ROME 707. B. C. 45. 406th con sulship. Year of troops, they retired to a hill; where, seeing their case desperate, they endeavoured to soften their enemies, saluting them with the name of brethren: but the veterans, transported with rage, were not only deaf to their cries, but even killed and wounded some persons of distinction of their own army, whom they suspected to wish well to the contrary party. Ten thousand of the enemy were slain upon the spot; the rest were dispersed, and their three camps carried sword in hand, with the loss of only fifty men killed, and a few wounded. The garrison of Thapsus, during the battle, had sallied out of the town with a view either to assist Scipio, or to make their escape; but had been beat back by the servants and followers of the camp. Cæsar, in his return from the battle, stopped before the town, and ranged the sixty elephants he had taken, with their trappings and castles, in full view of the place. He was in hopes, by this evidence of his success, to induce Vergilius to a surrendry; and he farther invited him to it by reminding him of his experienced clemency. No answer, however, being given, he retired from before the town; but, next day, after returning thanks to the gods, he assembled his army before it, and, in sight of the inhabitants, praised his soldiers from his tribunal, and rewarded them according to their deserts. Then leaving C. Rebellius, one of his lieutenants, with three legions, to continue the siege, he sent Cn. Domitius, with two, to invest Tisdra, where Considius now commanded, and marched himself towards Utica. Scipio's cavalry had taken the same road in their flight, and arriving at Parada, were refused admittance, the inhabitants being already apprized of Cæsar's victory. They thereupon forced the gates, and, lighting a great fire in the market-place, threw all the inhabitants they could seize into it, without distinction of age or sex, with all their effects: and thence they marched directly ROME 707. to Utica. Cato, who commanded there, knowing the Year of common people to be well affected towards Cæsar, who had formerly procured them great privileges, had B. C. 45. turned them out of the town, and obliged them to 406th consulship. encamp without the walls, under the protection of a slight intrenchment, round which he had placed guards. The cavalry attacked first this camp, but the people, animated with the news of Cæsar's victory, and enraged at the ill usage they had met with, repulsed them, though they had no other arms than clubs. Disappointed in this attempt, they entered the town, and began to sack it. Cato, unable to prevail with them to abstain from rapine and undertake the defence of the place, gave each of them a hundred sesterces, and Faustus Sylla gave them as many more, to retire in peace: and he marched them into the territories of Juba. Many of the other fugitives had by this time arrived at Utica, and Cato, having assembled them with the 300 Roman merchants settled in the town, and of whom he had formed a council, he exhorted them to set their slaves free, and join with him in the necessary measures for defence; but, finding them averse to this resolution, he furnished them with ships to make their escape. He himself, having settled all his affairs with the utmost care, and recommended his children to L. Cæsar, his quæstor, without the least indication, which might give cause of suspicion, or any change in his countenance and behaviour, privately carried a sword into his chamber, when he went to sleep, and stabbed himself with it. The wound, however, not proving mortal, and the noise of his fall creating a suspicion, a physician, with some of his friends, broke into his chamber, and endeavoured to bind it up; which he no sooner was sensible of, than, tearing it open again with his own hands, he expired with undaunted resolution and presence of mind. The Uticans, though they hated his party, yet, in consideration of his singular integrity, his behaviour, so ROME 707. B. C. 45. 406th consulship. Year of different from that of the other chiefs, and the wonderful fortifications he had erected to defend their town, interred him honourably. This is the account we find of Cato's conduct and death in the Memoirs concerning the African War, and it contains the substance of Plutarch's longer narrative. As the Greek historian's circumstantial relation, however, has passed hitherto for authentic, and is the groundwork of all the panegyric which has been written upon Cato, it might look like partiality if we should omit it. It is as follows: Plut. in Cat. The news of the battle of Thapsus, and the utter ruin of Scipio's and Juba's armies, caused the greatest consternation in Utica. Cato applied himself first to quiet the minds of the people, by representing to them, that the reports were greatly exaggerated; and, as he went from street to street, his presence appeased for a time their apprehensions. His next care was to assemble the 300 Roman merchants or bankers, with whom he used to consult, and who had been very serviceable to his cause: and, after