He called together those of the citizens who were Present, enquired whither each one of them had determined to proceed, sent them forth with supplies for the journey, and bade his son betake himself to Caesar.

To the youth’s interrogation, “Why then do you also not do so?” he replied:—­“I, brought up in freedom, with the right of free speech, can not in my old age change and learn slavery instead; but you, who were both born and brought up under such a regime, you ought to serve the deity that presides over your fortunes.”

[-11-] When he had done this, after sending to the people of Utica an account of his administration and returning to them the surplus funds, as well as whatever else of theirs he had, he was filled with a desire to depart previous to Caesar’s arrival.  He did not undertake any such project by day (for his son and others surrounding him kept him under surveillance), but when evening was come he slipped a tiny dagger secretly under his pillow, and asked for Plato’s book on the Soul, [84] which he had written out.  This he did either endeavoring to divert the company from the suspicion that he had any sinister plan in mind, in order to render himself as free from scrutiny as possible, or else in the wish to obtain some little consolation in respect to death from the reading of it.  When he had read the work through, as it drew on toward midnight, he stealthily drew out the dagger, and smote himself upon the belly.  He would have immediately died from loss of blood, had he not by falling from the low couch made a noise and aroused those sleeping in the antechamber.  Thereupon his son and some others who rushed in duly put back his bowels into his belly again, and brought medical attendance for him.  Then they took away the dagger and locked the doors, that he might obtain sleep,—­for they had no idea of his perishing in any other way.  But he, having thrust his hands into the wound and broken the stitches of it expired.

Thus Cato, who had proved himself both the most democratic and the strongest willed of his contemporaries acquired a great glory even from his very death, so that he obtained the commemorative title “of Utica,” both because he had died, as described, in that city, and because he was publicly buried by the people.[-12-] Caesar declared that with him he was angry, because Cato had grudged him the distinction attaching to the preservation of such a man, but released his son and most of the rest, as was his custom:  for some came over to him immediately of their own volition, and others later, so as to approach him after time should have somewhat blurred his memory.  So these escaped, but Afranius and Faustus would not come to him of their own free will, for they felt sure of destruction.  They fled to Mauritania, where they were captured by Sittius.  Caesar put them to death without a trial, on the ground that they were captives for a second time.[85] And in the case of Lucius Caesar, though the man was related to him and