τεκμαιρόμενος δὲ Πομπήϊον Μᾶγνον εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἢ Λιβύην διεκπεσεῖσθαι καὶ σπεύδων πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀνήχθη μὲν ἔχων ἅπαντας, ἔπλει δὲ πρῶτον ἀπιέναι διδοὺς καὶ ὑπολείπεσθαι τοὺς οὐ προθύμως συστρατευομένους, ἁψάμενος δὲ Λιβύης καὶ παραπλέων ἐντυγχάνει Σέξτῳ τῷ νεωτέρῳ τῶν Πομπηΐου παίδων ἀγγέλλοντι τὴν ἐπʼ Αἰγύπτου τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήν.
Conjecturing, now, that Pompey the Great would make his escape into Egypt or Libya, and being eager to join him, Cato put to sea with all his company and sailed away, after first giving those who had no eagerness for the expedition leave to depart and remain behind. After reaching Libya, and while sailing along its coast, he fell in with Sextus, the younger son of Pompey, who told him of his father’s death in Egypt.
πάντες μὲν οὖν βαρέως ἤνεγκαν, οὐδεὶς δὲ μετὰ Πομπήϊον ἠξίου Κάτωνος παρόντος οὐδὲ ἀκούειν ἄλλον ἡγεμόνα, διὸ καὶ Κάτων αἰδούμενος καὶ οἰκτείρων ἄνδρας ἀγαθοὺς καὶ πίστεως δεδωκότας πεῖραν ἐπὶ ξένης ἐρήμους καὶ ἀπόρους ἀπολιπεῖν, ὑπέστη τε τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ παρῆλθεν εἰς Κυρήνην· ἐδέξαντο γὰρ ἐκεῖνον, ὀλίγαις ἡμέραις ἔμπροσθεν ἀποκλείσαντες Λαβιηνόν.
All, of course, were deeply distressed, but no one, now that Pompey was gone, would even listen to any other commander while Cato was at hand. For this reason also Cato, who had compassion on men who were brave and had given proof of fidelity, and was ashamed to leave them helpless and destitute in a foreign land, undertook the command, and went along the coast to Cyrene, the people of which received him kindly, although a few days before they had closed their gates against Labienus.
ἐνταῦθα πυνθανόμενος Σκηπίωνα τὸν Πομπηΐου πενθερὸν ὑπὸ Ἰόβα τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνειλῆφθαι, καὶ Οὔαρον Ἄττιον, ὃς ἦν ὑπὸ Πομπηΐου Λιβύης ἀποδεδειγμένος ἡγεμών, εἶναι σὺν αὐτοῖς μετὰ δυνάμεως, ἐξώρμησε πεζῇ χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ, πολλοὺς μὲν ὄνους ὕδωρ κομίζοντας συναγαγών, πολλὴν δὲ λείαν ἐλαύνων, ἔτι δὲ ἅρματα καὶ τοὺς καλουμένους Ψύλλους ἐπαγόμενος, οἳ τά τε δήγματα τῶν θηρίων ἰῶνται τοῖς στόμασιν ἕλκοντες τὸν ἰόν, αὐτά τε τὰ θηρία κατεπᾴδοντες ἀμβλύνουσι καὶ κηλοῦσιν.
There he learned that Scipio, the father-in-law of Pompey, had been well received by Juba the king, and that Attius Varus, who had been appointed governor of Libya by Pompey, was with them at the head of an army. Cato therefore sent out thither by land in the winter season, having got together a great number of asses to carry water, and driving along with him many cattle. Besides, he took with him chariots, and the people called Psylli. These cure the bites of serpents by sucking out the venom, and charm and deaden the serpents themselves by means of incantations.
