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CATO THE ELDER ¹

[1] The Elder Cato, in assailing the profligacy and extravagance rife among the people, said that it was hard to talk to a belly which had no ears. ²

[2] He said he wondered how a city could continue to exist unscathed in which a fish sold for more than an ox ! ³

[3] In bitter criticism of the prevalent domination of women, he said, All mankind rules its women, and we rule all mankind, but our women rule us.⁴

[4] He said that he preferred to receive no thanks when he had done a favour rather than to suffer no punishment when he had done a wrong, and that he always granted pardon to all who erred, with the single exception of himself. ⁵

[5] In trying to stimulate the officials to administer sharp rebuke to the erring, he used to say that, if those who have the power to discourage crime do not discourage it, then they encourage it. ⁶

[6] He said that it gave him more joy to see those of the youth that blushed than those that blanched. ⁷

[7] He said that he hated a soldier who plied his hands in marching and his feet in fighting, and whose snore was louder than his battle-cry. ⁸

[8] He said that the worst ruler is one who cannot rule himself. ⁹

[9] He thought it especially necessary for every man to respect himself, since no man is ever separated from himself.

[10] Seeing that statues were being set up in honour of many men, he said, As for myself, I had rather that men should ask why there is not a statue of Cato than why there is.¹⁰

[11] He charged those in power to be sparing of their authority, so that authority might continue always to be theirs.

[12] He used to say that those who rob virtue of honour rob youth of virtue.

[13] An official or a judge, he said, ought neither to require importuning to grant what is right nor to yield to importuning to grant what is wrong.

[14] Wrongdoing, he used to say, even if it brings no risk to its authors, brings risk to all.

[15] He used to say that, since there are so many odious things connected with old age, it is only right not to add the odium which comes from vice. ¹¹

[16] He had an idea that the man who has lost his temper differs from him who has lost his mind only in duration of time. ¹²

[17] He said that those who use their good fortune reasonably and moderately are least envied; for people envy not us but our surroundings.

[18] He used to say that those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.

[19] He used to say that it is necessary to make good deeds secure by means of good deeds, so that they may not fall off in their repute.

[20] He used to rebuke the citizens for electing always the same men to office. For, said he, you will give the impression that you hold office to be of no great worth, or else that you hold not many men to be worthy of office.¹³

[21] He pretended to be amazed at the man who had sold his lands bordering on the sea as being himself stronger than the sea. For, said he, what the sea only laps, this man has easily drunk up.¹⁴

[22] When he was a candidate for the censorship, and saw the other candidates soliciting the populace and flattering them, he himself cried out that the ¹⁵ people had need of a stern physician and a thorough cleansing; they must choose not the most agreeable but the most inexorable man. As a result of his words he was the first choice of the electors. ¹⁶

[23] In instructing the young men to fight boldly, he said that ofttimes talk is better than the sword and the voice better than the hand to rout and bewilder the enemy. ¹⁷

[24] When he was waging war against the peoples living by the river Baetis, ¹⁸ he was put in great peril by the vast numbers of the enemy. The Celtiberians were ready and willing to come to his aid for forty thousand pounds, but the other Romans were against agreeing to pay barbarian men. Cato said they were all wrong; for if they were victorious, the payment would come not from themselves, but from the enemy; and if they were vanquished there would be no debtors and no creditors. ¹⁹

[25] He captured cities more in number, as he says, than the days he spent among the enemy, yet he himself took nothing from the enemy’s country beyond what he ate and drank. ²⁰

[26] He distributed to each soldier a pound of silver, saying it was better that many should return from the campaign with silver than a few with gold. For the officials, he said, ought to accept no other increase in the provinces except the increase of their repute.f

[27] He had five persons to wait upon him in the campaign, one of whom bought three of the captives. But when he discovered that Cato knew of it, he did not wait to come before his master, but hanged himself. ²¹

