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He lived and acted in accord with [[Stoics|Stoic philosophy]], being unmoved by passion and firm in everything. That moral superiority annoyed his colleagues who felt compromises, bribes and deals were necessary for the practical conduct of affairs. [[Cicero]] noted, "He speaks as if he were in Plato's commonwealth, " his fellow politician Cicero complained, "not as f he were dealing with the dregs of Romulus" (the Roman electorate).

He lived and acted in accord with [[Stoics|Stoic philosophy]], being unmoved by passion and firm in everything. That moral superiority annoyed his colleagues who felt compromises, bribes and deals were necessary for the practical conduct of affairs. [[Cicero]] noted, "He speaks as if he were in Plato's commonwealth, " his fellow politician Cicero complained, "not as f he were dealing with the dregs of Romulus" (the Roman electorate).

In 67-66 BC Cato was the Roman military tribune, a high-ranking officer, in Macedonia. Back in Rome he was quaestor, a treasury officer, in 64 BC. In 63 BC came the famous conspiracy of [[Catiline]] against the Roman government, a conspiracy which stopped thanks to the courage and energy of the consul Cicero. In the Senate debate on the fate of the senators involved in the conspiracy, [[Julius Caesar]] argued against their execution. Cato's uncompromising advocacy of severity carried the day, and they were executed.  In another case Cato tried to unseat Murena, a consul notorious for bribery; Cicero, believing that the situation needed Murena as consul, managed to block.

In 67-66 BC Cato was the Roman military tribune, a high-ranking officer, in Macedonia. Back in Rome he was [[quaestor]], a treasury officer, in 64 BC. In 63 BC came the famous conspiracy of [[Catiline]] against the Roman government, a conspiracy which stopped thanks to the courage and energy of the consul Cicero. In the Senate debate on the fate of the senators involved in the conspiracy, [[Julius Caesar]] argued against their execution. Cato's uncompromising advocacy of severity carried the day, and they were executed.  In another case Cato tried to unseat Murena, a consul notorious for bribery; Cicero, believing that the situation needed Murena as consul, managed to block.

Cato is probably most famous as a staunch opponent of [[Julius Caesar]], who he believed would overthrow the Republic and set himself up as a [[tyrant]].  Long an enemy of Caesar, Cato joined [[Pompey the Great]]'s forces in the civil war; and after Pompey's defeat and death in 48 BC, Cato led a remnant of the Pompeians to North Africa. His forces were decisively defeated at [[Battle of Thapsus]], and Cato, retreating to nearby Utica, committed suicide rather than fall into Caesar's hands.<ref>He is sometimes called "Cato of Utica"</ref>  

Cato is probably most famous as a staunch opponent of [[Julius Caesar]], who he believed would overthrow the Republic and set himself up as a [[tyrant]].  Long an enemy of Caesar, Cato joined [[Pompey the Great]]'s forces in the civil war; and after Pompey's defeat and death in 48 BC, Cato led a remnant of the Pompeians to North Africa. His forces were decisively defeated at [[Battle of Thapsus]], and Cato, retreating to nearby Utica, committed suicide rather than fall into Caesar's hands.<ref>He is sometimes called "Cato of Utica"</ref>