Πομπήϊος δὲ μέγας ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας ἐπανιών, καὶ τῇ λαμπρότητι καὶ προθυμίᾳ τῆς ὑποδοχῆς πεποιθὼς οὐδὲν ἂν δεηθεὶς ἀποτυχεῖν τῶν πολιτῶν, προὔπεμψεν ἀξιῶν τὰς ὑπατικὰς ἀρχαιρεσίας ἀναβαλέσθαι τὴν σύγκλητον, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸς παρὼν Πείσωνι συναρχαιρεσιάσῃ.
And now Pompey returned with great prestige from his expedition, and since the splendour and warmth of his reception led him to believe that he could get whatever he wanted from his fellow citizens, he sent forward a demand that the senate postpone the consular elections, in order that he might be present in person and assist Piso in making his canvass.
τῶν δὲ πλείστων ὑπεικόντων, οὐ τὴν ἀναβολὴν μέγιστον ὁ Κάτων ἡγούμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν πεῖραν ἀποκόψαι καὶ τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ Πομπηΐου βουλόμενος, ἀντεῖπε καὶ μετέστησε τὴν βουλήν, ὥστε ἀποψηφίσασθαι. τοῦτο τὸν Πομπήϊον οὐχ ἡσυχῇ διετάραξε· καὶ νομίζων οὐ μικρὰ προσπταίσειν τῷ Κάτωνι μὴ φίλῳ γενομένῳ, μετεπέμψατο Μουνάτιον, ἑταῖρον αὐτοῦ· καὶ δύο τοῦ Κάτωνος ἀδελφιδᾶς ἐπιγάμους ἔχοντος ᾔτει τὴν μὲν πρεσβυτέραν ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκα, τὴν δὲ νεωτέραν τῷ υἱῷ.
The majority of the senators were inclined to yield. Cato, however, who did not regard the postponement as the chief matter at issue, but wished to cut short the attempt and the expectations of Pompey, opposed the measure and changed the opinions of the senators, so that they rejected it. This disturbed Pompey not a little, and considering that Cato would be a great stumbling-block in his way unless he were made a friend, he sent for Munatius, Cato’s companion, and asked the elder of Cato’s two marriageable nieces to wife for himself, and the younger for his son.
τινὲς δέ φασιν οὐ τῶν ἀδελφιδῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν θυγατέρων τὴν μνηστείαν γενέσθαι, τοῦ δὲ Μουνατίου ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Κάτωνα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς φράσαντος, αἱ μὲν ὑπερηγάπησαν τὴν οἰκειότητα πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ ἀνδρός, ὁ δὲ Κάτων οὔτʼ ἐπισχὼν οὔτε βουλευσάμενος, ἀλλὰ πληγεὶς εὐθὺς εἶπε·
Some say, however, that it was not for Cato’s nieces, but for his daughters, that the suit was made. When Munatius brought this proposal to Cato and his wife and sisters, the women were overjoyed at thought of the alliance, in view of the greatness and high repute of Pompey; Cato, however, without pause or deliberation, but stung to the quick, said at once:
βάδιζε, Μουνάτιε, βάδιζε, καὶ λέγε πρὸς Πομπήϊον ὡς Κάτων οὐκ ἔστι διὰ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος ἁλώσιμος, ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν εὔνοιαν ἀγαπᾷ, καὶ τὰ δίκαια ποιοῦντι φιλίαν παρέξει πάσης πιστοτέραν οἰκειότητος, ὅμηρα δὲ οὐ προήσεται τῇ Πομπηΐου δόξῃ κατὰ τῆς πατρίδος. ἐπὶ τούτοις ἤχθοντο μὲν αἱ γυναῖκες, ᾐτιῶντο δὲ οἱ φίλοι τοῦ Κάτωνος ὡς ἄγροικον ἅμα καὶ ὑπερήφανον τὴν ἀπόκρισιν.