[28] He was urged by Scipio Africanus to lend his influence to help the banished Achaeans to return to their homes, but he made as though he cared nothing about the matter; in the Senate, however, where the subject aroused much discussion, he arose and said, We sit here as if we had nothing to do, debating about some poor old Greeks whether they shall be carried to their graves by bearers who live in our country or in Greece.²²

[29] Postumius Albinus wrote a history in the Greek language, in which he craved the indulgence of his readers. Cato said sarcastically that he ought to be granted indulgence if he had written the book under compulsion by a decree of the Ampictyonic Council! ²³

Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1931.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Sayings of Kings and Commanders (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 81 focus

Κάτωνος Τοῦ Πρεσβυτέρου

[1] Κάτων ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῆς ἀσωτίας καὶ πολυτελείας καθαπτόμενος εἶπεν ὡς χαλεπόν ἐστι λέγειν πρὸς γαστέρα ὦτα μὴ ἔχουσαν.

[2] θαυμάζειν δὲ πῶς σῴζεται πόλις, ἐν πωλεῖται πλείονος ἰχθὺς ἢ βοῦς.

[3] λοιδορῶν δέ ποτε τὴν ἐπιπολάζουσαν γυναικοκρατίαν, πάντες, εἶπεν, ἄνθρωποι τῶν γυναικῶν ἄρχουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἡμῶν δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες.

198e

[4] ἔφη δὲ βούλεσθαι μᾶλλον εὐεργετήσας μὴ κομίσασθαι χάριν ἢ μὴ ὑποσχεῖν κόλασιν ἀδικήσας, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀεὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι χωρὶς ἑαυτοῦ δοῦναι συγγνώμην.

[5] παρορμῶν δὲ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἔλεγε τοὺς δυναμένους κωλύειν τοὺς κακῶς ποιοῦντας, ἐὰν μὴ κωλύωσι, κελεύειν.

[6] τῶν δὲ νέων ἔφη χαίρειν τοῖς ἐρυθριῶσι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς ὠχριῶσι.

[7] στρατιώτην δὲ μισεῖν, ὃς ἐν τῷ περιπατεῖν τὰς χεῖρας, ἐν δὲ τῷ μάχεσθαι τοὺς πόδας κινεῖ, ῥέγχει δὲ μεῖζον ἢ ἀλαλάζει.

198f

[8] κάκιστον δὲ ἔλεγεν ἄρχοντα εἶναι τὸν ἄρχειν ἑαυτοῦ μὴ δυνάμενον.

[9] μάλιστα δὲ ἐνόμιζε δεῖν ἕκαστον ἑαυτὸν αἰδεῖσθαι· μηδένα γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ μηδέποτε χωρὶς εἶναι.

[10] πολλῶν δὲ ὁρῶν ἀνισταμένους ἀνδριάντας, ἐμοῦ δέ, ἔφη, ἐρωτᾶν βούλομαι μᾶλλον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, διὰ τί ἀνδριὰς οὐ κεῖται Κάτωνος ἢ διὰ τί κεῖται.

[11] φείδεσθαι δὲ τῆς ἐξουσίας παρεκάλει τοὺς δυναμένους, ὅπως ἀεὶ παραμένοι τὸ ἐξεῖναι.

[12] τοὺς δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν τιμὴν ἀφαιροῦντας ἔλεγε τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀφαιρεῖν τῆς νεότητος.

[13] τὸν δὲ ἄρχοντα ἢ κριτὴν ἔλεγε δεῖν μήτε ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων λιπαρεῖσθαι μήτε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδίκων ἐκλιπαρεῖσθαι.

199a

[14] τὴν δὲ ἀδικίαν ἔλεγε, τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι κἂν¹ μὴ φέρῃ κίνδυνον, ἅπασι φέρειν.

[15] τῷ δὲ γήρᾳ πολλῶν αἰσχρῶν παρόντων ἠξίου μὴ προστιθέναι τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας αἰσχύνην.