ἡμέρας δὲ συνεχῶς ἑπτὰ τῆς πορείας γενομένης πρῶτος ἡγήσατο μήτε ἵππῳ μήτε ὑποζυγίῳ χρησάμενος. ἐδείπνει δὲ καθήμενος ἀφʼ ἧς ἡμέρας τὴν κατὰ Φάρσαλον ἧτταν ἔγνω καὶ τοῦτο τῷ λοιπῷ προσέθηκε πένθει, τὸ μὴ κατακλιθῆναι πλὴν καθεύδων. ἐν δὲ Λιβύῃ διαγαγὼν τοῦ χειμῶνος ἐξήγαγε τὴν στρατιάν ἦσαν δὲ μυρίων ὀλίγον ἀποδέοντες.
Though the march lasted for seven days consecutively, Cato led at the head of his force, without using either horse or beast of burden. Moreover, he used to sup in a sitting posture from the day when he learned of the defeat at Pharsalus; yes, this token of sorrow he added to others, and would not lie down except when sleeping. After finishing the winter in Libya, he led forth his army; and it numbered nearly ten thousand.
τὰ δὲ πράγματα κακῶς εἶχε τοῖς περὶ Σκηπίωνα καί Οὐᾶρον, ἐκ διαφορᾶς καί στάσεως ὑποδυομένοις καί θεραπεύουσι τὸν Ἰόβαν, οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ὄντα βαρύτητι φρονήματος καί ὄγκῳ διὰ πλοῦτον καί δύναμιν ὅς γε Κάτωνι πρῶτον ἐντυγχάνειν μέλλων μέσον ἔθηκε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον τοῦ Σκηπίωνος καί τοῦ Κάτωνος.
But matters were in a bad way with Scipio and Varus. Their dissension and quarrelling led them to pay court to Juba in efforts to win his favour, and the king was unendurable for the severity of his temper and for the arrogance which his wealth and power gave him. When he was going to have an interview with Cato for the first time, he placed his own seat between that of Scipio and that of Cato.
ὁ μέντοι Κάτων ὡς εἶδεν, ἄρας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μετέθηκεν ἐπὶ θάτερα, μέσον λαμβάνων τὸν Σκηπίωνα, καίπερ ἐχθρὸν ὄντα καί τι καί βιβλίον ἐκδεδωκότα βλασφημίας ἔχον τοῦ Κάτωνος, εἶτα τοῦτο μὲν εἰς οὐδένα τίθενται λόγον, εἰ δὲ Φιλόστρατον ἐν Σικελίᾳ μέσον εἶχε περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τιμῇ φιλοσοφίας, ἐγκαλοῦσι. τότε δʼ οὖν καί τὸν Ἰόβαν ἔπαυσε μονονουχὶ σατράπας πεποιημένον ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς περὶ τὸν Σκηπίωνα, κἀκείνους διήλλαξεν.
Cato, however, when he saw the arrangement, took up his own seat and moved it over to the other side, thus placing Scipio in the middle, although Scipio was an enemy, and had published a book which contained abuse of Cato. And yet there are those who give Cato no credit for this, although they censure him because, in Sicily, as he was walking about with Philostratus, he placed him in the middle, to show his respect for philosophy. But at the time of which I speak, Cato actually put a check upon Juba, who had all but made Scipio and Varus his satraps, and reconciled the two Romans.
ἀξιούντων δὲ πάντων ἄρχειν αὐτόν, καὶ πρώτων τῶν περὶ Σκηπίωνα καί Οὐᾶρον ἐξισταμένων καί παραδιδόντων τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, οὐκ ἔφη καταλύσειν τοὺς νόμους περὶ ὧν τῷ καταλύοντι πολεμοῦσιν, οὐδὲ ἑαυτὸν ἀντιστράτηγον ὄντα παρόντος ἀνθυπάτου προτάξειν. ἀνθύπατος γὰρ ὁ Σκηπίων ἀπεδέδεικτο, καί θάρσος εἶχον οἱ πολλοὶ διὰ τοὔνομα, κατορθώσειν ἄρχοντος ἐν Λιβύῃ Σκηπίωνος.
