46 BCEUtica
2,071 years ago
A place in this history (Pleiades 315248). 4 posts and events, oldest first.
, Utica
After Caesar beats the Republicans in Africa, Cato takes his own life at Utica. Plutarch says the first wound was not enough and he tore it open again.
But when Butas had gone out, Cato drew his sword from its sheath and stabbed himself below the breast.
Background: Cato the Younger, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)
Cato's last night, as Plutarch tells it
What was going on: Utica, 46 BCE, after Caesar beat the Republicans in Africa. On his last night Cato embraces his son and friends more warmly than usual and goes to his room, leaving them suspicious. Plutarch tells it over a century later; Cato then takes his own life.
Why it matters: By choosing death over Caesar's pardon, Cato made himself a martyr for and a symbol of the Republic. Eulogies by Cicero and Brutus began to present him as a great Stoic philosopher.
In bed he read Plato's dialogue on the soul. Looking up, he saw his sword was gone (his son had taken it) and asked a servant who took it.
After entering his chamber and lying down, he took up Plato’s dialogue On the Soul, and when he had gone through the greater part of the treatise, he looked up above his head, and not seeing his sword hanging there (for his son had taken it away while Cato was still at supper), called a servant and asked him who had taken the weapon.
Cato's last night, as Plutarch tells it
What was going on: Utica, 46 BCE, Cato's last night, as Plutarch tells it, after Caesar beat the Republicans in Africa. Cato has told his philosopher friends Demetrius and Apollonides that when he decides what to do, the choice will be his. They leave in tears.
Why it matters: By choosing death over Caesar's pardon, Cato made himself a martyr for and a symbol of the Republic. Eulogies by Cicero and Brutus began to present him as a great Stoic philosopher.
A child brought the sword. He checked it was sharp and said: Now I am my own master. Then he went back to his book, said to have read it twice.
Then the sword was sent in, carried by a little child, and Cato took it, drew it from its sheath, and examined it. And when he saw that its point was keen and its edge still sharp, he said: Now I am my own master. Then he laid down the sword and resumed his book, and he is said to have read it through twice.
Cato's death at Utica, as Plutarch tells it
What was going on: Utica, 46 BCE, after Caesar beat the Republicans in Africa. As Plutarch tells it, Cato stabbed himself but the blow was weak; his son and friends ran in, and a doctor tried to put his wound back together.
Why it matters: By choosing death over Caesar's pardon, Cato made himself a martyr for and a symbol of the Republic. Eulogies by Cicero and Brutus began to present him as a great Stoic philosopher.
When he came to and saw what was happening, he pushed the doctor away, tore the wound open with his own hands, and died.
Accordingly, when Cato recovered and became aware of this, he pushed the physician away, tore his bowels with his hands, rent the wound still more, and so died.
Spoken of by Cicero, 44 BCE, written laterSpoken of by Julius Caesar, 46 BCE