[16] τὸν δὲ ὀργιζόμενον ἐνόμιζε τοῦ μαινομένου χρόνῳ διαφέρειν.

[17] ἥκιστα δὲ φθονεῖσθαι τοὺς τῇ τύχῃ χρωμένους ἐπιεικῶς καὶ μετρίως· οὐ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀλλὰ τοῖς περὶ ἡμᾶς φθονοῦσι.

[18] τοὺς δὲ σπουδάζοντας ἐν τοῖς γελοίοις ἔλεγεν ἐν τοῖς σπουδαίοις ἔσεσθαι καταγελάστους.

[19] τὰς καλὰς πράξεις ἔλεγε δεῖν καταλαμβάνειν πράξεσι καλαῖς, ἵνα μὴ τῆς δόξης ἀπορρέωσιν.

[20] ἐπετίμα δὲ τοῖς πολίταις ἀεὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς 199b αἱρουμένοις ἄρχοντας· δόξετε γάρ, εἶπεν, μὴ πολλοῦ τὸ ἄρχειν ἄξιον ἢ μὴ πολλοὺς τοῦ ἄρχειν ἀξίους ἡγεῖσθαι.

[21] τὸν δὲ τοὺς παραλίους ἀγροὺς πεπρακότα προσεποιεῖτο θαυμάζειν ὡς ἰσχυρότερον τῆς θαλάττης· ἃ γὰρ ἐκείνη μόλις ἐπικλύζει, οὗτος ῥᾳδίως καταπέπωκε.

[22] τιμητείαν δὲ μετιὼν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὁρῶν δεομένους τῶν πολλῶν καὶ κολακεύοντας, αὐτὸς ἐβόα τὸν δῆμον ἀποτόμου χρείαν ἔχειν ἰατροῦ καὶ μεγάλου καθαρμοῦ· δεῖν οὖν μὴ τὸν ἥδιστον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπαραίτητον αἱρεῖσθαι. καὶ ταῦτα λέγων ᾑρέθη πρὸ πάντων.

[23] διδάσκων δὲ τοὺς νέους εὐθαρσῶς μάχεσθαι, 199c πολλάκις ἔλεγε τοῦ ξίφους τὸν λόγον μᾶλλον καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τῆς χειρὸς τρέπειν καὶ καταπλήττειν τοὺς πολεμίους.

[24] ἐπεὶ δὲ πολεμῶν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Βαῖτιν ποταμὸν οἰκοῦσιν εἰς κίνδυνον ὑπὸ πλήθους τῶν πολεμίων κατέστη, τῶν μὲν Κελτιβήρων ἐπὶ διακοσίοις ταλάντοις βουλομένων βοηθεῖν, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων οὐκ ἐώντων ὁμολογεῖν μισθὸν ἀνθρώποις βαρβάροις, ἁμαρτάνειν ἔφησεν αὐτούς· νικῶντας μὲν γὰρ ἀποδώσειν οὐ παρʼ αὑτῶν² ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἡττωμένων δέ, μήτε τοὺς ἀπῃτημένους³ μήτε τοὺς ἀπαιτοῦντας ἔσεσθαι.

199d

[25] πλείονας δὲ πόλεις ἑλών, ὥς φησι, τῶν ἡμερῶν ἃς διέτριψεν ἐν τοῖς πολεμίοις, οὐδὲν αὐτὸς πλέον ἔλαβεν⁴ ὧν ἔφαγε καὶ ἔπιεν ἐκ τῆς πολεμίας.

[26] τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν ἑκάστῳ λίτραν ἀργύρου διανείμας φησὶ βέλτιον εἶναι πολλοὺς ἔχοντας ἀργύριον ἢ ὀλίγους χρυσίον ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας ἐπανελθεῖν τῶν γὰρ ἀρχόντων οὐδὲν ἄλλο δεῖν ἐν ταῖς ἐπαρχίαις ἢ τὴν δόξαν αὐξάνεσθαι.

