JOURNAL ARTICLE

CATO IN SULLA'S HOUSE.

  • Published In: Eirene, 2024, v. 60. P. 103 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: THEIN, ALEXANDER 3 of 3

Abstract

Plutarch and Valerius Maximus tell us that Cato was taken to visit Sulla's house as a boy, and that he asked his pedagogue why no-one could be found to kill the tyrant when he saw the heads of the proscribed on display in the atrium. Invention was part of Sulla's hostile reception, and this article treats the story of Cato in Sulla's house as a myth. It also addresses the question of when it was invented, and how it served not just to vilify Sulla but also to promote Cato's public image. It is proposed that the story is an aetiology for Cato's decision, as quaestor in 64, to prosecute the bounty hunters who received payment and immunity for killing the proscribed. Cato needed to prove his anti-Sullan credentials, not least because his family was linked to the Sullan faction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Eirene. 2024/01, Vol. 60, p103
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Biography
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0046-1628
  • Accession Number:187108404
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Eirene is the property of Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute for Classical Studies at the Institute of Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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