τοῦ δὲ δουλικοῦ πολέμου συνεστῶτος, ὃν Σπαρτάκειον ἐκάλουν, Γέλλιος μὲν ἐστρατήγει, Κάτων δὲ τῆς στρατείας μετεῖχεν ἐθελοντὴς, διὰ τὸν ἀδελφόν· ἐχιλιάρχει γὰρ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Καιπίων. καὶ χρήσασθαι μὲν εἰς ὅσον ἐβούλετο τῇ προθυμίᾳ καὶ ἀσκήσει τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐχ ὑπῆρξεν αὐτῷ, διὰ τὸ μὴ καλῶς στρατηγεῖσθαι τὸν πόλεμον ἄλλως δὲ, παρὰ πολλὴν μαλακίαν καὶ τρυφὴν τῶν ἐκεῖ στρατευομένων ἐπιδεικνύμενος εὐταξίαν καὶ ἐγκράτειαν καὶ τὸ θαρραλέον ἐν πᾶσι καὶ ξυνετόν, ἐδόκει μηθὲν ἀποδεῖν τοῦ παλαιοῦ Κάτωνος.
When the servile war was in progress, which was called the war of Spartacus, Gellius was commander, while Cato took part in his campaign as a volunteer, for the sake of his brother; for his brother Caepio was a military tribune. Here he had not the opportunity to employ as much as he wished his zeal and discipline in virtue, because the war was not well conducted; but notwithstanding, amidst the great effeminacy and luxury of those who took part in that campaign, he displayed such good discipline, self-control, courage in all emergencies, and sagacity, that men thought him not one whit inferior to the elder Cato.
ὁ δὲ Γέλλιος ἀριστεῖα καὶ τιμὰς αὐτῷ διαπρεπεῖς ἔγραψεν, ἃς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἔλαβεν οὐδὲ προσήκατο, φήσας ἄξιον μηθὲν εἰργάσθαι τιμῶν, ἔκ τε δὴ τούτων ἀλλόκοτος ἐδόκει, καὶ νόμου γραφέντος ὅπως τοῖς παραγγέλλουσιν εἰς ἀρχὴν ὀνοματολόγοι μὴ παρῶσι, χιλιαρχίαν μετιὼν μόνος ἐπείθετο τῷ νόμῳ καὶ διʼ αὑτοῦ ποιησάμενος ἔργον ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ προσαγορεύειν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς ἀνεπαχθὴς ἦν τοῖς ἐπαινοῦσιν, ὅσον μᾶλλον ἐνόουν τὸ καλὸν ὧν ἐπετήδευε, τὸ δυσμίμητον αὐτῶν βαρυνομένοις.
Moreover, Gellius assigned to him prizes of valour and distinguished honours; but Cato would not take them nor allow them, declaring that he had done nothing worthy of honours. And so, in consequence of this, he was thought to be a strange creature. For instance, a law was passed forbidding candidates for office to be attended by nomenclators, and in his canvass for the military tribune-ship he was the only one who obeyed the law. He made it his business to salute and address without help from others those who met him on his rounds, but he did not avoid giving offence even to those who praised his course; for the more clearly they saw the rectitude of his practice, the more distressed were they at the difficulty of imitating it.
ἀποδειχθεὶς δὲ χιλίαρχος εἰς Μακεδονίαν ἐπέμπετο πρὸς Ῥούβριον τὸν στρατηγόν. ἔνθα δὴ λέγεται τῆς γυναικὸς ἀχθομένης καὶ δακρυούσης ἕνα τῶν φίλων τοῦ Κάτωνος Μουνάτιον εἰπεῖν· ὦἈτιλία, θάρσει· τοῦτον ἐγώ σοι φυλάξω. πάνυ μὲν οὖν, φάναι τὸν Κάτωνα, καὶ προελθόντων μιᾶς ἡμέρας ὁδόν, εὐθὺς εἰπεῖν μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον ἄγε, ὅπως, ὦ Μουνάτιε, τῇ Ἀτιλίᾳ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐμπεδώσεις, μήτε ἡμέρας ἐμοῦ μήτε νυκτὸς ἀφιστάμενος.
