Cato and the politics of the
optimates
,the influence of stoic philosophy
● Stoicism maintained that reason and the soul were far more important than the body and it believed virtus was the
ultimate good, the advocation of: knowledge, free will, moral rectitude, self control, hardship to be endured
● Some Romans interpreted it to be the perfect marriage with political duty to the state with its moral nature lending well to
the interpretation of ancient values e.g rationality
● Central to his political beliefs was duty to preserve Rome’s culturally defining ancestral customs
● May have been influenced by his grandfather, Cato the elder, who was devoted to austere and morally upright living who
climbed each rung of the cursus honorum
● Cato’s strong sense of unemotional reasoning and his loyalty to amicitia e.g despite his fondness for his wife, Marcia, he
handed her over to Hortensius whose marriage remained childless but wished to have children. After Hortensius’ death
Marcia returned to Cato. Cato gave Marcia to him because he felt bad he didn’t have any children?
● Stoicism heavily informed his decision-making, he always attempted to stick to his principles and idealism even if they
have not been in his own interest e.g elections for military tribune in 68 he was the only candidate who didn’t resort to
bribery = believed bribery demonstrated an immoral lack of respect to the constitution and reflected a lack of self belief
● As military tribune in Macedon in 67 he lived equally among his men = renowned for extreme discipline
● In 63 he supported the prosecution of Murena on the grounds of excessive bribery but Cicero was defending him and
won , here Cicero mocked his extreme nature of stoicism
● 64 as quaestor he initiated prosecution against corrupt clerks dismissing them from their position
● 54 as praetor attempted to clamp don on electoral bribery by requiring financial records from
candidates = this was unpopular
● 46 his suicide was a stoic act asserting personal freedom faway from the prospect of tyranny
,allegiance to the optimates or boni and how this position
affected his legal and political activities
● Cato had become an increasingly prominent voice in the optimates faction bound by closely knit ties of amicitia
● Optimates were politically conservative
● Three factors that drove Cato to fight the optimate cause: 1. He came from a noble family furthering his status through
amicitia 2. The ideal of duty to the state appealed to his stoic beliefs 3. Optimates formed opposition against the populares to
Cato embodied dangerous revolution
● 5th December 63 BC the senate debated whether the conspirators should be considered for capital punishment because by
roman law as citizens they could not be put to death, Caesar argued against the death penalty but Cato spoke against him
after he argued attempted treason is nonetheless treason so they should be put to death without trial
● 62 BC he was a tribune a non compulsory magistracy: he improved the economic position for Roman citizens by reducing
the price and extending the corn dole to double the origins group of eligible people, offered him a good opportunity to
establish public standing and influence
● Cato held great suspicion of Pompey not following the cursus honorum and increasingly gaining influence over the people =
urban masses have helped in the appointment of Pompey’s imperium through tribunes (67: Gabinius proposed Pompey lex
Gabinia to rid the Mediterranean of Pirates and stabilise the corn supply, 63: lex manilia to defeat Mithridates) therefore he
opposed bills from Nepos that proposed to transfer command to Pompey and allow him to stand for consulship in absentia
● Optimates decisively showed their lack of support by rejecting two of Pompey’s reasonable requests, they had closed ranks
where he would not be accepted: 1. Land for his veterans 2. The treaties in the East he had agreed to be ratified to ensure
stability
● But Cato supported the proposal in 52 where Pompey should stand for sole consul (pragmatic of Cato) = in the eyes of the
optimates Pompey was the lesser of the two evils
● 1st December 50 BC Curio’s proposal that Caesar and Pompey should be given imperium was vetoed by Cato and the
optimates = Civil war seemed inevitable, the next day Pompey was offered imperium over all the armies in Italy to protect the
Republic and the Optimate cause
● The concept of the Optimates seem to die as politicians were forced to choose between Caesar or Pompey
, Political relationships - Cicero
● Cato was fervent in his refusal of amicitia with those whom he believed did not uphold the
established Republican values of behaviour
● Cato acknowledged Cicero’s conservative ideals, oratorical ability that made significant impacts on
all spheres of public life but his noble background would always render him socially and politically
inferior
● 63 BC stood against Cicero who defended Murena & supported Cicero’s decision to execute the
conspirators according to traditional punishment of treason
● 50 BC Cato was one of the few that refused to grant Cicero a triumph in recognition of his services
as a governor of Cicilia
● Polite in public, Cicero wrote a letter to Atticus (7.2.7) complaining about Cato’s behaviour
● Cato and Cicero were on the same side in the Civil War
● Cicero’s respect for Cato remained untarnished after his death as he composed a eulogy for him in
46 BC
optimates
,the influence of stoic philosophy
● Stoicism maintained that reason and the soul were far more important than the body and it believed virtus was the
ultimate good, the advocation of: knowledge, free will, moral rectitude, self control, hardship to be endured
● Some Romans interpreted it to be the perfect marriage with political duty to the state with its moral nature lending well to
the interpretation of ancient values e.g rationality
● Central to his political beliefs was duty to preserve Rome’s culturally defining ancestral customs
● May have been influenced by his grandfather, Cato the elder, who was devoted to austere and morally upright living who
climbed each rung of the cursus honorum
● Cato’s strong sense of unemotional reasoning and his loyalty to amicitia e.g despite his fondness for his wife, Marcia, he
handed her over to Hortensius whose marriage remained childless but wished to have children. After Hortensius’ death
Marcia returned to Cato. Cato gave Marcia to him because he felt bad he didn’t have any children?
