ἐπεὶ δὲ Λεύκιος Καῖσαρ, οἰκεῖος μὲν ὢν Καίσαρος ἐκείνου, μέλλων δὲ πρεσβεύειν ὑπὲρ τῶν τριακοσίων, παρεκάλει τὸν Κάτωνα λόγον αὐτῷ συνυποθέσθαι πιθανόν ᾧ χρήσεται περὶ ἐκείνων, ὑπὲρ σοῦ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ χειρῶν ἐμοὶ καλὸν ἅψασθαι καὶ γόνασι προσπεσεῖν Καίσαρος οὐκ εἴα ταῦτά ποιεῖν ὁ Κάτων αὐτόν.
Lucius Caesar, a kinsman of the great Caesar, was about to go on an embassy to him in behalf of the three hundred, and requested Cato to suggest to him a convincing speech which he might employ in the case; for, said he, in thine own behalf it were well for me to fall down at Caesar’s knees and clasp his hands. But Cato would not suffer him to do this.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ, εἶπεν, εἰ σῴζεσθαι χάριτι Καίσαρος ἐβουλόμην, αὐτῷ βαδιστέον ἦν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μόνον, οὐ βούλομαι δὲ τῷ τυράννῳ χάριν ἔχειν ὑπὲρ ὧν παρανομεῖ, παρανομεῖ δὲ σῴζων ὡς κύριος ὧν αὐτῷ δεσπόζειν οὐδὲν προσῆκεν. ὅπως μέντοι παραιτήσῃ τοὺς τριακοσίους κοινῇ σκοπῶμεν, εἰ βούλει.
For if, said he, I were willing to be saved by grace of Caesar, I ought to go to him in person and see him alone; but I am unwilling to be under obligations to the tyrant for his illegal acts. And he acts illegally in saving, as if their master, those over whom he has no right at all to be the lord. However, if it is thy wish, let us consider jointly how thou mayest obtain mercy for the three hundred.
γενόμενος δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ μετὰ τοῦ Λευκίου τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῷ συνέστησε καὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους ἀπιόντι· καὶ προπέμψας ἐκεῖνον καὶ δεξιωσάμενος ἐπανῆλθεν οἴκαδε, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τοὺς φίλους συναγαγὼν ἄλλα τε πολλὰ διελέχθη καὶ πολιτείας ἀπεῖπεν ἅψασθαι τῷ μειρακίῳ· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀξίως Κάτωνος οὐκέτι τὰ πράγματα δέξασθαι, τὸ δὲ ἄλλως αἰσχρὸν εἶναι, καὶ περὶ ἑσπέραν ἤδη τρέπεται πρὸς τὸ βαλανεῖον.
After his conference with Lucius on this matter, he presented his son and his companions to him as he was going away; and after escorting him on his way and bidding him farewell, he came back home, called together his son and his friends, and discoursed with them on many subjects. In particular, he forbade the young man to engage in political matters; for to do so worthily of a Cato was no longer possible, as things were going, and to do so otherwise would be disgraceful. And presently, towards evening, he betook himself to the bath.
ἐν δὲ τῷ λούεσθαι τοῦ Στατυλλίου μνησθεὶς καὶ μέγα φθεγξάμενος, ἐξέπεμψας, εἶπεν, ὦ Ἀπολλωνίδη, τὸν Στατύλλιον ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονήματος ἐκείνου καθελών; καὶ πέπλευκεν ὁ ἀνὴρ μηδὲ ἀσπασάμενος ἡμᾶς; πόθεν; εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπολλωνίδης· καίτοι πολλὰ διελέχθημεν· ἀλλὰ ὑψηλός ἐστι καὶ ἄτρεπτος, καὶ μένειν φησὶ καὶ πράττειν ὅ τι ἂν σὺ πράττῃς. πρὸς ταῦτά φασι τὸν Κάτωνα μειδιᾶσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν αὐτίκα φανεῖται.
But while he was bathing he bethought himself of Statyllius, and called out in loud tones, saying: Apollonides, didst thou send off Statyllius? And didst thou bring him down from that lofty purpose of his? And has the man set sail without even bidding me good-bye? By no means, said Apollonides although we reasoned much with him; but he is lofty and unbending, and says he will remain and do whatever thou doest. At this, we are told, Cato smiled, and said: Well, we shall see about that presently.
λουσάμενος δὲ μετὰ πολλῶν ἐδείπνει καθήμενος, ὥσπερ εἰώθει μετὰ τὴν μάχην οὐ γὰρ κατεκλίθη πλὴν καθεύδων συνεδείπνουν δὲ πάντες οἱ ἑταῖροι καὶ τῶν Ἰτυκαίων οἱ ἄρχοντες, καὶ μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον ὁ πότος ἔσχε μοῦσαν πολλὴν καὶ χάριν, ἄλλων ἐπʼ ἄλλοις λόγων φιλοσόφων κυκλούντων, ἄχρι οὗ περιῆλθεν ἡ ζήτησις εἰς ταῦτα δὴ τὰ παράδοξα καλούμενα τῶν Στωϊκῶν, τὸ μόνον εἶναι τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐλεύθερον, δούλους δὲ τοὺς φαύλους ἅπαντας.