bestowing due praises upon their past fidelity and services, he exhorted them above all to a strict union, as the only means by which they could support themselves, or make themselves considered by the conqueror. He then told them to consult together what was proper to be done, and that, if they thought fit to submit to fortune, he would ascribe their resolution to necessity; but that, if they resolved to persist in the defence of their liberty, he would be their leader in such a glorious cause. "Rome (he said) had often emerged out of greater difficulties; the conqueror was perplexed in many difficult affairs: Spain had revolted to Pompey's sons: and the Romans would unanimously throw off a yoke which they wore with indignation." His speech had the desired effect: all appeared zealous for the prosecution of the war, and promised to arm themselves: but a little reflection soon cooled their ardour. "Who are we? (said they), and to whom do we refuse submission? Is not ROME Cæsar vested with the whole authority of the Roman Year of empire? Does he not command its forces? Shall 707. we dispute the possession of Utica with him to whom B. C. 45. Pompey and all his adherents were forced to abandon 406th consulship. Italy? And, when the whole earth submits to his yoke, shall we undertake the defence of the Roman liberty?" They made a declaration of these sentiments to Cato, and many of them even formed a design of seizing the Roman senators, and delivering them up to Cæsar, the better to ingratiate themselves with him. Cato, sensible that it was impossible to keep Utica, gave notice of it to Scipio and Juba: the first had escaped to his fleet at sea, and then lay concealed behind a promontory not far from the city; and the other was hid in the neighbouring woods, and had sent messengers to him. The arrival of Scipio's cavalry gave Cato fresh hopes, and he went out to meet them, attended by all the Roman senators except M. Rubrius, whom he left to watch the motions of the 300 during his absence. He addressed the commanders of this body of cavalry, and entreated them not to give themselves up to a foreign prince, but to prefer Cato to Juba, representing to them the dishonour of such a conduct, and that, by affording a protection to him and the senators with him, they would provide for their own safety in a town so well furnished with provisions and every thing necessary to hold out a siege. The officers replied, they would consult their troopers, and Cato sat down on an eminence waiting their answer. Here Rubrius came to him, complaining of the audaciousness of the 300, who had revolted, and raised a commotion in the city. Cato sent him back to beseech them to wait his return. The answer of the cavalry added to his perplexity. They sent him word, "that they had no inclination to serve under Juba; nor any apprehensions of Cæsar when under Cato's command: but that they would not put their trust in the inhabitants of Utica, whom, ROME 707. sulship. Year of therefore, he must consent to murder, or expel the city, if he would make use of their assistance.". B. C. 45. Cato's answer was, "that he would consult with the 406th con- 300." Upon his return into the town, he found that these men were come to a resolution of having recourse to Cæsar's mercy, and explained themselves pretty clearly on their design of delivering up the senators; and, at the same time, notice was given him that the cavalry were making off. Cato, fearing lest the 300 should immediately execute their threats, when they saw themselves delivered from the cavalry, called for a horse and rode after them, and by his entreaties, which he accompanied with tears, he with much difficulty prevailed upon them to halt one day; and having brought them back, posted them at the gates of the city, and put them in possession of the citadel. The 300, alarmed at this proceeding, assembled, and invited Cato to their meeting. The senators were very earnest to dissuade him from putting himself into their hands, but he knew that he had nothing to fear from them. They began by making their acknowledgments for the confidence he reposed in them, and gave him the strongest assurances of their respect and of their attachment to his person; but told him, that they were not Catos, and could not attain to his exalted sentiments. They added, that they had come to a resolution to send deputies to Cæsar to implore his clemency; but that the first and principal object of their solicitation should be Cato's safety, which if they could not obtain, they would fight in his defence to the last moment of their lives. Cato thanked them for their good-will towards him, approved of their design of submitting to Cæsar, and advised them to lose no time, but desired them to make no solicitation in his favour. "It is proper We are told by Plutarch, that Juba had proposed, in the beginning of the war, to destroy the city and exterminate the inhabitants, and that Scipio had consented to this massacre; but that Cato opposed it with so much vehemence and indignation, that the barbarous project was not carried into execution. |