● Stoicism heavily informed his decision-making, he always attempted to stick to his principles and idealism even if they
have not been in his own interest e.g elections for military tribune in 68 he was the only candidate who didn’t resort to
bribery = believed bribery demonstrated an immoral lack of respect to the constitution and reflected a lack of self belief
● As military tribune in Macedon in 67 he lived equally among his men = renowned for extreme discipline
● In 63 he supported the prosecution of Murena on the grounds of excessive bribery but Cicero was defending him and
won , here Cicero mocked his extreme nature of stoicism
● 64 as quaestor he initiated prosecution against corrupt clerks dismissing them from their position
● 54 as praetor attempted to clamp don on electoral bribery by requiring financial records from
candidates = this was unpopular
● 46 his suicide was a stoic act asserting personal freedom faway from the prospect of tyranny
,allegiance to the optimates or boni and how this position
affected his legal and political activities
● Cato had become an increasingly prominent voice in the optimates faction bound by closely knit ties of amicitia
● Optimates were politically conservative
● Three factors that drove Cato to fight the optimate cause: 1. He came from a noble family furthering his status through
amicitia 2. The ideal of duty to the state appealed to his stoic beliefs 3. Optimates formed opposition against the populares to
Cato embodied dangerous revolution
● 5th December 63 BC the senate debated whether the conspirators should be considered for capital punishment because by
roman law as citizens they could not be put to death, Caesar argued against the death penalty but Cato spoke against him
after he argued attempted treason is nonetheless treason so they should be put to death without trial
● 62 BC he was a tribune a non compulsory magistracy: he improved the economic position for Roman citizens by reducing
the price and extending the corn dole to double the origins group of eligible people, offered him a good opportunity to
establish public standing and influence
● Cato held great suspicion of Pompey not following the cursus honorum and increasingly gaining influence over the people =
urban masses have helped in the appointment of Pompey’s imperium through tribunes (67: Gabinius proposed Pompey lex
Gabinia to rid the Mediterranean of Pirates and stabilise the corn supply, 63: lex manilia to defeat Mithridates) therefore he
opposed bills from Nepos that proposed to transfer command to Pompey and allow him to stand for consulship in absentia
● Optimates decisively showed their lack of support by rejecting two of Pompey’s reasonable requests, they had closed ranks
where he would not be accepted: 1. Land for his veterans 2. The treaties in the East he had agreed to be ratified to ensure
stability
● But Cato supported the proposal in 52 where Pompey should stand for sole consul (pragmatic of Cato) = in the eyes of the
optimates Pompey was the lesser of the two evils
● 1st December 50 BC Curio’s proposal that Caesar and Pompey should be given imperium was vetoed by Cato and the
optimates = Civil war seemed inevitable, the next day Pompey was offered imperium over all the armies in Italy to protect the
Republic and the Optimate cause
● The concept of the Optimates seem to die as politicians were forced to choose between Caesar or Pompey
, Political relationships - Cicero
● Cato was fervent in his refusal of amicitia with those whom he believed did not uphold the
established Republican values of behaviour
● Cato acknowledged Cicero’s conservative ideals, oratorical ability that made significant impacts on
all spheres of public life but his noble background would always render him socially and politically
inferior
● 63 BC stood against Cicero who defended Murena & supported Cicero’s decision to execute the
conspirators according to traditional punishment of treason
● 50 BC Cato was one of the few that refused to grant Cicero a triumph in recognition of his services
as a governor of Cicilia
● Polite in public, Cicero wrote a letter to Atticus (7.2.7) complaining about Cato’s behaviour
● Cato and Cicero were on the same side in the Civil War
● Cicero’s respect for Cato remained untarnished after his death as he composed a eulogy for him in
46 BC
