. And on Cato
saying that he should like it very much, "You say well," replied
Curio, "for you will be more agreeable when you return thence, and
tamer," using some such words as these.

XV. Deiotarus the Galatian, who was now an old man, sent for Cato,
wishing to intrust to him his children and his family; and on his
arrival he offered him all manner of presents, and tried and entreated
him in every way till he so irritated Cato, that after arriving in the
evening and staying all night, he set off on the following day about
the third hour. However when he had advanced one day's journey, he
found in Possinus[678] more presents than before awaiting him there,
and letters from the Galatian begging him to receive them; and if he
should not be disposed to take them, to let his friends at least
receive favours on his account, as they well deserved it, and Cato had
not much of his own. But Cato did not give in even to these arguments,
though he saw that some of his friends were beginning to be softened
and were inclined to blame him; but observing that all receiving of
gifts might find a good excuse, and his friends should share in all
that he got honourably and justly, he sent back the presents to
Deiotarus. As he was about to set sail to Brundisium, his friends
thought that they ought to put the ashes of Caepio in another vessel,
but Cato, saying that he would rather part with his life than the
ashes of his brother, set sail. And indeed it is said that it chanced
that he had a very dangerous passage, though the rest got to
Brundisium with little difficulty.

XVI. On his return to Rome he spent his time either at home in the
company of Athenodorus, or in the Forum assisting his friends. Though
the office of Quaestor[679] was now open to him, he did not become a
candidate for it till he had read the laws relating to the
quaestorship, and had learned all particulars from the experienced, and
had comprehended the powers of the office in a certain shape.
Accordingly as soon as he was established in the office, he made a
great change in the servants and clerks about the treasury, for as
they constantly had in hand the public accounts and the laws, and had
young superiors who, by reason of their inexperience and ignorance, in
fact required others to teach and direct them, they did not allow
their superiors to have any power, but were the superior officers
themselves, until Cato vigorously applied himself to the business, not
ha