Anticato
Encyclopedia
The Anticato was a polemic
written by Julius Caesar
in hostile reply to Cicero
's pamphlet praising Cato the Younger
. The text is lost and survives only in fragments. Brutus
, dissatisfied with Cicero's work, wrote a second pamphlet in praise of Cato and called, simply, "Cato," which provoked a reply from Octavian. Octavian's work is not known to have been called AntiCato but must have been modeled on Caesar's reply to Cicero.
, who came into conflict with Caesar at the Catiline conspiracy trial. Cato argued for capital punishment for Lucius Sergius Catilina and his conspirators, so as to set an example and discourage similar treason
. Caesar argued for a private judgement and clemency. The Senate agreed with Cato, and the executions were carried out; the rebel army disbanded and fled. During the debate, however, Cato had called out Caesar for reading personal messages in the Senate; Caesar defended himself, saying he was only reading a love letter
. Cato insisted on reading it, and to widespread dismay, it was what Caesar said -- exposing his affair with Servilia Caepionis
, the half-sister of Cato. Servilia was forced to divorce.
Next, during the triumvirate
of Caesar, Pompey
, and Marcus Licinius Crassus
, Cato interfered with Caesar's plans for a triumph
for himself, while supporting one for Pompey. Cato opposed Caesar's every political step afterward, in particular leading the opposition to Caesar's return to Rome in 49 BC without relinquishing his proconsulship. Caesar famously crossed the Rubicon
and came to Rome regardless, sparking the Roman Civil War. When Caesar prevailed in the war and looked to seize power in Rome, Cato committed suicide.
Several leading Romans wrote works in posthumous praise or criticism of Cato. A famous panegyric
by Cicero
titled simply Cato led to Caesar writing his Anticato in response.
Polemic
A polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
written by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in hostile reply to Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
's pamphlet praising Cato the Younger
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
. The text is lost and survives only in fragments. Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
, dissatisfied with Cicero's work, wrote a second pamphlet in praise of Cato and called, simply, "Cato," which provoked a reply from Octavian. Octavian's work is not known to have been called AntiCato but must have been modeled on Caesar's reply to Cicero.
Background
Cato was a famously stubborn StoicSTOIC
STOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
, who came into conflict with Caesar at the Catiline conspiracy trial. Cato argued for capital punishment for Lucius Sergius Catilina and his conspirators, so as to set an example and discourage similar treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Caesar argued for a private judgement and clemency. The Senate agreed with Cato, and the executions were carried out; the rebel army disbanded and fled. During the debate, however, Cato had called out Caesar for reading personal messages in the Senate; Caesar defended himself, saying he was only reading a love letter
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
. Cato insisted on reading it, and to widespread dismay, it was what Caesar said -- exposing his affair with Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis
Servilia Caepionis was the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of one of Caesar's assassins, Brutus, mother-in-law of another Caesar assassin, Cassius, and half-sister of Cato the Younger.-Life:...
, the half-sister of Cato. Servilia was forced to divorce.
Next, during the triumvirate
Triumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
of Caesar, Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, and Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus
Marcus Licinius Crassus was a Roman general and politician who commanded the right wing of Sulla's army at the Battle of the Colline Gate, suppressed the slave revolt led by Spartacus, provided political and financial support to Julius Caesar and entered into the political alliance known as the...
, Cato interfered with Caesar's plans for a triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
for himself, while supporting one for Pompey. Cato opposed Caesar's every political step afterward, in particular leading the opposition to Caesar's return to Rome in 49 BC without relinquishing his proconsulship. Caesar famously crossed the Rubicon
Rubicon
The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, about 80 kilometres long, running from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea through the southern Emilia-Romagna region, between the towns of Rimini and Cesena. The Latin word rubico comes from the adjective "rubeus", meaning "red"...
and came to Rome regardless, sparking the Roman Civil War. When Caesar prevailed in the war and looked to seize power in Rome, Cato committed suicide.
Several leading Romans wrote works in posthumous praise or criticism of Cato. A famous panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
by Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
titled simply Cato led to Caesar writing his Anticato in response.
Sources
- Hazel, John, Who's Who - In The Roman World. London and New York: Routledge, 2001.