§2.1ἔτι δʼ Ἀριστείδης μὲν ἐν Μαραθῶνι καὶ πάλιν ἐν Πλαταιαῖς δέκατος ἦν στρατηγός, Κάτων δὲ δεύτερος μὲν ὕπατος ᾑρέθη πολλῶν ἀντιμετιόντων, δεύτερος δὲ τιμητής ἑπτὰ τοὺς ἐπιφανεστάτους καὶ πρώτους ἁμιλλωμένους ὑπερβαλόμενος.
Furthermore, Aristides was the tenth general at Marathon and again at Plataea, whereas Cato was elected as the second consul when many were competing against him, and as the second censor after surpassing seven of the most illustrious and foremost competitors.
καὶ μὴν Ἀριστείδης μὲν ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων γέγονε πρῶτος, ἀλλὰ Μιλτιάδης ἔχει τοῦ Μαραθῶνος τὸ πρωτεῖον, Θεμιστοκλῆς δὲ τῆς Σαλαμῖνος, ἐν δὲ Πλαταιαῖς φησιν Ἡρόδοτος ἀνελέσθαι καλλίστην νίκην Παυσανίαν, §2.2Ἀριστείδῃ δὲ καὶ τῶν δευτερείων ἀμφισβητοῦσι Σωφάναι καὶ Ἀμεινίαι καὶ Καλλίμαχοι καὶ Κυναίγειροι διαπρεπῶς ἀριστεύσαντες ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἀγῶσι·
Indeed, Aristides became first in none of the successful achievements, but Miltiades holds the first place for Marathon, Themistocles for Salamis, and at Plataea Herodotus says that Pausanias won the fairest victory, and for Aristides, even the second place is disputed by Sophanes, Ameinias, Callimachus, and Cynaegeirus, who distinguished themselves by their bravery in those struggles.
Κάτων δʼ οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς ὑπατεύων ἐπρώτευσε καὶ χειρὶ καὶ γνώμῃ κατὰ τὸν Ἰβηρικὸν πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χιλιαρχῶν περὶ Θερμοπύλας ὑπατεύοντος ἑτέρου τὴν δόξαν ἔσχε τῆς νίκης, μεγάλας ἐπʼ Ἀντίοχον Ῥωμαίοις ἀναπετάσας κλεισιάδας καὶ πρόσω μόνον ὁρῶντι τῷ βασιλεῖ περιστήσας κατὰ νώτου τὸν πόλεμον.
Cato, however, not only was first himself both in hand and in counsel during the Iberian War when he was consul, but also, while serving as a military tribune near Thermopylae when another was consul, he won the glory of the victory, having flung wide the great gates for the Romans against Antiochus and having brought the war around to the rear of the king, who was looking only forward.
§2.3ἐκείνη γὰρ ἡ νίκη περιφανῶς ἔργον οὖσα Κάτωνος ἐξήλασε τῆς Ἑλλάδος τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ παρέσχεν ἐπιβατὴν αὖθις Σκηπίωνι.
For that victory, which was manifestly the work of Cato, drove Asia out of Greece and provided Scipio in turn with a stepping-stone.
πολεμοῦντες μὲν οὖν ἀήττητοι γεγόνασιν ἀμφότεροι, περὶ δὲ τὴν πολιτείαν Ἀριστείδης μὲν ἔπταισεν ἐξοστρακισθεὶς καὶ καταστασιασθεὶς ὑπὸ Θεμιστοκλέους, Κάτων δʼ, οἵπερ ἦσαν ἐν Ῥώμῃ δυνατώτατοι καὶ μέγιστοι, πᾶσιν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἀντιπάλοις χρώμενος καὶ μέχρι γήρως ὥσπερ ἀθλητὴς ἀγωνιζόμενος ἀπτῶτα διετήρησεν ἑαυτόν, §2.4πλείστας δὲ καὶ φυγὼν δημοσίας δίκας καὶ διώξας πολλὰς μὲν εἷλε, πάσας δʼ ἀπέφυγε, πρόβλημα τοῦ βίου καὶ δραστήριον ὄργανον ἔχων τὸν λόγον, ᾧ δικαιότερον ἄν τις ἢ τύχῃ καὶ δαίμονι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ μηδὲν παθεῖν παρʼ ἀξίαν ἀνατιθείη.
While, therefore, they both remained undefeated in war, in political life Aristides stumbled by being ostracized and driven out by the faction of Themistocles, whereas Cato, having as opponents almost all those who were the most powerful and greatest in Rome, and contending like an athlete until old age, preserved himself without a fall, and though he was a defendant in very many public trials and a prosecutor in many, he won many as prosecutor and escaped all as defendant, having his eloquence as a shield for his life and an active tool, to which one might more justly attribute his suffering nothing undeserved than to his fortune and guiding spirit.
μέγα γὰρ καὶ Ἀριστοτέλει τῷ φιλοσόφῳ τοῦτο προσεμαρτύρησεν Ἀντίπατρος γράφων περὶ αὐτοῦ μετὰ τὴν τελευτήν, ὅτι πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ τὸ πιθανὸν εἶχεν.
For Antipater also bore great witness to this for Aristotle the philosopher, writing about him after his death that, in addition to his other qualities, the man also possessed the power of persuasion.