[Footnote 712:  This was M. Junius Brutus, afterwards Caesar’s friend and assassin.  Cato could not have found a better man for his purpose; at least for laying his hands on all that came in his way.  Brutus took the opportunity of helping himself to some of the plunder in his uncle’s absence.  At a later time he had large sums out at interest in Cyprus and partly in other persons’ names.  He was a merciless usurer.  (Cicero, Ad Attic., v. 18 and 21; vi. 21; and the Life of Cicero, c. 36, notes.)]

[Footnote 713:  Plutarch explains in a general way what is meant.  The Roman word “pignus,” which Plutarch translates by [Greek:  enechyra], means a thing pawned and delivered as a security to the pawnee.  To take pledges, “pignora capere,” was to seize something that belonged to a man in order to compel the discharge of a duty.  It was like a distress for a service.  Instances occur in Livy (3. c. 38, 37. c. 51; Cicero, De Oratore, 3. c. 1).]

[Footnote 714:  The Greek nominative would be Barcas.  The name does not appear to be Roman and is probably corrupted.  Bursa is a Roman name.  See c. 48.]

[Footnote 715:  There is no suspicion that Cato got anything for himself.  He was above that.  He honestly discharged his dishonest mission.]

[Footnote 716:  This was a port of Corinth on the east side of the Isthmus.]

[Footnote 717:  The amazement of the people at the quantity of the plunder, and the thanks of the Senate for the faithful discharge of their order to pillage, might seem regular enough if it had been booty gotten in war.  But the robbery was not gilded with this false show.  It was pure, simple robbery without the accessories of war.]

[Footnote 718:  This means a praetorship before the age at which a man could regularly hold the office.  Cato returned from Cyprus in B.C. 56.  He was now thirty-eight years of age, for he died B.C. 46, when he was forty-eight.]

[Footnote 719:  The order of the words in the original makes the meaning appear somewhat ambiguous.  The passage might be translated, as it is by Dacier, “for the colleague of Philippus paid no less respect to Cato on account of his merit, than Philippus did on account of his relationship.”]

[Footnote 720:  Cicero returned from exile B.C. 57, in the month of September of the unreformed calendar.]

[Footnote 721:  This was the meeting at Luca in B.C. 56.  See the Life of Pompeius, c. 51; and the Life of Caesar, c. 21.]

[Footnote 722:  This was the second consulship of each, and was in B.C. 55.  Cato lost the praetorship, and Vatinius was elected instead of him (Dion Cassius (39, c. 32).]

[Footnote 723:  As to Caius Trebonius, see the Life of Pompeius, c. 52.]

[Footnote 724:  One would suppose that a less time would have been more than enough, though not for Cato.  Dion Cassius (39. c. 31) says that Favonius spoke for an hour before Cato did, and took up all the time in complaining of the shortness of his allowance.  It would be a fair inference that he had little to say against the measure itself.]