XVIII.  After the pacification of Greece and the end of the war with Antiochus, Flamininus was elected censor, which is the highest office at Rome, and is as it were the goal of political life.  His colleague was Marcellus, the son of him that was five times consul.  They ejected from the Senate four men of no reputation, and admitted into it all the candidates who were of free birth, being forced to do so by the tribune of the people Terentius Culeo, who by his invectives against the patricians had induced the people to pass a decree to that effect.

The two most prominent men in Rome at this time were Scipio Africanus and Marcus Cato.  Of these Titus appointed Scipio to be President of the Senate, as being the first man in the state, but he quarrelled with Cato for the following reason.  Titus had a brother, Lucius Flamininus, who was very unlike himself in disposition, being licentious in his pleasures and careless of his reputation.  He had a favourite whom he always took with him even when he was in command of an army or governor of a province.  This boy once at a wine party said that he was so greatly attached to Lucius, that he left a show of gladiators before he had seen a man killed, to please him.  Lucius, delighted at this proof of affection, said, “That is easily remedied; I will gratify your wish.”  He ordered a condemned criminal to be brought, sent for the executioner, and bade him strike off the man’s head in the banquetting chamber.  Valerius of Antium says that Lucius did this to please a female, not a male favourite.  But Livy says that in Cato’s own speech on the subject we are told that Lucius, to gratify his favourite, slew with his own hand a Gaulish deserter who came with his wife and children to the door, and whom he had himself invited into the banquetting chamber.  It is probable that Cato added these particulars to exaggerate the horror of the story, for Cicero the Orator, who gives the story in his book ‘On Old Age,’ and many other writers, say that the man was not a deserter, but a criminal, and condemned to death.

XIX.  In consequence of this, Cato, when censor, removed Lucius from the Senate, although he was of consular rank, and although his degradation affected his brother as well as himself.  Both of them now presented themselves before the people poorly clad and in tears, and appeared to be making a very reasonable demand in begging Cato to state the grounds upon which he had cast such ignominy upon an honourable family.  Cato, however, not in the least affected by this, came forward with his colleague and publicly demanded of Titus whether he was acquainted with what happened at the banquet.  When Titus answered that he knew nothing of it, Cato related the circumstances, challenging Lucius to contradict him if he spoke untruly.  As Lucius remained silent, the people saw that his degradation had been deserved, and Cato retired in triumph.  Titus, vexed at what had befallen his brother, now joined the party of Cato’s enemies,