Appointed military tribune, he was sent to Macedonia, to serve under Rubrius the praetor. At this time, we are told, his wife being full of grief and in tears, one of Cato’s friends, Munatius, said to her: Take heart, Atilia; I will watch over thy husband. Certainly he will, cried Cato, and after they had gone a day’s journey on their way, immediately after supper, he said: Come, Munatius, see that you keep your promise to Atilia, and forsake me neither by day nor by night.
ἐκ δὲ τούτου δύο κλίνας εἰς ταὐτὸ δωμάτιον ἐκέλευε τίθεσθαι, καὶ τὸν Μουνάτιον οὕτως ἀεὶ καθεύδειν μετὰ παιδιᾶς φυλασσόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάτωνος. εἵποντο δὲ αὐτῷ πεντεκαίδεκα μὲν οἰκέται, δύο δ ὲ ἀπελεύθεροι, φίλοι δὲ τέσσαρες, ὧν ὀχουμένων ἵπποις αὐτὸς ἀεὶ περιπατῶν ἑκάστῳ παρέβαλλεν ἐν μέρει προσδιαλεγόμενος. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκεν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, πλειόνων ταγμάτων ὄντων, ἑνὸς ἄρχων ἀποδειχθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, τῆς μὲν ἰδίας ἀρετῆς, μιᾶς οὔσης, μικρὸν ἔργον ἡγεῖτο καὶ οὐκ ἀνύσιμον τὴν ἐπίδειξιν,
Then he gave orders that two couches be placed in the same chamber for them, and thus Munatius always slept—and that was the joke—watched over by Cato.
He had in his following fifteen slaves, two freedmen, and four friends. These rode on horses, while he himself always went a-foot; and yet he would join each of them in turn and converse with him. And when he reached the camp, where there were several legions, and was appointed to the command of one of them by the general, he thought it a trifling and useless task to make a display of his own virtue, which was that of a single man, but was ambitious above all things to make the men under his command like unto himself.
αὑτῷ δὲ ποιῆσαι τοὺς ἀρχομένους ὁμοίους μάλιστα φιλοτιμούμενος οὐ τὸν φόβον ἀφεῖλε τῆς ἐξουσίας, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε τὸν λόγον ᾧ πείθων περὶ ἑκάστου καὶ διδάσκων, ἑπομένης τιμῆς καὶ κολάσεως, χαλεπὸν ἦν εἰπεῖν πότερον εἰρηνικοὺς μᾶλλον ἢ πολεμικούς καὶ προθυμοτέρους ἢ δικαιοτέρους παρεσκεύασε τοὺς ἄνδρας· οὕτως ἐφαίνοντο φοβεροὶ μὲν τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἥμεροι δὲ τοῖς συμμάχοις, ἄτολμοι δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀδικεῖν, φιλότιμοι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἐπαίνους.
He did not, however, divest his power of the element which inspires fear, but called in the aid of reason; with its help he persuaded and taught his men about everything, while rewards and punishments followed their acts. Consequently, it were hard to say whether he made his men more peaceful or more warlike, more zealous or more just; to such a degree did they show themselves terrible to their enemies but gentle to their allies, without courage to do wrong but ambitious to win praise.
οὗ δὲ ἥκιστα Κάτων ἐπεμελήθη, τοῦτο πλεῖστον ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ, καὶ δόξα καὶ χάρις καὶ ὑπερβάλλουσα τιμὴ καὶ φιλοφροσύνη παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἃ γὰρ ἑτέροις ἐπέταττεν ἑκουσίως διαπονῶν, καὶ στολὴν μὲν καὶ δίαιταν καὶ πορείαν ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὁμοιούμενος, ἤθει δὲ καὶ φρονήματι καὶ λόγῳ πάντας ὑπεραίρων τοὺς αὐτοκράτορας καὶ στρατηγοὺς προσαγορευομένους, ἔλαθε διὰ τούτων ἅμα τὴν πρὸς αὑτὸν εὔνοιαν ἐνεργασάμενος τοῖς ἀνδράσιν.