[27] πέντε δὲ οἰκέτας εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῆς στρατείας, ὧν εἷς αἰχμάλωτα σώματα τρία πριάμενος, ὡς οὐκ ἔλαθε τὸν Κάτωνα, πρὶν εἰς ὄφιν ἐλθεῖν, ἀπήγξατο.

199e

[28] παρακληθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ Σκιπίωνος Ἀφρικανοῦ τοῖς Ἀχαιῶν συλλαβέσθαι φυγάσιν, ὅπως εἰς τὰς πατρίδας κατέλθωσιν, προσεποιεῖτο μηδὲν αὐτῷ μέλειν τοῦ πράγματος ἐν δὲ τῇ συγκλήτῳ πολλῶν γινομένων λόγων ἀναστάς, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔχοντες, εἶπεν, ὃ πράττωμεν, καθήμεθα περὶ Γραικῶν γεροντίων ζητοῦντες πότερον ὑπὸ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἢ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖ νεκροφόρων ἐξενεχθῶσι.

[29] Ποστουμίου δὲ Ἀλβίνου⁵ γράψαντος ἱστορίας Ἑλληνιστὶ καὶ συγγνώμην παρὰ τῶν ἀκροωμένων 199f αἰτοῦντος, εἰρωνευόμενος ὁ Κάτων ἔφη δοτέον εἶναι συγγνώμην, εἰ τῶν Ἀμφικτυόνων ψηφισαμένων ἀναγκασθεὶς ἔγραψεν.

Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol II. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 81 focus

Κάτωνος τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου

Κάτων ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐν τῷ δήμῳ τῆς ἀσωτίας καὶ πολυτελείας καθαπτόμενος εἶπεν ὡς χαλεπόν ἐστι λέγειν πρὸς γαστέρα ὦτα μὴ ἔχουσαν.

[2] θαυμάζειν δὲ πῶς σῴζεται πόλις, ἐν ᾗ πωλεῖται πλείονος ἰχθὺς ἢ βοῦς.

[3] λοιδορῶν δέ ποτε τὴν ἐπιπολάζουσαν γυναικοκρατίαν πάντες εἶπεν ἄνθρωποι τῶν γυναικῶν ἄρχουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἡμῶν δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες.

198e

δὲ βούλεσθαι μᾶλλον εὐεργετήσας μὴ 15 κομίσασθαι χάριν ἢ μὴ ὑποσχεῖν κόλασιν ἀδικήσας, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀεὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι χωρὶς ἑαυτοῦ δοῦναι συγγνώμην

[5] παρορμῶν δὲ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπιτιμᾶν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἔλεγε τοὺς δυναμένους κωλύειν τοὺς 20 κακῶς ποιοῦντας, ἐὰν μὴ κωλύωσι, κελεύειν.

[6] τῶν δὲ νέων ἔφη χαίρειν τοῖς ἐρυθριῶσι μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῖς ὠχριῶσι.

[7] στρατιώτην δὲ μισεῖν, ὃς ἐν τῷ περιπατεῖν τὰς χεῖρας, ἐν δὲ τῷ μάχεσθαι τοὺς πόδας κινεῖ, 25 ῥέγχει δὲ μεῖζον ἢ ἀλαλάζει.

[8] κάκιστον δέ ἔλεγεν ἄρχοντα εἶναι τὸν ἄρχειν 198f ἑαυτοῦ μὴ δυνάμενον.

[9] μάλιστα δὲ ἐνόμιζε δεῖν ἕκαστον ἑαυτὸν αἰδεῖσθαι· μηδένα γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ μηδέποτε χωρὶς εἶναι.

