Distichs of Cato - Background

Background

"He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude." — Canterbury Tales

Cato was the most popular Latin textbook during the Middle Ages, prized not only as a Latin textbook, but as a moral compass for impressionable students. It was translated into many languages, including Norse. The influence of Cato on young minds across such a vast stretch of time and place should not be underestimated.

Geoffrey Chaucer referred to Cato in Canterbury Tales, through which modern students, less versed in Latin, often first come upon it.

The Distichs of Cato was most commonly referred to as simply "Cato". In the Middle Ages, it was assumed the work had been written by Cato the Elder, or even possibly Cato the Younger. Cato the Elder had included tracts of the prose in his Carmen de Moribus, but this was later found to be copied. It was eventually attributed to the anonymous author Dionysius Cato (also known as Catunculus) from the 3rd or 4th century AD based upon evidence in a manuscript that Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484–1558) wrote about, which no longer exists but which Scaliger found authoritative.

Licianus wrote a Regula Catonianus; for his father was also named Cato, some other researchers argue that he might be the original author of the Distichs of Cato. According to this book, Cato was very honest and decent man, who opposed Caesar's exceses. Cato is also the guardian of the mount of Purgatory in the Divine comedy by Dante Alighieri.

In 1513 Erasmus corrected and commented the text in his new edition. Corderius made the French translation, enriching it with comentaries on classical authors. His work was aimed at children with a summary, verses and an analysis of the structure. It was actually a grammatical treatise. There were several Spanish translations of the work of Corderius. From the first one in 1490 to 1964, there are records of 6 Spanish translations. Scholar on Michael Servetus, González Echeverría presented at the ISHM the thesis that Servetus was actually the author of the anonymous Spanish translation of 1543 of this work of Corderius. There were several English translations, for example the one of John Kingston in 1584.

Benjamin Franklin probably studied Cato when he was at Boston Latin School. He cites Cato in Poor Richard's Almanac and believed in the moral advice with such fervor he was troubled to print James Logan's translation called Cato's Moral Distichs Englished in Couplets in 1735, the first in the Colonies. Of its limited need in the morally puritan New England colonies, Franklin says:

"It would be thought a Piece of Hypocrisy and pharisaical Ostentation in me, if I should say, that I print these Distichs more with a view to the Good of others than my own private Advantage: And indeed I cannot say it; for I confess, I have so great Confidence in the common Virtue and Good Sense of the People of this and the neighoring Provinces, that I expect to sell a very good impression."