Moreover, that to which Cato gave least thought was his in greatest measure, namely, esteem, favour, surpassing honour, and kindness, from his soldiers. For he willingly shared the tasks which he imposed upon others, and in his dress, way of living, and conduct on the march, made himself more like a soldier than a commander, while in character, dignity of purpose, and eloquence, he surpassed all those who bore the titles of Imperator and General. In this way, without knowing it, he produced in his men at the same time the feeling of good will towards himself.
ἀρετῆς γὰρ ἀληθινὸς οὐκ ἐγγίνεται ζῆλος ἢ διʼ ἄκρας τοῦ παραδιδόντος εὐνοίας καὶ τιμῆς· οἱ δὲ ἄνευ τοῦ φιλεῖν ἐπαινοῦντες τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς αἰδοῦνται τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν, οὐ θαυμάζουσι δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν οὐδὲ μιμοῦνται.
For a genuine desire to attain virtue arises only in consequence of perfect good will and respect for him who displays virtue; those, on the other hand, who praise good men without loving them may revere their reputation, but they do not admire their virtue or imitate it.
πυθόμενος δὲ Ἀθηνόδωρον, τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον Κορδυλίωνα, μεγάλην ἕξιν ἐν τοῖς Στωϊκοῖς λόγοις ἔχοντα, διατρίβειν περὶ Πέργαμον, ἤδη γηραιὸν ὄντα καὶ πάσαις ἐρρωμενέστατα ταῖς ἡγεμονικαῖς καὶ βασιλικαῖς συνηθείαις καὶ φιλίαις διαμεμαχημένον, οὐδὲν ᾤετο πέμπων καὶ γράφων περαίνειν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ ἔχων παρὰ τοῦ νόμου δεδομένην ἀποδημίαν δυεῖν μηνῶν ἔπλευσεν εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα, πιστεύων τοῖς ἐν αὑτῷ καλοῖς μὴ ἀτυχήσειν τῆς ἄγρας.
On learning that Athenodorus, surnamed Cordylion, who had a large acquaintance with the Stoic philosophy, was living at Pergamum, being now in his old age and having most sturdily resisted all intimacies and friendships with governors and kings, Cato thought it would be useless to send messengers or write letters to him. Instead of this, since he had a furlough of two months allowed him by law, he sailed to Asia to visit the man, relying upon his own good qualities to make him successful in the chase.
συγγενόμενος δὲ καὶ καταγωνισάμενος καὶ μεταστήσας ἐκ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτόν ἧκεν ἄγων εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον, περιχαρὴς καὶ μεγαλοφρονῶν, ὥς τι λιστον ᾑρηκὼς καὶ λαμπρότερον ὧν Πομπήϊος τότε καὶ Λεύκολλος ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλειῶν κατεστρέφοντο σὺν ὅπλοις περιϊόντες.
He held converse with the philosopher, conquered his objections, drew him from his fixed purpose, and took him back to the camp with him. He was overjoyed and in high spirits, feeling that he had made a most noble capture, and one more illustrious than the nations and kingdoms which Pompey and Lucullus at that time were subduing with their marching armies.
ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὴν στρατείαν ὄντος ὁ ἀδελφὸς εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν βαδίζων ἐνόσησε περὶ Θρᾴκην ἐν Αἴνῳ. καὶ γράμματα μὲν εὐθὺς ἧκε πρὸς τὸν Κάτωνα· χειμῶνος δὲ πολλοῦ κατέχοντος τὴν θάλατταν καὶ νεὼς ἱκανῆς μεγέθει μὴ παρούσης, εἰς μικρὰν ὁλκάδα μόνον δύο φίλους καὶ τρεῖς οἰκέτας ἀναλαβὼν ἐκ Θεσσαλονίκης ἀνήχθη·
While Cato was still in military service, his brother, who was on his way to Asia, fell sick at Aenus in Thrace, and a letter came at once to Cato advising him of this. A heavy storm was raging at sea and no ship of sufficient size was at hand, but nevertheless, taking only two friends and three servants with him in a small trading-vessel, he put to sea from Thessalonica.
