Cato the Younger 3 5
43 lines✦
ato could find here no opportunity to show his zeal or exercisehis valour, on account of the ill conduct of the general. How-ever, amidst the corruption and disorders of that army, heshowed such a love of discipline, so much bravery upon occasion,and so much courage and wisdom in everything, that it appearedhe was in no way inferior to the old Cato: Gellius offered himgreat rewards, and would have decreed him the first honours;which, however, he refused, saying he had done nothing thatdeserved them. This made him be thought a man of strangeand eccentric temper. There was a law passed, moreover, that the candidates whostood for any office should not have prompters in their canvass,to tell them the names of the citizens; and Cato, when he suedto be elected tribune, was the only man that obeyed this law.He took great pains to learn by his own knowledge to salutethose he had to speak with, and to call them by their names;yet even those who praised him for this, did not do so withoutsome envy and jealousy, for the more they considered the excel-lence of what he did, the more they were grieved at the difficultythey found to do the like. Being chosen tribune, he was sent into Macedon to joinRubrius, who was general there. It is said that his wife show-ing much concern, and weeping at his departure, Munatius, oneof Cato’s friends, said to her, ‘“‘ Do not trouble yourself, Atilia,I will engage to watch over him for you.” “ By all means,”replied Cato; and when they had gone one day’s journeytogether, “‘ Now,” said he to Munatius, after they had supped,*‘ that you may be sure to keep your promise to Atilia, you mustnot leave me day nor night,” and from that time, he orderedtwo beds to be made in his own chamber, that Munatius mightlie there. And so he continued to do, Cato making it his jestto see that he was always there. There went with him fifteenslaves, two freedmen, and four of his friends; these rode onhorseback, but Cato always went on foot, yet would he keep bythem, and talk with each of them in turn as they went. When he came to the army, which consisted of several legions,the general gave him the command of one; and as he lookedupon it as a small matter, and not worthy a commander, to giveevidence of his own signal valour, he resolved to make his soldiers,as far as he could, like himself, not, however, in this relaxing theterrors of his office, but associating reason with his authority.He persuaded and instructed every one in particular, andbestowed rewards or punishments according to desert; and at
✦