• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

The College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Classical Studies

  • Home
  • About
    • Core Faculty
    • Affiliated Faculty
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Administration
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • History
    • Alumni & Giving
    • Diversity + Inclusion
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • Classical Civilization B.A.
    • Latin and Greek B.A.
    • Minors
    • Courses
    • Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Study Abroad
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Scholarships & Awards
    • Tutoring
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Professional Resources
    • Graduate Degrees
    • Minors
    • Courses
    • Study Abroad
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Language Proficiency
    • Recent Graduates
    • How to Apply
  • Research
    • Centers & Resources
    • Publications
  • News & Events
    • Department News
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
  • Department News
    • News Archive
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • Department News
  • News Archive
  • 2023-Strunk-Lecture

November 9, 2023: Classical Speaker Series

By: Department of Classical Studies

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

November 9, 2023 Classical Studies Speaker Series

Thomas Strunk, Xavier University

"The Lives of Cato Uticensis: Philosopher, Traitor, Republican"

In the spring of 46 BCE, as Caesar was bearing down on Utica, Cato the Younger committed suicide rather than accept the dictator’s clemency. Thus ended the physical life of Cato the Younger, but it was also the birth of Cato Uticensis, a symbol representing in turn the philosopher who stayed true to his principles in the face of death, the traitor who refused to accept Caesar’s just and legitimate rule, and the republican who resisted tyranny. 

These three dominant interpretations of Cato have their origins in the writings of his contemporaries Cicero, Caesar, and Sallust. Yet their perduring influence can be traced across the millennia in writers such as Seneca and Lucan, who wrestled over a philosophic or republican Cato, and Augustine and Dante, who portrayed Cato as sinner and saint. Even in the modern era, Cato has been held up as a republican hero on the theatrical stage and the battlefield of the American revolution. In examining these various interpretations of Cato, we might ask which is most suitable for our own age, or perhaps question Cato’s value at all for a twenty-first century world.

4:30 PM

Location: Global and International Studies, 1128

Contact Alyson Melzer (almelzer@iu.edu) for more info!

Department of Classical Studies social media channels

  • Instagram
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Department of Classical Studies

The College of Arts & Sciences

Indiana University

Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Privacy Notice

The College of Arts & Sciences

  • About
    • Core Faculty
    • Affiliated Faculty
    • Emeriti Faculty
    • Administration
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • History
    • Alumni & Giving
      • Get Involved
      • Newsletter
    • Diversity + Inclusion
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • Classical Civilization B.A.
    • Latin and Greek B.A.
    • Minors
    • Courses
      • Transfer Course Credit
    • Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Study Abroad
      • Rome, Italy
      • Athens, Greece
      • Field Schools
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Scholarships & Awards
    • Tutoring
      • Ancient Greek Peer-Tutoring
      • Latin Peer-Tutoring
    • Student Experience
    • Career Preparation
      • Career Paths
      • Career Advising
      • Internships
  • Graduate
    • Professional Resources
    • Graduate Degrees
    • Minors
    • Courses
    • Study Abroad
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Language Proficiency
    • Recent Graduates
    • How to Apply
  • Research
    • Centers & Resources
    • Publications
  • News & Events
    • Department News
      • News Archive
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
      • Classical Civilization B.A.
      • Latin and Greek B.A.
      • Minors
      • Honors Program
        • Honors Thesis Guidelines
      • Tutoring
    • Graduate
      • Classical Studies M.A.
      • Classical Studies M.A.T.
      • Classical Studies Ph.D.
        • Candidacy
        • Dissertation
      • Ph.D. Minor
    • Courses