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Cornelius Nepos · Cato §2.1-2.4

Cato's Deeds as Consul and Censor

Passage 2 of 2 · Latin

Summary

This chunk describes Cato's activities in Spain during his consulship and his conflict with Scipio Africanus, followed by his strict administration as censor and his lifelong political struggles for the republic.

§2.1Consulatum gessit cum L. Valerio Flacco.
He held the consulship with Lucius Valerius Flaccus.
sorte provinciam nactus Hispaniam citeriorem ex ea triumphum deportavit.
Having obtained by lot the province of Nearer Spain, he celebrated a triumph from it.
§2.2ibi cum diutius moraretur, P. Scipio Africanus consul iterum, cuius in priore consulatu quaestor fuerat, voluit eum de provincia depellere et ipse ei succedere, neque hoc per senatum efficere potuit, cum quidem Scipio principatum in civitate obtineret, quod tum non potentia, sed iure res publica administrabatur.
While he was delaying there rather long, Publius Scipio Africanus, consul for the second time, in whose first consulship Cato had been quaestor, wished to remove him from his province and to succeed him himself, nor was he able to accomplish this through the senate, even though Scipio held the leading position in the state, because at that time the republic was administered not by power, but by law.
qua ex re iratus senatui consulatu peractoc privatus in urbe mansit.
Angry at the senate for this reason, Scipio, after his consulship was finished, remained in the city as a private citizen.
§2.3at Cato, censor cum eodem Flacco factus, severe praefuit ei potestati.
But Cato, having been made censor with the same Flaccus, exercised that power with severity.
nam et in complures nobiles animadvertit et multas res novas in edictum addidit, qua re luxuria reprimeretur, quae iam tum incipiebat pullulare.
For he both punished several nobles and added many new measures to his edict, by which luxury, which was already then beginning to sprout, might be repressed.
§2.4circiter annos octoginta, usque ad extremam aetatem ab adulescentia, rei publicae causa suscipere inimicitias non destitit.
For about eighty years, from his youth to the very end of his life, he did not cease to incur enmities for the sake of the republic.
a multis tentatus non modo nullum detrimentum existimationis fecit, sed, quoad vixit, virtutum laude crevit.
Though attacked by many, he not only suffered no damage to his reputation, but, as long as he lived, grew in the praise of his virtues.

Notes

  1. §2.2iratus — The adjective `iratus` (nominative singular masculine) modifies `Scipio`, the subject of the main clause. In context, it is Scipio who became angry at the senate for refusing his attempt to displace Cato (`voluit eum de provincia depellere`) and consequently remained in Rome as a private citizen.
  2. §2.2cum quidem — The conjunction `cum` with the subjunctive `obtineret` expresses concession ("although"). The adverb `quidem` intensifies this concessive force ("even though indeed").
  3. §2.3qua re ... reprimeretur — The subjunctive `reprimeretur` in the relative clause introduced by `qua re` (ablative of means) expresses either purpose ("so that by this means luxury might be repressed") or the characteristic of the measures added to the edict ("such that by them luxury was repressed").
  4. §2.4detrimentum existimationis — The genitive `existimationis` functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun `detrimentum` ("damage to his reputation").

Cite this passage

Cornelius Nepos, Cato §2.1-2.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0588.abo024.humanitext-lat2:2.1-2.4

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