Cato

, a surname of the Porcian family, rendered illustrious by Marcus Porcius Cato, a celebrated Roman, afterwards called Censor i us , from his having exercised the office of censor. He rose to all the honours of the state, and the first battle he ever saw was against Annibal, at the age of 17, where he behaved with uncommon valour. In his questorship, under African us against Carthage, and in his expedition in Spain against the Celtiberians, and in Greece, he displayed equal proofs of his courage and prudence. He was remarkable for his love of temperance; he never drank but water, and was always satisfied with whatever meats were laid upon his table by his servants, whom he never reproved with an angry word. During his censorship, which he obtained, though he had made many declarations of his future severity if ever in office, he behaved with the greatest rigour and impartiality, showed himself an enemy to all luxury and di ipation, and even accused his colleague of embezzling the public money. He is famous for the great opposition which he made against the introduction of the finer arts of Greece into Italy, and his treatment of Carneades is well known. This prejudice arose from an apprehension that the learning and luxury of Athens would destroy the valour and simplicity of the Roman people; and he often observed to his son, that the Romans would be certainly ruined whenever they began to be infected with Greek. It appears, however, that he changed his opinion, for he made himself remarkable for the knowledge of Greek, which he acquired in his old age. He himself educated his son, and instructed him in writing and grammar. He taught him dexterously to throw the javelin, and inured him to the labours of the field, and to bear cold and heat with the same indifference, and to swim acro the most rapid rivers with ease and boldne . He was universally deemed so strict in his morals, that Virgil makes him one of the judges of hell. He repented only of three things during his life; to have gone by sea when he could go by land, to have pa ed a day inactive, and to have told a secret to his wife. A statue was raised to his memory, and he distinguished himself as much for his knowledge of agriculture as for his political life. In Cicero’s age there were 50 orations of his, besides letters, and a celebrated work called Origines , of which the first book gave a history of the Roman monarchy; the second and third an account of the neighbouring cities of Italy; the fourth a detail of the first, and the fifth of the second Punic war; and in the others the Roman history was brought down to the war of the Lusitanians, carried on by Servius Galba. Some fragments of the Origines remain, supposed by some to be supposititious. Cato’s treatise, De Re Rusticâ , was edited by Auson. Pompna, 8vo, Antwerp, Plant in, 1590; but the best edition of Cato, . , seems to be Gesner’s, 2  vols. , 4to, Lipscomb, 1735. Cato died in extreme old age, about 150 B.C.; and Cicero, to show his respect for him, has introduced him in his treatise on old age, as the principal character. Pliny , bk. 7 , ch. 14 . Plutarch & Cornel i us Nepos have written an account of his life. Cicero , Academic a & De Senectute , . ――Marcus, the son of the Censor, married the daughter of Paullus Æmylius. He lost his sword in a battle, and though wounded and tired, he went to his friends, and, with their a istance, renewed the battle, and recovered his sword. Plutarch , Cato .――A courageous Roman, grandfather to Cato the censor. He had five horses killed under him in battles. Plutarch , Cato .――Valerius, a grammarian of Gallia Narbonensis, in the time of Sylla, who instructed at Rome many noble pupils, and wrote some poems. Ovid , bk. 2 , Tristia , poem 1, li. 436 .――Marcus, surnamed Uticensis , from his death at Utica, was great grandson to the censor of the same name. The early virtues that appeared in his childhood seemed to promise a great man; and, at the age of 14, he earnestly asked his preceptor for a sword, to stab the tyrant Sylla. He was austere in his morals, and a strict follower of the tenets of the Stoics; he was carele of his dre , often appeared barefooted in public, and never travelled but on foot. He was such a lover of discipline, that in whatever office he was employed, he always reformed its abuses, and restored the ancient regulations. When he was set over the troops in the capacity of a commander, his removal was universally lamented, and deemed almost a public lo by his affectionate soldiers. His fondne for candour was so great, that the veracity of Cato became proverbial. In his visits to his friends, he wished to give as little molestation as po ible; and the importuning civilities of king Dejotarus so displeased him when he was at his court, that he hastened away from his presence. He was very jealous of the safety and liberty of the republic, and watched carefully over the conduct of Pompey, whose power and influence were great. He often expre ed his dislike to serve the office of tribune; but when he saw a man of corrupted principles apply for it, he offered himself a candidate to oppose him, and obtained the tribuneship. In the conspiracy of Cat i line, he supported Cicero, and was the chief cause that the conspirators were capitally punished. When the provinces of Gaul were decreed for five years to Cæsar, Cato observed to the senators that they had introduced a tyrant into the Capitol. He was sent to Cyprus against Ptolemy, who had rebelled, by his enemies, who hoped that the difficulty of the expedition would injure his reputation. But his prudence extricated him from every danger. Ptolemy submitted, and after a succe ful campaign, Cato was received at Rome with the most distinguishing honours, which he, however, modestly declined. When the first triumvirate was formed between Cæsar, Pompey, and Cra us, Cato opposed them with all his might, and with an independent spirit foretold to the Roman people all the misfortunes which soon after followed. After repeated applications he was made pretor, but he seemed rather to disgrace than support the dignity of that office, by the meanne of his dre . He applied for the consulship, but could never obtain it. When Cæsar had pa ed the Rubicon, Cato advised the Roman senate to deliver the care of the republic into the hands of Pompey; and when his advice had been complied with, he followed him with his son to Dyrrachium, where, after a small victory there, he was entrusted with the care of the ammunition, and of 15 cohorts. After the battle of Pharsalia, Cato took the command of the Corcyrean fleet; and when he heard of Pompey’s death on the coast of Africa, he traversed the deserts of Libya, to join himself to Scipio. He refused to take the command of the army in Africa, a circumstance of which he afterwards repented. When Scipio had been defeated, partly for not paying regard to Cato’s advice, Cato fortified himself in Utica, but, however, not with the intentions of supporting a siege. When Cæsar approached near the city, Cato disdained to fly, and rather than fall alive into the conqueror’s hands, he stabbed himself after he had read Plato’s treatise on the immortality of the soul, B.C. 46, in the 59th year of his age. He had first married Attilia, a woman whose licentious conduct obliged him to divorce her. Afterwards he united himself to Martia daughter of Philip. Hortensius, his friend, wished to raise children by Martia, and therefore obtained her from Cato. After the death of Hortensius, Cato took her again. This conduct was ridiculed by the Romans, who observed that Martia had entered the house of Hortensius very poor, but returned to the bed of Cato loaded with treasures. It was observed that Cato always appeared in mourning, and never laid himself down at his meals since the defeat of Pompey, but always sat down, contrary to the custom of the Romans, as if depre ed with the recollection that the supporters of republican liberty were decaying. Plutarch has written an account of his life. Lucan , bk. 1 , li. 128 , . — Valerius Maximus , bk. 2 , ch. 10 .— Horace , bk. 3 , ode 21.— Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 841 ; bk. 8 , li. 670 .――A son of Cato of Utica, who was killed in a battle after he had acquired much honour. Plutarch , Cato Minor .