Go, Munatius, go, and tell Pompey that Cato is not to be captured by way of the women’s apartments although he highly prizes Pompey’s good will, and if Pompey does justice will grant him a friendship more to be relied upon than any marriage connection; but he will not give hostages for the glory of Pompey to the detriment of his country.
At these words the women were vexed, and Cato’s friends blamed his answer as both rude and overbearing.
εἶτα μέντοι πράττων τινὶ τῶν φίλων ὑπατείαν ὁ Πομπήϊος ἀργύριον εἰς τὰς φυλὰς ἔπεμπε, καὶ περιβόητος ὁ δεκασμὸς ἦν, ἐν κήποις ἐκείνου τῶν χρημάτων ἀριθμουμένων. εἰπόντος οὖν τοῦ Κάτωνος πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας ὅτι τοιούτων ἦν κοινωνεῖν καὶ ἀναπίμπλασθαι πραγμάτων ἀνάγκη Πομπηΐῳ συναφθέντα διʼ οἰκειότητος, ὡμολόγουν ἐκεῖναι κάλλιον αὐτὸν βεβουλεῦσθαι διακρουσάμενον.
Afterwards, however, in trying to secure the consulship for one of his friends, Pompey sent money to the tribes, and the bribery was notorious, since the sums for it were counted out in his gardens. Accordingly, when Cato told the women that he must of necessity have shared in the disgrace of such transactions, had he been connected with Pompey by marriage, they admitted that he had taken better counsel in rejecting the alliance.
εἰ δὲ δεῖ πρὸς τὰ συμβάντα κρίνειν, τοῦ παντὸς ἔοικεν ὁ Κάτων ἁμαρτεῖν τὴν οἰκειότητα μὴ δεξάμενος, ἀλλʼ ἐάσας πρὸς Καίσαρα τραπέσθαι καὶ γῆμαι γάμον ὃς τὴν Πομπηΐου δύναμιν καὶ Καίσαρος εἰς ταὐτὸ συνενεγκών ὀλίγου τὰ μὲν Ῥωμαίων ἀνέτρεψε πράγματα, τὴν δὲ πολιτείαν ἀνεῖλεν, ὧν οὐθὲν ἂν ἴσως συνέπεσεν, εἰ μὴ Κάτων τὰ μικρὰ τοῦ Πομπηΐου φοβηθεὶς ἁμαρτήματα τὸ μέγιστον περιεῖδεν, αὐτὸν ἑτέρῳ δύναμιν προσγενόμενον.
However, if we are to judge by the results, it would seem that Cato was wholly wrong in not accepting the marriage connection, instead of allowing Pompey to turn to Caesar and contract a marriage which united the power of the two men, nearly overthrew the Roman state, and destroyed the constitution. None of these things perhaps would have happened, had not Cato been so afraid of the slight transgressions of Pompey as to allow him to commit the greatest of all, and add his power to that of another.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἔμελλεν ἔτι. Λευκόλλου δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν Πόντῳ διατάξεων στασιάσαντος πρὸς Πομπήϊον ἠξίουν γὰρ ἰσχύειν ἑκάτερος τὰ ὑφʼ αὐτοῦ γενόμενα, καὶ Λευκόλλῳ Κάτωνος ἀδικουμένῳ περιφανῶς προσαμύνοντος, ἐλαττούμενος ὁ Πομπήϊος ἐν συγκλήτῳ καὶ δημαγωγῶν, ἐπὶ νομὴν χώρας ἐκάλει τὸ στρατιωτικόν.
These things, however, were still in the future. Meanwhile Lucullus got into a contention with Pompey over the arrangements in Pontus (each of them, namely, demanded that his own proceedings should be confirmed), Cato came to the aid of Lucullus, who was manifestly wronged, and Pompey, worsted in the senate and seeking popular favour, invited the soldiery to a distribution of land.
