Learn about Cato the man

Cato, the Roman conservative orator, patrician and politician?

Did you not realise that the institute was named after him?
 
AnyOldIron said:
Cato, the Roman conservative orator, patrician and politician?

Did you not realise that the institute was named after him?
Click to expand...

Of course, but I was never sure if it was Cato the Younger or Cato the Elder. Been reading more Roman history lately, which I did heavily years ago, it's always been my favorite history era to study.

The only thing I I could remember about Cato the Younger was his opposition to Caesar, I have a whole new respect for him now.
 
course, but I was never sure if it was Cato the Younger or Cato the Elder. Been reading more Roman history lately, which I did heavily years ago, it's always been my favorite history era to study.

The only thing I I could remember about Cato the Younger was his opposition to Caesar, I have a whole new respect for him now.

The era of Cato the younger is fascinating, Caesar, Pompey, Cicero etc...

Have you read De Bello Gallatico (the gallic wars) by Julius Caesar?

Cato was fervently opposed to Caesar's dictatorship, fought against him and topped himself when he lost.

Caesar might have been a dictator, though Cato was still aristo who blocked many needed reforms in Roman society....
 
AnyOldIron said:
course, but I was never sure if it was Cato the Younger or Cato the Elder. Been reading more Roman history lately, which I did heavily years ago, it's always been my favorite history era to study.

The only thing I I could remember about Cato the Younger was his opposition to Caesar, I have a whole new respect for him now.

The era of Cato the younger is fascinating, Caesar, Pompey, Cicero etc...

Have you read De Bello Gallatico (the gallic wars) by Julius Caesar?
Click to expand...

No, I'm sure it's good though. Caesar was the most multitalented person in history, except for possibly Leonardo Da Vinci.

AnyOldIron said:
Cato was fervently opposed to Caesar's dictatorship, fought against him and topped himself when he lost.
Caesar might have been a dictator, though Cato was still aristo who blocked many needed reforms in Roman society....
Click to expand...
But he was very frugal and lived humbly. What reforms did he block?
 
When I first saw this post ..3 things popped into my mind .. Cato .. the sidekick to The Green Hornet (played by Bruce Lee by the way) Cato...that little wimp in the OJ case ..but I think his name begins with a K... and the Cato institute ..which I ruled out because I didnt think it was relative to a person .. hey you learn something new everyday! ;)


By the way .. Ive been on a huge Rome kick lately ... History channel is feeding me bigtime ...
 
klaatu said:
When I first saw this post ..3 things popped into my mind .. Cato .. the sidekick to The Green Hornet (played by Bruce Lee by the way) Cato...that little wimp in the OJ case ..but I think his name begins with a K... and the Cato institute ..which I ruled out because I didnt think it was relative to a person .. hey you learn something new everyday! ;)


By the way .. Ive been on a huge Rome kick lately ... History channel is feeding me bigtime ...
Click to expand...

It's important to remember that there were many wars throughout Roman history but what did the Roman empire in was a trying to sate it's populations domestic demands via government. This is what I've found from reading up on it and especially with Edward Gibbons writings.

All wars come and go, but you cannot erase the dependence on government once grown and everything has it's limits...
 
But he was very frugal and lived humbly. What reforms did he block?

Plebian Roman citizens were struggling to make a living due to being 'undercut' by the mass of slaves entering the city from Rome's successful wars. This was blocked by many of the patricians, the reforms came into play after Pompey lost the civil war.

Also reforms of the Senate that restricted entry of non-patricians, the loosening of the cursus honorum...
 
klaatu said:
When I first saw this post ..3 things popped into my mind .. Cato .. the sidekick to The Green Hornet (played by Bruce Lee by the way) Cato...that little wimp in the OJ case ..but I think his name begins with a K... and the Cato institute ..which I ruled out because I didnt think it was relative to a person .. hey you learn something new everyday! ;)


By the way .. Ive been on a huge Rome kick lately ... History channel is feeding me bigtime ...
Click to expand...

meee toooo! the documentaries have been GREAT....
 
AnyOldIron said:
But he was very frugal and lived humbly. What reforms did he block?

Plebian Roman citizens were struggling to make a living due to being 'undercut' by the mass of slaves entering the city from Rome's successful wars. This was blocked by many of the patricians, the reforms came into play after Pompey lost the civil war.

Also reforms of the Senate that restricted entry of non-patricians, the loosening of the cursus honorum...
Click to expand...

Slaves always give a net benefit to the economy, but I assume that what your getting at is that all the new labour went to the upperclass, and none of the new labours worth went to the lower class. Getting rid of the slaves wouldn't have helped out the economy, sorry, (as horrible as that may sound). It would be more efficient to simply give them money then make them work work that someone else is already doing for nothing (although a horrible thing to do).
 
Slaves always give a net benefit to the economy, but I assume that what your getting at is that all the new labour went to the upperclass, and none of the new labours worth went to the lower class. Getting rid of the slaves wouldn't have helped out the economy, sorry, (as horrible as that may sound). It would be more efficient to simply give them money then make them work work that someone else is already doing for nothing (although a horrible thing to do).

Slave labour reduces operating costs, which is an obvious advantage to the economy.

The problem in Rome was that it had a large population of poor plebian citizens, citizens who were being undercut by the slave labour brought in by Rome's increasing military successes. This mob was extremely dangerous and could easily turn violent. Consuls (and after Caesar, dictators) of Rome usually tried to keep the citizenry happy with 'bread and circuses' (yes, Rome had a welfare system - how that must grate with modern capitalist extremists).

The problem during the time of Cato, JC and Pompey was that JC, attempting to buy popularity in his bid to become 'first man of Rome' (Principes), was in favour of reforming the slave problem. He was already throwing extravagant circuses, triumphs and providing dole, undercutting the usual tactic of 'buying off' the mob.

This tactic worked for Caesar, who after winning the civil war, pacified the Roman mob (Romans up to then being extremely suspicious of dictators after Tarquinus) by instigating a series of public works employing only citizens.
 
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