in spite of the Senate. On this Cato, changing
his attitude and tone and language, and concluding all that he said
with a vehement affirmation that so long as he lived Pompeius should
not come into the city with his soldiers, brought the Senate to this
opinion, that neither he nor Metellus was in a sober mind and that
neither of them was guided by sound considerations, but that the
measures of Metellus were madness which from excess of depravity was
loading to the destruction and confusion of every thing, and those of
Cato an enthusiasm of virtue struggling in behalf of honour and
justice.

XXVII. But when the people were going to vote on the law, and armed
strangers and gladiators and slaves had come to the Forum arrayed to
support Metellus, and that part of the people which longed for
Pompeius from desire of change was not small, and there was also great
support from Caesar who was then praetor, and the first men of the
citizens rather shared in the indignation and wrongs of Cato than
joined him in making resistance, and great depression and alarm
prevailed in his family, so that some of his friends taking no food
watched all night with one another in perplexed deliberation on his
behalf, and his wife and sisters also were lamenting and weeping, Cato
himself displayed a fearless and confident behaviour to all, and
cheered them, and he took his supper, as usual, and after resting all
night was roused from a deep sleep by Minucius Thermus one of his
colleagues; and they went down to the Forum with a few persons
accompanying them, though many met them and urged them to be on their
guard. When Cato stopped and saw the temple of the Dioscuri[696]
surrounded by armed men and the steps guarded by gladiators, and
Metellus himself with Caesar sitting above, he turned to his friends
and said, "O the daring and cowardly men, to collect such a force of
soldiery against a single man unarmed and defenceless." Saying this he
advanced straight forwards with Thermus; and those who occupied the
steps made way for them but they let nobody else pass, except that
Cato with difficulty pulled Munatius by the hand and got him up, and
then advancing right onwards, he flung himself between Metellus and
Caesar and there took his seat, and so cut off their communications.
Caesar and Metellus were disconcerted, but the better part of the
people seeing and admiring the noble bearing and spirit of Cato came
nearer, and with shouts encouraged Cato