30.4
Go, Munatius, go, and tell Pompey that Cato is not to be captured by way of the women’s apartments although he highly prizes Pompey’s good will, and if Pompey does justice will grant him a friendship more to be relied upon than any marriage connection; but he will not give hostages for the glory of Pompey to the detriment of his country.
30.4
At these words the women were vexed, and Cato’s friends blamed his answer as both rude and overbearing.
30.5
Afterwards, however, in trying to secure the consulship for one of his friends,Lucius Afranius, elected consul in 61 B.C. for the year 60 B.C. Cf. the Pompey, xliv. 3. Pompey sent money to the tribes, and the bribery was notorious, since the sums for it were counted out in his gardens. Accordingly, when Cato told the women that he must of necessity have shared in the disgrace of such transactions, had he been connected with Pompey by marriage, they admitted that he had taken better counsel in rejecting the alliance.Cf. the Pompey, xliv.
30.6
However, if we are to judge by the results, it would seem that Cato was wholly wrong in not accepting the marriage connection, instead of allowing Pompey to turn to Caesar and contract a marriage which united the power of the two men, nearly overthrew the Roman state, and destroyed the constitution. None of these things perhaps would have happened, had not Cato been so afraid of the slight transgressions of Pompey as to allow him to commit the greatest of all, and add his power to that of another.
31.1
These things, however, were still in the future. Meanwhile Lucullus got into a contention with Pompey over the arrangements in Pontus (each of them, namely, demanded that his own proceedings should be confirmed), Cato came to the aid of Lucullus, who was manifestly wronged, and Pompey, worsted in the senate and seeking popular favour, invited the soldiery to a distribution of land.Cf. the Lucullus, xlii. 6; Pompey, xlvi. 3 f.