After his bath, he took supper with a large company, sitting at table, as was his wont after Pharsalus; indeed, he lay down only when he slept; and there were at supper with him all his companions, and the magistrates of Utica. After supper, there was much literary and genial discourse over the wine, and one philosophical tenet after another made the rounds, until there came up the enquiry into what were called the paradoxes of the Stoics, namely, that the good man alone is free, and that the bad are all slaves.
ἐνταῦθα δή, ὡς εἰκός, ἀντιβάντος τοῦ Περιπατητικοῦ, σφοδρὸς ἐμπεσὼν ὁ Κάτων καὶ τόνον προσθεὶς καὶ τραχύτητα φωνῆς ἀπέτεινε πορρωτάτω τὸν λόγον, ἀγῶνι θαυμαστῷ χρησάμενος, ὥστε μηδένα λαθεῖν ὅτι τῷ βίῳ πέρας ἔγνωκεν ἐπιθεὶς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τῶν παρόντων, διὸ καὶ μετὰ τὸν λόγον σιωπῆς καὶ κατηφείας γενομένης ἐν πᾶσιν, ἀναλαμβάνων αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπάγων τῆς ὑποψίας ὁ Κάτων αὖθις ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ἐνέβαλλεν ἐρωτήματα καὶ φροντίδας, ὡς δεδιὼς μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν πλεόντων, δεδιὼς δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὁδευόντων ἐρημίαν ἄνυδρον καὶ βάρβαρον.
Here, as was to be expected, the Peripatetic made objections, whereupon Cato broke in with vehemence, and in loud and harsh tones maintained his argument at greatest length and with astonishing earnestness, so that everyone perceived that he had made up his mind to put an end to his life and free himself from his present troubles. Therefore, as all were dejected and silent after his discourse, Cato tried to revive their spirits and remove their suspicions by once more putting questions and expressing anxiety about what was going on, implying that he feared for those who were going away by sea, and feared, too, for those whose path lay through a barbarous and waterless desert.
οὕτω δὲ διαλύσας τὸ σύνδειπνον, καὶ περιπατήσας μετὰ τῶν φίλων τόν συνήθη μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον περίπατον, καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι τῶν φυλάκων ἃ καιρὸς ἦν προστάξας, ἀπιὼν εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον ἤδη, τόν τε παῖδα καὶ τῶν φίλων ἕκαστον μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον εἰώθει προσαγαγόμενος καὶ φιλοφρονηθείς, πάλιν ὑποψίαν παρέσχε τοῦ μέλλοντος.
Thus the supper came to an end, and after walking about with his friends as he usually did after supper, he gave the officers of the watch the proper orders, and then retired to his chamber, but not until he had embraced his son and each of his friends with more than his wonted kindness, and thus awakened anew their suspicions of what was to come.
εἰσελθὼν δὲ καὶ κατακλιθεὶς ἔλαβεν εἰς χεῖρας τῶν Πλάτωνος διαλόγων τόν περὶ ψυχῆς· καὶ διελθὼν τοῦ βιβλίου τὸ πλεῖστον καὶ ἀναβλέψας ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς, ὡς οὐκ εἶδε κρεμάμενον τὸ ξίφος ʽὑφῄρητο γὰρ ὁ παῖς ἔτι δειπνοῦντος αὐτοῦ, καλέσας οἰκέτην ἠρώτησεν ὅστις λάβοι τὸ ἐγχειρίδιον. σιωπῶντος δὲ ἐκείνου πάλιν ἦν πρὸς τῷ βιβλίῳ· καὶ μικρὸν διαλιπών, ὥσπερ οὐ σπεύδων οὐδὲ ἐπειγόμενος, ἄλλως δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἐπιζητῶν, ἐκέλευσε κομίσαι.
After entering his chamber and lying down, he took up Plato’s dialogue On the Soul, and when he had gone through the greater part of the treatise, he looked up above his head, and not seeing his sword hanging there (for his son had taken it away while Cato was still at supper), called a servant and asked him who had taken the weapon. The servant made no answer, and Cato returned to his book; and a little while after, as if in no haste or hurry, but merely looking for his sword, he bade the servant fetch it.
διατριβῆς δὲ γινομένης καὶ μηδενὸς κομίζοντος, ἐξαναγνοὺς τὸ βιβλίον αὖθις ἐκάλει καθʼ ἕνα τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ μᾶλλον ἐνέτεινε τὴν φωνὴν τὸ ξίφος ἀπαιτῶν· ἑνὸς δὲ καὶ πὺξ τὸ στόμα πατάξας ᾕμαξε τὴν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα, χαλεπαίνων καὶ βοῶν ἤδη μέγα παραδίδοσθαι τῷ πολεμίῳ γυμνὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν, ἄχρι οὗ κλαίων ὁ υἱὸς εἰσέδραμε μετὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ περιπεσὼν ὠδύρετο καὶ καθικέτευεν.