[10] πολλῶν δὲ ὁρῶν ἀνισταμένους ἀνδριάντας 5 ἐμοῦ δέ ἔφη ἐρωτᾶν βούλομαι μᾶλλον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, διὰ τί ἀνδριὰς οὐ κεῖται Κάτωνος ἢ διὰ τί κεῖται.

[11] φείδεσθαι δὲ τῆς ἐξουσίας παρεκάλει τοὺς δυναμένους, ὅπως ἀεὶ παραμένοι τὸ ἐξεῖναι.

τοὺς δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν τιμὴν ἀφαιροῦντας ἔλεγε τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀφαιρεῖν τῆς νεότητος

[13] τὸν δὲ ἄρχοντα ἢ κριτὴν ἔλεγε δεῖν μήτε ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίων λιπαρεῖσθαι μήτε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδίκων ἐκλιπαρεῖσθαι. 199a

τὴν δὲ ἀδικίαν ἔλεγε τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι κἂν μὴ φέρῃ κίνδυνον, ἅπασι φέρειν.

[15] τῷ δὲ γήρᾳ πολλῶν αἰσχρῶν παρόντων ἠξίου μὴ προστιθέναι τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας αἰσχύνην.

[16] τὸν δὲ ὀργιζόμενον ἐνόμιζε τοῦ μαινομένου 20 χρόνῳ διαφέρειν.

[18] τοὺς δὲ σπουδάζοντας ἐν τοῖς γελοίοις ἔλεγεν 25 ἐν τοῖς σπουδαίοις ἔσεσθαι καταγελάστους.

[19] τὰς καλὰς πράξεις ἔλεγε δεῖν καταλαμβάνειν πράξεσι καλαῖς, ἵνα μὴ τῆς δόξης ἀπορρέωσιν.

[20] ἐπετίμα δὲ τοῖς πολίταις ἀεὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς 199b αἱρουμένοις ἄρχοντας· δόξετε γάρ εἰπεῖν μὴ πολλοῦ τὸ ἄρχειν ἄξιον ἢ μὴ πολλοὺς τοῦ ἄρχειν ἀξίους ἡγεῖσθαι.

[21] τὸν δὲ τοὺς παραλίους ἀγροὺς πεπρακότα προσεποιεῖτο θαυμάζειν ὡς ἰσχυρότερον τῆς θαλάσσης· 5 ἃ γὰρ ἐκείνη μόλις ἐπικλύζει, οὗτος ῥᾳδίως καταπέπωκε

[22] τιμητείαν δὲ μετιὼν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὁρῶν δεομένους τῶν πολλῶν καὶ κολακεύοντας, αὐτὸς ἐβόα τὸν δῆμον ἀποτόμου χρείαν ἔχειν ἰατροῦ καὶ μεγάλου 10 καθαρμοῦ· δεῖν οὖν μὴ τὸν ἥδιστον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπαραίτητον αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ ταῦτα λέγων ᾑρέθη πρὸ πάντων.

[23] διδάσκων δὲ τοὺς νέους εὐθαρσῶς μάχεσθαι 199c πολλάκις ἔλεγε τοῦ ξίφους τὸν λόγον μᾶλλον καὶ 15 τὴν φωνὴν τῆς χειρὸς τρέπειν καὶ καταπλήττειν τοὺς πολεμίους.

[24] ἐπεὶ δὲ πολεμῶν τοῖς περὶ τὸν Βαῖτιν ποταμὸν οἰκοῦσιν εἰς κίνδυνον ὑπὸ πλήθους τῶν πολεμίων κατέστη, τῶν μὲν Κελτιβήρων ἐπὶ διακοσίοις 20 ταλάντοις βουλομένων βοηθεῖν, τῶν δὲ Ῥωμαίων οὐκ ἐώντων ὁμολογεῖν μισθὸν ἀνθρώποις βαρβάροις, ἁμαρτάνειν ἔφησεν αὐτούς· νικῶντας μὲν γὰρ ἀποδώσειν οὐ παρʼ αὑτῶν ¹ ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων· ἡττωμένων δέ, μήτε τοὺς ἀπῃτημένους ² μήτε τοὺς 25 ἀπαιτοῦντας ἔσεσθαι.

