Plutarch, Cato the Younger, ed. Bernadotte Perrin, 55

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[1] ἐπεὶ δὲ Καίσαρα διώκων Πομπήϊος εἰς Θεσσαλίαν ἀνεζεύγνυε πολλὰ καταλιπὼν περὶ Δυρράχιον ὅπλα καὶ χρήματα καὶ σώματα συγγενῆ καὶ οἰκεῖα, πάντων ἀπέδειξεν ἡγεμόνα καὶ φύλακα τὸν Κάτωνα πεντεκαίδεκα σπείρας ἔχοντα στρατιωτῶν διὰ πίστιν ἅμα καὶ φόβον τοῦ ἀνδρός, ἡττωμένῳ μὲν γὰρ πάντων εἶναι βεβαιότατον ἐνόμιζεν, εἰ δὲ νικῴη, μὴ ἐπιτρέψειν παρόντα χρήσασθαι τοῖς πράγμασιν ὡς προῄρηται.

[2] πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀπερρίφησαν ἐν Δυρραχίῳ μετὰ Κάτωνος.
γενομένης δὲ τῆς κατὰ Φάρσαλον ἥττης οὕτως ἔστη τοῖς λογισμοῖς ὁ Κάτων ὡς, εἰ μὲν τεθνήκοι Πομπήϊος, εἰς Ἰταλίαν τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ περαιώσων, αὐτὸς δὲ πορρωτάτω τῆς τυραννίδος ἐπὶ φυγῇ βιωσόμενος. εἰ δὲ σῴζοιτο, πάντως ἐκείνῳ διαφυλάξων τὴν δύναμιν.

[3] οὕτω δὴ διαβαλὼν εἰς Κέρκυραν, ὅπου τὸ ναυτικὸν ἦν, ἐξίστατο μὲν Κικέρωνι τῆς ἀρχῆς ὡς ὑπατικῷ στρατηγικός, οὐ δεξαμένου δὲ Κικέρωνος, ἀλλʼ ἀπαίροντος εἰς Ἰταλίαν, ἰδὼν τὸν Πομπήϊον ὑπʼ αὐθαδείας καὶ φρονήματος ἀκαίρου βουλόμενον κολάζειν τοὺς ἀποπλέοντας, πρώτῳ δὲ μέλλοντα τῷ Κικέρωνι προσφέρειν τὰς χεῖρας, ἐνουθέτησεν ἰδίᾳ καὶ κατεπράϋνεν, ὥστε τὸν Κικέρωνα περισῶσαι σαφῶς ἐκ θανάτου καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄδειαν παρασχεῖν.

Cato the Younger. Plutarch. ed. Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, MA. 1919.

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Κάτων (Greek) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VIII. Perrin, Bernadotte, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1919.)

Translations (1)

Cato the Younger Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. VIII. Perrin, Bernadotte, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1919.) — 55 focus

[1] When Pompey, in pursuit of Caesar, was breaking camp to march into Thessaly, he left behind him at Dyrrhachium a great quantity of arms and stores, and many kindred and friends, and over all these he appointed Cato commander and guardian, with fifteen cohorts of soldiers, because he both trusted and feared him. For in case of defeat, he thought that Cato would be his surest support, but in case of a victory, that he would not, if present, permit him to manage matters as he chose.

[2] Many prominent men were also ignored by Pompey and left behind at Dyrrhachium with Cato.

When the defeat at Pharsalus came, Cato resolved that, if Pompey were dead, he would take over to Italy those who were with him, but would himself live in exile as far as possible from the tyranny of Caesar; if, on the contrary, Pompey were alive, he would by all means keep his forces intact for him.

[3] Accordingly, having crossed over to Corcyra, where the fleet was, he offered to give up the command to Cicero, who was of consular rank, while he himself had been only a praetor. But Cicero would not accept the command, and set out for Italy. Then Cato, seeing that the younger Pompey¹ was led by his obstinacy and unseasonable pride into a desire to punish all those who were about to sail away, and was going to lay violent hands on Cicero first of all, admonished him in private and calmed him down, thus manifestly saving Cicero from death and procuring immunity for the rest.

Plutarch Cato the Younger 55

ed. Bernadotte Perrin

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