CATO DIES RATHER THAN YIELD TO CÆSAR
Cæsar found that a civil war was raging in Egypt, between the followers
of the boy king and his sister Cleopatra. So the Roman general sent for
the brother and sister, and said that he would settle their dispute.
Cleopatra was beautiful and charming, and this may have helped Cæsar to
decide that she should reign along with her brother, Ptolemy.
The brother and sister might have been content with this arrangement,
but the king’s minister was dissatisfied, and he persuaded the army to
side with him, and to besiege Cæsar in Alexandria.
But Cæsar had not enough troops to defend the city, so he sent to Asia
for reinforcements. While he awaited them he withdrew from Alexandria
to Pharos, which was quite close to the city, and connected with it by
a drawbridge.
King Ptolemy, who was with Cæsar, begged one day to be allowed to go to
Alexandria, where Cleopatra’s sister had now been established as queen.
Cæsar granted the boy’s request, and he went off gleefully as if for
a holiday. But he did not go to the city. Instead he joined the army
which was fighting against Cæsar, and tried his boyish best to prevent
provisions reaching the Romans by sea.
But in March 47 B.C., the reinforcements for which Cæsar had sent
arrived in Egypt.
Ptolemy did not hesitate to march with his troops against this new
army before it had joined Cæsar, whereupon the Roman general hurried
swiftly after him. He speedily took Ptolemy’s camp, and the young king
was forced to flee. In his attempt to escape from the enemy he was
drowned.
Soon after this Cleopatra’s sister abdicated, and Cleopatra became
queen.
Cæsar’s troubles in Egypt were now over and he was able to return to
Rome, where he had already been appointed Dictator for a year, and
Consul for five years.
But although the Dictator’s presence was needed in Rome, he could only
stay three months in the city, for he was still more needed in Africa.
For the leaders of the Pompeian party had gathered together a new army
and were ready to war against Cæsar.
After Julia’s death, Pompey had married again, and his father-in-law,
Scipio, was at the head of the army. Pompey’s two sons too, Gnæus
and Sextus, were eager to avenge their father’s death. Cato was in
possession of Utica. It was a formidable army, and Cæsar had not as
large a number of men as the Pompeians. Moreover, he was hampered by
having his supplies intercepted by the fleet of his enemy.
Until reinforcements arrived, Cæsar therefore contented himself with
taking towns that did not make any serious defence. But in January 46
B.C. his army was reinforced, and he was eager to draw Scipio into
battle.
One day, early in February, Cæsar began to march toward the town of
Thapsus, meaning to attack it. Scipio followed him, and soon found
himself in such a position that he was forced to fight.
The battle was fierce, but Cæsar in the end defeated Scipio with great
loss. Leaving an officer to carry out the assault he had planned upon
Thapsus, Cæsar himself then marched towards Utica, which town was held
by Cato.
Now Cato might be a philosopher, and indeed such he was, but he had not
the qualities of a soldier.
No sooner did he hear that Cæsar was on his way to Utica, than he
decided that any attempt to hold the town would be useless, and he made
none.
But the philosopher was not afraid of death, and he determined to die
rather than to yield to the conqueror. So he withdrew quietly to his
own room and threw himself upon his sword. His friends, hearing him
fall, rushed to his aid; as the wound was not fatal, it was dressed and
bandaged.
No sooner was Cato again alone, than he dragged off the bandages and
let himself bleed to death.
Gnæus and Sextus Pompeius had gone to Spain, and Scipio escaped to a
ship and sailed away, hoping to join the lads.
But Cæsar sent a vessel in pursuit of the defeated general, and Scipio,
seeing that he must be captured, threw himself overboard and was
drowned.
Numidia was now made a Roman province, and Cæsar’s work in Africa was
ended. He returned to Rome in July 46 B.C. as ruler of the great Roman
Empire.