 54 BC – Praetor
• 51 BC – Runs (unsuccessfully) for Consul
• 49 BC – Caesar crosses the Rubicon and invades Italy; Cato goes with Pompey to Greece
• 48 BC – Battle of Pharsalus, Pompey defeated; Cato goes to Africa
• 46 BC – Defeated in the Battle of Thapsus; Cato kills himself in Utica (April)

Fictional portrayals and more

Novels: Cato is a major character in several novels of Colleen McCulllough's Masters of Rome series. Year 95 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Licinius Crassus and Events By place Rome Consuls Manius Acilius Glabrio and Gaius Calpurnius Piso. Year 65 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome In response to the illegal exercise of Citizen rights Year 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Pompey conquers Phonecia, Coele-Syria Year 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Pompey conquers Phonecia, Coele-Syria Year 60 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Gaius Julius Caesar suppressed an uprising and Year 59 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Gaius Julius Caesar and Year 58 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus Year 55 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Marcus Licinius Crassus and Year 54 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Appius Claudius Pulcher and Year 51 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Marcus Claudius Marcellus Year 49 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus Year 48 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Consuls Gaius Julius Caesar, Year 46 BC was the last year of the pre-Julian calendar. This year had 445 days due to the errors that had accumulated in the pre-Julian calendar Colleen McCullough AO (born 1 June 1937 is an internationally acclaimed Australian author Masters of Rome is a series of Historical fiction Novels by author Colleen McCullough (b He is portrayed as a complex, unsympathetic, and ultimately tragic figure. Cato also appears in Thornton Wilder's highly-fictionalized "fantasia" Ides of March, where Cato is described by Caesar as one of "four men whom I most respect in Rome" but who "regard me with mortal enmity". Thornton Niven Wilder ( April 17, 1897 &ndash December 7, 1975) was an American Playwright and Novelist. Ides of March is an Epistolary novel by Thornton Wilder. It is in the author's words 'a fantasia on certain events and persons of the last days of the Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick refers to Cato in the first paragraph: "With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. Herman Melville (August 1 1819 &ndash September 28 1891 was an American novelist Short story writer Essayist and poet Moby-Dick is an 1851 Novel by Herman Melville. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage on the whaleship "

Poetry: Cato appears as a character in Dante's Purgatorio. The Divine Comedy He is in charge of guarding the souls that arrive in Purgatory.

Television: In the television series Rome, Cato, played by actor Karl Johnson, is a significant character, although he is shown as quite older than his actual age (mid-forties) at the time. Rome is a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Emmy -nominated historical drama Television series co-created by John Milius Cato the Younger is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO / BBC2 original Television series ''Rome'', played by actor Karl Johnson is a British actor notable for acting work on both stage film and television In the 2002 miniseries Julius Caesar, Cato is played by Christopher Walken. Christopher Walken (born March 31 1943 is an American Film and Theatre Actor.

Society: The Cato Institute, the leading libertarian American think-tank, derives its name indirectly through Cato's Letters, from Cato the Younger. The Cato Institute is a Libertarian Think tank headquartered in Washington D Cato's Letters were essays by British writers John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, first published from 1720 to 1723 under the pseudonym of Cato

Notes

References

• Badian, E. 'M. Porcius Cato and the Annexation and Early Administration of Cyprus' JRS 55 (1965): 110-121.
• Bellemore, J. , 'Cato the Younger in the East in 66 BC', Historia 44. 3 (1995): 376-9
• Earl, D. C. "The Political Thought of Sallust". Cambridge, 1961.
• Fantham, E. , 'Three Wise Men and the End of the Roman Republic', "Caesar Against Liberty?", Arca (43), 2003: 96-117.
• Fehrle, R. "Cato Uticensis" Darmstadt, 1983.
• Goar, R. "The Legend of Cato Uticensis from the First Century BC to the Fifth Century AD". Bruxelles, 1987.
• Gordon, H. L. "The Eternal Triangle, First Century B. C. ". The Classical Journal, Vol. 28, No. 8. (May, 1933), pp. 574-578
• Hughes-Hallett, Lucy. Heroes: A History of Hero Worship. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, New York, 2004. ISBN 1-4000-4399-9.
• Marin, P. 'Cato the Younger: Myth and Reality', Ph. D (unpublished), UCD, 2005
• Marin, P. 'Blood in the Forum: The Struggle for the Roman Republic'. London: Hambledon Continuum, 2008 (forthcoming)
• Peter Nadig, Der jüngere Cato und ambitus, in: Peter Nadig, Ardet Ambitus. Untersuchungen zum Phänomen der Wahlbestechungen in der römischen Republik, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main 1997 (Prismata VI), S. 85-94, ISBN 3-631-31295-4
• Syme, R. , 'A Roman Post-Mortem', "Roman Papers I". Oxford, 1979
• Taylor, Lily Ross. "Party Politics in the Age of Caesar". University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 1971, ISBN 0-520-01257-7.
• Plutarch. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Cato the Younger.

Cato's descendants and marriages

• Engaged to Aemilia Lepida, but engagement called off
• First wife, Atilia (divorced)
  • Porcia, married first to Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, then to Marcus Junius Brutus
  • Marcus Porcius Cato, later killed in the Second Battle of Philippi
• Second (and third) wife, Marcia. Aemilia Lepida is the name of Roman women belonging to the Gens Aemilia. Atilia (sometimes spelt Attilia) daughter of C Atilius Serranus and first wife of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis whom he married after his intended wife Portia Catonis, also known simply as Porcia ( Classical Latin: PORCIA•CATONIS•FILIA ca Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (d 48 BC was a politician of the late Roman Republic. Marcus Junius Brutus (85&ndash42 BC or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. Marcus Porcius Cato, son of Cato the Younger by his first marriage to Atilia. The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (the Second Triumvirate Marcia was the second wife of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (Cato the Younger and the daughter of Lucius Marcius Philippus.

Family tree

• (1)=1st husband/wife
• (2)=2nd husband/wife
• x=assassin of Caesar