And though all thought it meet that he should have the command, especially Scipio and Varus, who resigned and tendered to him the leadership, he refused to break the laws to support which they were waging war with one who broke them, nor, when a pro-consul was present, would he put himself who was only a propraetor, above him. For Scipio had been made proconsul, and the greater part of the army were emboldened by his name; they thought that they would be successful if a Scipio had command in Africa.
ἐπεὶ μέντοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Σκηπίων παραλαβὼν εὐθὺς ἐβούλετο Ἰόβᾳ χαριζόμενος Ἰτυκαίους ἡβηδὸν ἀποκτεῖναι καί κατασκάψαι τὴν πόλιν ὡς τὰ Καίσαρος φρονοῦσαν, οὐχ ὑπέμεινεν ὁ Κάτων, ἀλλὰ μαρτυρόμενος καί κεκραγὼς ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ καί θεοκλυτῶν μόλις ἐξείλετο τῆς ὠμότητος αὐτῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους·
When Scipio, however, after assuming the command, straightway desired to gratify Juba by putting all the people of Utica to death and demolishing their city, on the ground that it favoured the cause of Caesar, Cato would not suffer it, but by adjurations and loud outcries in the council, and by invoking the gods, with difficulty rescued the people from this cruelty;
καί τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν δεηθέντων, τὰ δὲ τοῦ Σκηπίωνος ἀξιοῦντος, ἀνεδέξατο φρουρήσειν τὴν πόλιν, ὡς μήτε ἄκουσα μήτε ἑκοῦσα Καίσαρι προσγένοιτο. καί γὰρ ἦν εἰς ἅπαντα τὸ χωρίον ὠφέλιμον καί διαρκὲς τοῖς ἔχουσιν ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάτωνος ἐρρώσθη. καί γὰρ σῖτον εἰσήγαγεν ὑπερβάλλοντα πλήθει καί κατεσκεύαζε τὰ τείχη πύργους ἐπαιρόμενος καί τάφρους ὀχυρὰς καί χαρακώματα πρὸ τῆς πόλεως βαλλόμενος.
and partly at the request of the people, and partly at the instance of Scipio, he undertook to watch over the city, that it might not, either willingly or unwillingly, attach itself to Caesar. For the place was in every way advantageous for those who held it, and fully capable of defence; and it was still further strengthened by Cato. For he brought in a great abundance of grain, and perfected the walls by building towers and by running formidable trenches and palisades in front of the city.
Ἰτυκαίων δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἡβῶντας ἐν τοῖς χαρακώμασιν ἔταξεν οἰκεῖν, τὰ ὅπλα παραδόντας αὐτῷ, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἐν τῇ πόλει συνεῖχεν, ἰσχυρῶς ἐπιμελόμενος μὴ ἀδικεῖσθαι μηδὲ πάσχειν κακῶς ὑπὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων. ὅπλα δὲ πολλὰ καί χρήματα καί σῖτον ἐξέπεμψε τοῖς ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου, καί ὅλως εἶχε τοῦ πολέμου τὴν πόλιν ταμιεῖον.
To the men of Utica who were of military age he assigned the palisades for quarters, and made them give up their arms to him; the rest he kept together in the city, taking great pains that they should not be wronged or suffer harm at the hands of the Romans. Moreover, he sent out great quantities of arms and stores and grain to the Romans in their camp, and, in a word, made the city a store-house for the war.
ἃ δὲ Πομπηΐῳ συνεβούλευε πρότερον καί τότε Σκηπίωνι, μὴ μάχεσθαι πρὸς ἄνδρα πολεμιστὴν καί δεινόν, ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ χρῆσθαι πᾶσαν ἀκμὴν ᾗ τυραννὶς ἰσχύει μαραίνοντι, τούτων ὁ Σκηπίων ὑπὸ αὐθαδείας κατεφρόνει· καί ποτε τῷ Κάτωνι δειλίαν ὀνειδίζων ἔγραψεν, εἰ μὴ μόνον αὐτὸς ἀγαπᾷ καθήμενος ἐν πόλει καί τείχεσιν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ἑτέρους ἐᾷ πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν εὐθαρσῶς χρῆσθαι τοῖς λογισμοῖς.
