709: The priesthood of such temples as Paphos was a valuable
thing. These temples had lands and slaves.]

[Footnote 710: This was Auletes, the father of Cleopatra. He was
restored to his kingdom by A. Gabinius B.C. 55, while he was governor
of Syria.]

[Footnote 711: This is the meaning of the passage. The interview was
ludicrous enough, but Dacier makes it still more so, by seating Cato
on a close-stool; and Kind and Schirach, two German translators, make
him receive the king in the same way (Kaltwasser's note).]

[Footnote 712: This was M. Junius Brutus, afterwards Caesar's friend
and assassin. Cato could not have found a better man for his purpose;
at least for laying his hands on all that came in his way. Brutus took
the opportunity of helping himself to some of the plunder in his
uncle's absence. At a later time he had large sums out at interest in
Cyprus and partly in other persons' names. He was a merciless usurer.
(Cicero, _Ad Attic._, v. 18 and 21; vi. 21; and the Life of Cicero, c.
36, notes.)]

[Footnote 713: Plutarch explains in a general way what is meant. The
Roman word "pignus," which Plutarch translates by [Greek: enechyra],
means a thing pawned and delivered as a security to the pawnee. To
take pledges, "pignora capere," was to seize something that belonged
to a man in order to compel the discharge of a duty. It was like a
distress for a service. Instances occur in Livy (3. c. 38, 37. c. 51;
Cicero, _De Oratore_, 3. c. 1).]

[Footnote 714: The Greek nominative would be Barcas. The name does not
appear to be Roman and is probably corrupted. Bursa is a Roman name.
See c. 48.]

[Footnote 715: There is no suspicion that Cato got anything for
himself. He was above that. He honestly discharged his dishonest
mission.]

[Footnote 716: This was a port of Corinth on the east side of the
Isthmus.]

[Footnote 717: The amazement of the people at the quantity of the
plunder, and the thanks of the Senate for the faithful discharge of
their order to pillage, might seem regular enough if it had been booty
gotten in war. But the robbery was not gilded with this false show. It
was pure, simple robbery without the accessories of war.]

[Footnote 718: This means a praetorship before the age at which a man
could regularly hold the office. Cato returned from Cyprus in B.C. 56.
He was now thirty-eight years of age, for he died B.C. 46, when he was
forty-eight.]

[Footnote 719: The order of the words in the origi