Carron Faivre, Delphine (Author)
Micrologus: Natura, Scienze e Società Medievali
Volume: 21
Pages: 81--102
Publication date: 2013
Language: French
Edition Details: Article in a special issue, “Mittelalterliche Legenden von Philosophen und Gelehrten / The Medieval Legends of Philosophers and Scholars”
The Roman Stoic Cato the Younger (Cato of Utica) killed himself with a sword upon learning of the defeat of Pompey's army by Julius Caesar's forces at Thapsus. This ardent defender of the Republic had to die along with what he saw as the demise of the political freedom. Many ancient authors, pagans and Christians, recount the circumstances and motivations of this suicide, often considered heroic (Cicero, Seneca, Lucan, Florus, etc.), although a polemic tradition also exists (Caeser, Augustine). The Middle Ages created two chief legends about the death of this philosopher: Cato took his life by drinking poison, just like other great 'Stoic' philosophers, such as Seneca or Socrates; Cato committed suicide to shorten the suffering due to quartan fever, a disease associated with the sin of envy.We analyze the material reasons (related to textual transmission) as well as the motivations that led certain medieval authors to develop and transmit such legends.
...MoreArticle Robert, Aurélien (2013) Épicure et les épicuriens au Moyen Âge. Micrologus: Natura, Scienze e Società Medievali (p. 3).
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