ὡς δὲ κἀνταῦθα Κάτων ἐνιστάμενος ἐξέκρουσε τὸν νόμον, οὕτω Κλωδίου τε περιείχετο, τοῦ τότε θρασυτάτου τῶν δημαγωγῶν, καὶ Καίσαρα προσήγετο, τρόπον τινὰ Κάτωνος αὐτοῦ παρασχόντος ἀρχήν. ὁ γὰρ Καῖσαρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ, στρατηγίας ἐπανήκων ἅμα μὲν ὑπατείαν ἐβούλετο παραγγέλλειν, ἅμα δὲ ᾔτει θρίαμβον.
But when Cato opposed him in this measure also, and frustrated the law, then Pompey attached himself to Clodius, at that time the boldest of the popular leaders, and won Caesar to his support, a result for which Cato himself was in a way responsible. For Caesar, on returning from his praetorship in Spain, desired to be a candidate for the consulship, and at the same time asked for a triumph.
ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ νόμον ἔδει τοὺς μὲν ἀρχὴν μετιόντας παρεῖναι, τοὺς δὲ μέλλοντας εἰσελαύνειν θρίαμβον ἔξω τείχους ὑπομένειν, ἠξίου παρὰ τῆς βουλῆς αὐτῷ δοθῆναι διʼ ἑτέρων αἰτεῖσθαι τήν ἀρχήν. βουλομένων δὲ πολλῶν ἀντέλεγεν ὁ Κάτων ὡς δὲ ᾔσθετο χαριζομένους τῷ Καίσαρι, λέγων ὅλην κατανάλωσε τήν ἡμέραν καὶ τήν βουλὴν οὕτως ἐξέκρουσε.
But since by law candidates for a magistracy must be present in the city, while those who are going to celebrate a triumph must remain outside the walls, he asked permission from the senate to solicit the office by means of others. Many were willing to grant the request, but Cato opposed it; and when he saw that the senators were ready to gratify Caesar, he consumed the whole day in speaking and thus frustrated their desires.
χαίρειν οὖν ἐάσας τὸν θρίαμβον ὁ Καῖσαρ εἰσελθὼν εὐθὺς εἴχετο Πομπηΐου καὶ τῆς ὑπατείας. ἀποδειχθεὶς δὲ ὕπατος τήν τε Ἰουλίαν ἐνεγγύησεν αὐτῷ, καὶ συστάντες ἤδη μετʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπὶ τήν πόλιν ὁ μὲν εἰσέφερε νόμους τοῖς πένησι κληρουχίαν καὶ νομὴν χώρας διδόντας, ὁ δὲ παρῆν τοῖς νόμοις βοηθῶν.
Accordingly, Caesar gave up his triumph, entered the city, and at once attached himself to Pompey and sought the consulship. After he had been elected consul, he gave his daughter Julia in marriage to Pompey, and now that the two were united with one another against the state, the one would bring in laws offering allotment and distribution of land to the poor, and the other would be at hand with support for the laws.
οἱ δὲ περὶ Λεύκολλον καὶ Κικέρωνα Βύβλῳ τῷ ἑτέρῳ τῶν ὑπάτων συντάξαντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀντέπραττον, μάλιστα δὲ Κάτων, ἤδη μὲν ὑφορώμενος τήν Καίσαρος καὶ Πομπηΐου φιλίαν καὶ σύστασιν ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ δικαίῳ γεγενημένην, φοβεῖσθαι δὲ φάσκων οὐ τήν νομὴν τῆς χώρας, ἀλλʼ ὃν ἀντὶ ταύτης ἀπαιτήσουσι μισθὸν οἱ χαριζόμενοι καὶ δελεάζοντες τὸ πλῆθος.
But the party of Lucullus and Cicero, ranging themselves with Bibulus, the other consul, opposed the measures, and above all Cato, who now suspected that the friendly alliance between Caesar and Pompey had been made for no just purpose, and declared that he was afraid, not of the distribution of land, but of the reward which would be paid for this to those who were enticing the people with such favours.
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