speech, in which he
blamed them for having allowed an embassy to remain so long at Rome
without accomplishing its purpose, although nothing was easier than
for it to gain its point. He called upon them therefore, to decide as
soon as possible and come to a vote upon the matter about which this
embassy was come, in order that these philosophers might return to
their schools and instruct the young men of Greece, while those of
Rome might, as before, give their attention to the laws and the
magistrates.

XXIII. Cato acted thus, not as some writers imagine, from any private
quarrel with Karneades, but because he disliked the philosophy
altogether, and from a feeling of patriotism, regarded all Greek
literature and methods of education with hatred and contempt. He used
to say that Sokrates was a wordy and dangerous man, who endeavoured in
his own way to make himself supreme in Athens, by destroying the best
of the national customs and teaching the citizens to hold opinions at
variance with the laws. He ridiculed Isokrates as a teacher of
rhetoric, saying that his disciples stayed with him so long learning
their profession, that they were only able to practice what they had
learned in the court where Minos sat as judge in the next world. In
his endeavours to dissuade his son from the study of Greek literature,
he abused the privileges of old age so far as to utter a prophecy that
the Romans would ruin their empire by too intimate an acquaintance
with the arts of Greece. Time, however, has proved this to be a mere
empty slander, seeing that since then Rome has risen to a wonderful
height of power and glory, and yet is thoroughly familiar with Greek
writings and studies. Cato not only disliked the Greek philosophers,
but also looked with suspicion on the Greek physicians who then
practised at Rome. He had heard some story about Hippokrates, who,
when the king of Persia offered him a large sum of money if he would
come to Persia, answered that he never would give his services to
barbarians who were the enemies of Greece. Cato used to say that all
Greek physicians had sworn an oath to act like Hippokrates, and warned
his son never to have any dealings with any of them. He himself had a
book full of recipes, according to which he used to physick and
regulate the diet of any who fell sick in his house, being careful
never to allow the patient to fast, but making him eat salad, with
ducks, pigeons, and hares, which he said were lig