S8 Ep950: (8) Josiah Osgood explains that following his death, Cato became a "Stoic saint" and a symbol of lost liberty, celebrated by poets like Virgil and Lucan. Caesar's attempt to trash his memory in the Anti-Cato failed to dim Cato's luster as a noble martyr.

   (8) Josiah Osgood explains that following his death, Cato became a "Stoic saint" and a symbol of lost liberty, celebrated by poets like Virgil and Lucan. Caesar's attempt to trash his memory in the Anti-Cato failed to dim Cato's luster as a noble martyr. His reputation for reform even influenced Augustus's imperial image. Under Nero's tyranny, Cato's suicide inspired dissidents who sought dignity through defiant ends. The book concludes with the irony of the Civil War: the peace Romans craved ultimately brought a master, ending the Republic through the very rivalry that defined it.CATO SUICIDE