Plutarch seems to have known a collected edition of the pungent and
proverbial utterances for which the censor was famous, and for which (not
for any knowledge of philosophy[50]) he received the title of _sapiens_
('shrewd') which he bore at the end of his life. This edition, however, was
not compiled by Cato himself.

In view of Cicero's treatise, the Cato Maior, it is necessary to say
something of Cato's relations with the Greeks and Greek literature. The
ancients give us merely vague statements that he only began to learn Greek
'in his old age.' The expression must be liberally interpreted if, as seems
clear, the whole of his writings showed the influence of Greek literature.
It is certain, however, that he thoroughly detested the Greek nation. This
hatred was shown in acts more than once. No doubt Cato was at least a
consenting party to the expulsion from Rome of Greek teachers in 161 B.C.
When in 155 the famous embassy came from Athens consisting of Carneades the
Academic, Critolaus the Peripatetic and Diogenes the Stoic, Cato was a
prime mover of the decree by which they were removed from the city.
Socrates was one of Cato's favorite marks for jests. And this is the man
into whose mouth Cicero puts the utterances, but slightly veiled, of Greek
wisdom!

(2.) _Scipio_. P. Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the younger, was no blood
relation of the conqueror of Hannibal, but the adopted son of his son. It
must be remembered, however, that adoption was much more formal and
binding, and produced much closer ties in ancient than in modern times.[51]
The elder Africanus was unfortunate in his sons. The younger of these
attained to the praetorship in 174, but was immediately driven from the
senate by the censors of that year on account of his disreputable life. The
elder was an invalid, who never held any office except that of augur, and
died at an early age. He adopted the son of L. Aemilius Paulus, the victor