CATO –

CHRONOLOGICAL
EVENTS
68 BC

• Cato elected military tribune – only candidate who refused bribery of electorate
67 BC

• Military tribune in Macedon – served under Rubrius

-> spurned option of luxurious lifestyle + lived among his men on equal footing, sharing same
food; extreme discipline)
• Tribune Aulus Gabinius successfully proposed Pompey be awarded imperium to rid
Mediterranean of pirates (stabilized problem of corn supply in 3 months)
66 BC

• Pompey awarded imperium again to defeat Mithridates in E, replacing optimate Lucius Licinus
Lucullus
• Proposed by tribune Gaius Manilius
64 BC

• Quaestorship
63 BC

• Supported prosecution of successful consular candidate Lucius Licinius Murena

- On grounds of excessive bribery
- Murena defended by Cicero + won the case on grounds that threat posed to state at the time
meant this wasn’t the time/place to depose consul elected for 62
• 5 Dec: debate in senate to discuss fate of conspirators (put to capital punishment/not) -> Cato
gave an eloquent speech in favor of putting them to death (saying attempted treason = same as
treason itself)
• Nepos (fellow tribune) proposed Pompey be recalled to Rome to help ‘clean up’ any remaining
Catiline supporters => Cato did everything to prevent him from speaking
62 BC

• Tribuneship
• Clodius committed sacrilege by dressing up as a woman to infiltrate women-only festival of
Bona Dea => Clodius acquitted by a jury bribed in his favor by Crassus
60 BC

• Proposed & passed 2 decrees in an attempt to deal with agents of bribery

• Lack of support for Pompey:
- Back in Rome, P submitted 2 imp requests to senate (land to be allocated to his veterans +
treaties he agreed in E to be ratified to ensure stability) => senate rejected both
• Caesar asked senate 2 things: military triumph in recognition of his successful subjugation of
Gaul + right to campaign as consul in absentia since he couldn’t set foot in Rome to stand for
election while holding military imperium => Cato & optimates refused latter in hope Caesar
wouldn’t be able to resist choosing triumph over consulship => but opposite => Cato &
optimates supported rival candidate Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (Cato’s son-in-law)
59 BC

• Clodius adopted into plebeian order; aided by Caesar in his official position as pont max =>
Clodius able to stand as tribune
58 BC

• Clodius sent Cato to Cyprus to complete annexation of territory that was to become part of
Rome’s province of Cilicia => Clodius supported iiivirate by keeping Cato out of pol arena at
Rome
56 BC

• Returns from Cyprus

54 BC

• Praetorship
53 BC

• Crassus killed in Parthian campaign at Carrhae

• Continued riots in Rome => no consuls elected
52 BC

• Supported proposal Pompey should stand as sole consul (moment of pragmatism)

• Before this, earlier in 52: Pompey given proconsular imperium in a state of declared martial
law
51 BC

• Cato’s own candidature for consulship said to have failed bcs of his adamant refusal to adopt
practice of bribery
50 BC

• Caesar’s campaign in Gaul = successful end

• Caesar planted a tribune (Gaius Scribonius Curio) to act on his behalf in Rome
• 1 Dec: Curio’s proposal to senate Caesar & Pompey should hand over their imperium = vetoed
by Cato & optimates – despite a maj vote in favor (370 to 22 – 22 hostile to Caesar)
• 2 Dec: Pompey offered extraordinary imperium over all armies in Italy to protect Republic
• One of few in senate who refused to agree to Cicero being granted public honor in recognition
of his services as gov in Cilicia
46 BC

• On hearing news Republican forces = defeated at Thapsus in Apr => committed suicide
• Cicero wrote a eulogy in praise of him in summer after his suicide
• Caesar produced a pamphlet after Cato’s death – ‘Anti-Cato’