- cross-posted to:
- historymemes
- cross-posted to:
- historymemes
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Explanation: Cato the Elder was an ultraconservative of the mid-Republic era, and he was extremely disdainful and paranoid about anything new or foreign - like Greeks. Of especial concern was Greek thought and medicine, which horrified the traditionalist Cato - who believed that most ailments could be cured by eating cabbage. As seen by the quote here - an actual quote from Cato - he believed that Greek doctors were conspiring to kill outsiders, like the good, honest, Roman people, who didn’t need none of that fancy book-learnin’ medicine!
Like many other ultraconservative outbursts he had in his life, Cato the Elder was largely ignored on the issue, and Greek medicine formed the foundation for later Roman medical practice.
let me guess, the greeks were also eating the cats and dogs?
Cato the Elder was also more hostile to women and slaves than was normal for Roman aristocrats of the mid-Republic - and let me tell you, that is a low bar. He had no problem with attacking his political enemies with the same crimes he was guilty of, and claiming that restrictive and unpopular innovations that were meant to be temporary, and he was alive for the introduction of were actually ancient traditions, because they hurt people he didn’t like (such as women).
So basically a perfect caricature of conservatism illustrated with Roman themes, yes.
someone should trace trumps family tree back to ancient rome, I want to confirm a theory…
or perhaps cato the elder was shown by old roman mosaics or so to be slightly orange colored?
Cato, at least, was legitimately frugal. He’d probably find Trump gaudy and tasteless as any of us - not to mention remarkably stupid. Cato was literate, and a farmer who understood his craft - qualities Trump could only be envious of, were Trump smart enough to recognize the value of either.
Unfortunately, I think it just shows that power and privilege are timeless diseases, and if someone, with an utter lack of curiosity and introspection, lets it eat at their brain… well, eventually, they all end up with remarkably similar symptoms.
Poor guy. His only illness was the mere existence of Carthage. And he repeatedly asked for a very simple cure 😞