But as for the advice which he had given Pompey before and now gave Scipio, namely, not to give battle to a man who was versed in war and of formidable ability, but to trust to time, which withers away all the vigour which is the strength of tyranny,—this advice Scipio, out of obstinate self-will, despised. And once he wrote to Cato reproaching him with cowardice, seeing that he was not only well content to sit quietly in a walled city himself, but would not even allow others to carry out their plans with boldness as opportunity offered.
πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Κάτων ἀντέγραψεν ὡς ἕτοιμός ἐστιν οὓς ἤγαγεν αὐτὸς εἰς Λιβύην ὁπλίτας καί ἱππεῖς παραλαβὼν εἰς Ἰταλίαν περαιοῦν, καί Καίσαρα μεθιστάναι καί τρέπειν ἀπʼ ἐκείνων πρὸς αὑτόν, ὡς δὲ καί τούτων ὁ Σκηπίων κατεγέλα, πάνυ δῆλος ἦν ἀχθόμενος ὁ Κάτων τῇ παραχωρήσει τῆς ἀρχῆς, ὡς οὔτε τῷ πολέμῳ καλῶς τὸν Σκηπίωνα χρησόμενον, οὔτε, ἂν παραλόγως εὐτυχήσῃ, μέτριον ἐν τῷ κρατεῖν πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας ἐσόμενον.
To this Cato wrote in reply that he was ready to take the legionaries and the horsemen whom he himself had brought to Libya and cross the sea with them to Italy, thus forcing Caesar to change his plan of campaign, and turning him away from Scipio and Varus against himself. When Scipio mocked at this also, it was very clear that Cato was distressed at having declined the command, being convinced that Scipio would neither conduct the war well, nor, in case he should have unexpected good fortune behave with moderation towards his fellow citizens in the hour of victory.
διὸ καὶ γνώμην εἶχεν ὁ Κάτων, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς συνήθεις ἔλεγεν, οὐ χρηστὰς μὲν ἐλπίδας ἔχειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πολέμου διʼ ἀπειρίαν καί θρασύτητα τῶν ἡγεμόνων, εἰ δʼ οὖν εὐτυχία τις γένοιτο καί καταλυθείη Καῖσαρ, οὐ μενεῖν ἐν Ῥώμῃ, φεύξεσθαι δὲ τὴν χαλεπότητα καί πικρίαν τοῦ Σκηπίωνος, ἤδη τότε δεινὰς καί ὑπερηφάνους ποιουμένου κατὰ πολλῶν ἀπειλάς.
Therefore Cato made up his mind, and said to his intimate friends, that there were no good hopes for the war owing to the inexperience and rashness of the commanders; but that if, then, by any good fortune, Caesar should be overthrown, he himself would not remain in Rome, but would fly from the harshness and cruelty of Scipio, who was even then making extravagant and dreadful threats against many.
ἀπέβη δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ προσεδόκα· καί περὶ ἑσπέραν βαθεῖαν ἧκέ τις ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου τριταῖος ἀγγέλλων ὅτι μάχης μεγάλης πρὸς Θάψῳ γενομένης διέφθαρται παντάπασι τὰ πράγματα καὶ κρατεῖ Καῖσαρ τῶν στρατοπέδων, Σκηπίων δὲ καί Ἰόβας σὺν ὀλίγοις ἐκπεφεύγασιν, ἡ δὲ ἄλλη δύναμις ἀπόλωλε.
But his fears were realized more fully than he expected; for late one evening there came a messenger from the camp who had been three days on the road, announcing that there had been a great battle at Thapsus, that their cause was utterly ruined, that Caesar was in possession of their camps, that Scipio and Juba had escaped with a few followers, and that the rest of the force had perished.
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