καὶ παρʼ οὐδὲν ἐλθὼν καταποντωθῆναι, τύχῃ τινὶ παραλόγῳ σωθεὶς ἄρτι τεθνηκότος τοῦ Καιπίωνος, ἐμπαθέστερον ἔδοξεν ἢ φιλοσοφώτερον ἐνεγκεῖν τὴν συμφοράν, οὐ μόνον κλαυθμοῖς καὶ περιπτύξεσι τοῦ νεκροῦ καὶ βαρύτητι λύπης, ἀλλὰ καὶ δαπάνῃ περὶ τὴν ταφὴν καὶ πραγματείαις θυμιαμάτων καὶ ἱματίων πολυτελῶν συγκατακαέντων καὶ μνήματος ξεστοῦ λίθων Θασίων ἀπὸ ταλάντων ὀκτὼ κατασκευασθέντος ἐν τῇ Αἰνίων ἀγορᾷ.
He narrowly escaped drowning, and by some unaccountable good fortune came safe to land, but Caepio had just died. In bearing this affliction Cato was thought to have shown more passion than philosophy, considering not only his lamentations, his embracings of the dead, and the heaviness of his grief, but also his expenditure upon the burial, and the pains that he took to have incense and costly raiment burned with the body, and a monument of polished Thasian marble costing eight talents constructed in the market-place of Aenus.
ταῦτα γὰρ ἔνιοι ἐσυκοφάντουν πρὸς τὴν ἄλλην ἀτυφίαν τοῦ Κάτωνος, οὐ καθορῶντες ὅσον ἐν τῷ πρὸς ἡδονὰς καὶ φόβους καὶ δεήσεις ἀναισχύντους ἀγνάμπτῳ καὶ στερρῷ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ ἥμερον ἐνῆν καὶ φιλόστοργον. εἰς δὲ ταῦτα καὶ πόλεις αὐτῷ καὶ δυνάσται πολλὰ κατὰ τιμὴν τοῦ τεθνεῶτος ἔπεμπον, ὧν ἐκεῖνος χρήματα μὲν παρʼ οὐδενὸς ἐδέξατο, θυμιάματα δὲ καὶ κόσμον ἐλάμβανε, τὴν τιμὴν ἀποδιδοὺς τοῖς πέμπουσι.
For some people cavilled at these things as inconsistent with Cato’s usual freedom from ostentation, not observing how much tenderness and affection was mingled with the man’s inflexibility and firmness against pleasures, fears, and shameless entreaties. For the funeral rites, moreover, both cities and dynasts sent him many things for the honour of the dead, from none of whom would he accept money; he did, however, take incense and ornaments, and paid the value of them to the senders.
τῆς δὲ κληρονομίας εἰς αὐτόν τε καὶ θυγάτριον τοῦ Καιπίωνος ἡκούσης, οὐθὲν ὧν ἀνάλωσε περὶ τὸν τάφον ἀπῄτησεν ἐν τῇ νεμήσει. καὶ ταῦτα πράξαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ πράττοντος, ἦν ὁ γράψας ὅτι κοσκίνῳ τὴν τέφραν τοῦ νεκροῦ μετέβαλε καὶ διήθησε, χρυσίον ζητῶν κατακεκαυμένον. οὕτως οὐ τῷ ξίφει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ γραφείῳ τὸ ἀνυπεύθυνον καὶ τὸ ἀνυπόδικον ἐπίστευσεν.
Furthermore, when the inheritance fell to him and Caepio’s young daughter, nothing that he had expended for the funeral was asked back by him in the distribution of the property. And although such was his conduct then and afterwards, there was one who wrote that he passed the ashes of the dead through a sieve, in search of the gold that had been melted down. So confidently did the writer attribute, not only to his sword, but also to his pen, freedom from accountability and punishment.
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