But as there was some delay, and no one brought the weapon, he finished reading his book, and this time called his servants one by one and in louder tones demanded his sword. One of them he smote on the mouth with his fist, and bruised his own hand, angrily crying now in loud tones that his son and his servants were betraying him into the hands of the enemy without arms. At last his son ran in weeping, together with his friends, and after embracing him, betook himself to lamentations and entreaties.
ὁ δὲ Κάτων ἐξαναστὰς ἐνέβλεψέ τε δεινὸν καὶ πότε, εἶπεν, ἐγὼ καὶ ποῦ λέληθα παρανοίας ἡλωκώς, ὅτι διδάσκει μέν οὐδεὶς οὐδεὶς μεταπείθει περὶ ὧν δοκῶ κακῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι, κωλύομαι δὲ χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἐμαυτοῦ λογισμοῖς καὶ παροπλίζομαι; τί δʼ οὐχὶ καὶ συνδεῖς, ὦ γενναῖε, τόν πατέρα καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἀποστρέφεις, μέχρι ἂν ἐλθὼν Καῖσαρ εὕρῃ με μηδὲ ἀμύνασθαι δυνάμενον;
But Cato, rising to his feet, took on a solemn look, and said: When and where, without my knowledge, have I been adjudged a madman, that no one instructs or tries to convert me in matters wherein I am thought to have made bad decisions, but I am prevented from using my own judgement, and have my arms taken from me? Why, generous boy, dost thou not also tie thy father’s hands behind his back, that Caesar may find me unable to defend myself when he comes?
οὐ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἐμαυτόν γε δέομαι ξίφους, ὅπου καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα βραχὺν χρόνον ἐπισχόντα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἅπαξ πατάξαντα πρὸς τὸν τοῖχον ἀποθανεῖν ἔνεστι.
Surely, to kill myself I have no need of a sword, when I have only to hold my breath a little while, or dash my head against the wall, and death will come.
ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ τὸ μὲν μειράκιον ἐξῆλθε μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ λοιποί· τῷ δὲ Δημητρίῳ καὶ τῷ Ἀπολλωνίδῃ μόνοις ὑπολειφθεῖσι πρᾳότερον ἤδη λαλῶν, ἦ που καὶ ὑμῖν, ἔφη, δέδοκται βίᾳ κατέχειν ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον ἡλικίας ἐν τῷ βίῳ καὶ καθημένους αὐτοῦ σιωπῇ παραφυλάσσειν, ἢ λόγον ἥκετε κομίζοντες ὡς οὐ δεινὸν οὐδὲ αἰσχρόν ἐστιν ἀποροῦντα σωτηρίας ἑτέρας Κάτωνα τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πολεμίου περιμένειν;
As Cato said these words the young man went out sobbing, and all the rest also, except Demetrius and Apollonides. These alone remained, and with these Cato began to talk, now in gentler tones. I suppose, said he, that ye also have decided to detain in life by force a man as old as I am, and to sit by him in silence and keep watch of him: or are ye come with the plea that it is neither shameful nor dreadful for Cato, when he has no other way of salvation, to await salvation at the hands of his enemy?
τί οὖν οὐ λέγετε πείθοντες ἡμᾶς ταῦτα καὶ μεταδιδάσκοντες, ἵνα τὰς προτέρας δόξας ἐκείνας καὶ λόγους, οἷς συμβεβιώκαμεν, ἐκβαλόντες καὶ γενόμενοι διὰ Καίσαρα σοφώτεροι μείζονα χάριν εἰδῶμεν αὐτῷ; καίτοι βεβούλευμαι μὲν οὐθὲν ἔγωγε περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ· δεῖ δέ με βουλευσάμενον εἶναι κύριον οἷς ἔγνωκα χρῆσθαι.
Why, then, do ye not speak persuasively and convert me to this doctrine, that we may cast away those good old opinions and arguments which have been part of our very lives, be made wiser through Caesar’s efforts, and therefore be more grateful to him? And yet I, certainly, have come to no resolve about myself; but when I have come to a resolve, I must be master of the course which I decide to take.
βουλεύσομαι δὲ τρόπον τινὰ μεθʼ ὑμῶν, βουλευόμενος μετὰ τῶν λόγων οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς φιλοσοφοῦντες χρῆσθε· θαρροῦντες οὖν ἄπιτε, καὶ κελεύετε τὸν υἱόν ἃ μὴ δύναται τὸν πατέρα πείθειν μὴ βιάζεσθαι.
And I shall come to a resolve with your aid, as I might say, since I shall reach it with the aid of those doctrines which ye also adopt as philosophers. So go away with a good courage, and bid my son not to try force with his father when he cannot persuade him.
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