199d

πλείονας δὲ πόλεις ἑλών, ὥς φησι, τῶν ἡμερῶν ἃς διέτριψεν ἐν τοῖς πολεμίοις, οὐδὲν αὐτὸς πλέον λαβεῖν ὧν ἔφαγε καὶ ἔπιεν ἐκ τῆς πολεμίας.

[26] τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν ἑκάστῳ λίτραν ἀργύρου διανείμας φησὶ βέλτιον εἶναι πολλοὺς ἔχοντας ἀργύριον 5 ἢ ὀλίγους χρυσίον ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας ἐπανελθεῖν· τῶν γὰρ ἀρχόντων οὐδὲν ἄλλο δεῖν ἐν ταῖς ἐπαρχίαις ἢ τὴν δόξαν αὐξάνεσθαι.

[27] πέντε δὲ οἰκέτας εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῆς στρατείας, ὧν εἷς αἰχμάλωτα σώματα τρία πριάμενος, ὡς οὐκ 10 ἔλαθε τὸν Κάτωνα, πρὶν εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν, ἀπήγξατο. 199e

[28] παρακληθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ Σκιπίωνος Ἀφρικανοῦ τοῖς Ἀχαιῶν συλλαβέσθαι φυγάσιν, ὅπως εἰς τὰς πατρίδας κατέλθωσιν, προσεποιεῖτο μηδὲν αὐτῷ μέλειν τοῦ πράγματος· ἐν δὲ τῇ συγκλήτῳ πολλῶν 15 γινομένων λόγων ἀναστὰς ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔχοντες εἶπεν ὃ πράττωμεν, καθήμεθα περὶ Γραικῶν γεροντίων ζητοῦντες πότερον ὑπὸ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἢ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖ νεκροφόρων ἐξενεχθῶσι.

[29] Ποστουμίου δὲ Ἀλβίνου ³ γράψαντος ἱστορίας 20 Ἑλληνιστὶ καὶ συγγνώμην παρὰ τῶν ἀκροωμένων 199f αἰτοῦντος, εἰρωνευόμενος ὁ Κάτων ἔφη δοτέον εἶναι συγγνώμην, εἰ τῶν Ἀμφικτυόνων ψηφισαμένων ἀναγκασθεὶς ἔγραψε,

Translations (1)

The apophthegms or remarkable sayings of kings and great commanders. Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. I. Goodwin, William W., editor; Hinton, Edward, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 81 focus

[81] CATO THE ELDER. Cato the Elder, in a speech to the people, inveighed against luxury and intemperance. How hard, said he, is it to persuade the belly, that hath no ears? And he wondered how that city was preserved wherein a fish was sold for more than an ox! Once he scoffed at the prevailing imperiousness of women: All other men, said he, govern their wives; but we command all other men, and our wives us. He said he had rather not be rewarded for his good deeds than not punished for his evil deeds; and at any time he could pardon all other offenders besides himself. He instigated the magistrates to punish all offenders, saying, that they that did not prevent crimes when they might encouraged them. Of young men, he liked them that blushed better than those who looked pale; and hated a soldier that moved his hands as he walked and his feet as he fought, and whose sneeze was louder than his outcry when he charged. He said, he was the worst governor who could not govern himself. It was his opinion that every one ought especially to reverence himself; for every one was always in his own presence. When he saw many had their statues set up, I had rather, says he, men should ask why Cato had no statue, than why he had one. He exhorted those in power to be sparing of exercising their power, that they might continue in power. They that separate honor from virtue, said he, separate virtue from youth. A governor, said he, or judge ought to do justice without entreaty, not injustice upon entreaty. He said, that injustice, if it did not endanger the authors, endangered all besides. He requested old men not to add the disgrace of wickedness to old age, which was accompanied with many other evils. He thought an angry man differed from a madman only in the shorter time which his passion endured. He thought that they who enjoyed their fortunes decently and moderately, were far from being envied; For men do not envy us, said he, but our estates. He said, they that were serious in ridiculous matters would be ridiculous in serious affairs. Honorable actions ought to succeed honorable sayings; Lest, said he, they lose their reputation. He blamed the people for always choosing the same men officers; For either you think, said he, the government little worth, or very few fit to govern. He pretended to wonder at one that sold an estate by the seaside, as if he were more powerful than the sea; for he had drunk up that which the sea could hardly drown. When he stood for the consulship, and saw others begging and flattering the people for votes, he cried out aloud: The people have need of a sharp physician and a great purge; therefore not the mildest but the most inexorable person is to be chosen. For which word he was chosen before all others. Encouraging young men to fight boldly, he oftentimes said, The speech and voice terrify and put to flight the enemy more than the hand and sword. As he warred against Baetica, he was outnumbered by the enemy, and in danger. The Celtiberians offered for two hundred talents to send him a supply, and the Romans would not suffer him to engage to pay wages to barbarians. You are out, said he; for if we overcome, not we but the enemy must pay them; if we are routed, there will be nobody to demand nor to pay either. Having taken more cities, as he saith, than he stayed days in the enemies’ country, he reserved no more of the prey for himself than what he ate or drank. He distributed to every soldier a round of silver, saying, It was better many should return out of the campaign with silver than a few with gold; for governors ought to gain nothing by their governments but honor. Five servants waited on him in the army, whereof one had bought three prisoners; and understanding Cato knew it, before he came into his presence he hanged himself. Being requested by Scipio Africanus to befriend the banished Achaeans, that they might return to their own country, he made as if he would not be concerned in that business; but when the matter was disputed in the senate, rising up, he said: We sit here, as if we had nothing else to do but to argue about a few old Grecians, whether they shall be carried to their graves by our bearers or by those of their own country. Posthumus Albinus wrote a history in Greek, and in it begs the pardon of his readers. Said Cato, jeering him, If the Amphictyonic Council commanded him to write it, he ought to be pardoned.

Notes on the current edition

Sayings of Kings and Commanders

1. M. Porcius Cato, the Elder, commonly called the Censor, 234-149 B.C.

2. Cf. Moralia, 131 D and 996 D, and Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 A).

3. Ibid. and Moralia, 668 B.

4. See the note on Moralia, 185 D (10), supra.

5. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 F).

6. Cf. the somewhat similar sentiment attributed to Pythagoras in Stobaeus, Florilegium, xlviii. 112.

7. Cf. Moralia, 29 E and 528 F, and the Life of M. Cato, chap. ix. (341 C).

8. Life of M. Cato, ibid.

9. Cf. Moralia, 210 F (33), infra.

10. Cf. Moralia, 820 B, and the Life of M. Cato, chap. xix. (347 C).

11. Cf. Moralia, 784 A and 829 F; and Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. ix. (341 D).

12. Cf. Horace, Epistles, i. 2. 62; Seneca, De ira, i. 1. 2.

13. Cf. Plutarch’s Life oF M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 D).

14. Ibid.

15. e C/. Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. viii. (340 d). d Ibid.

16. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. xvi. (345 D).

17. Ibid. chap. i. (336 E); cf. also Plutarch’s Life of Coriolanus, chap. viii. (216 F); Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (241 F).

18. In 195 B.C. in Spain.

19. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (341 F).

20. Ibid. chap. x. (342 A).

21. Cf. Plutarch’s Life of M. Cato, chap. x. (342 B).

22. Ibid. chap. ix. (341 A. - Polybius, xxxv. 6).

23. Ibid. chap. xii. (343 B); Polybius, xxxix. 12 (- xl. 6).

Plutarch Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata 81

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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