Cato the Elder, a tenacious defender of Roman values, became famous, among others, for his opposition to the repeal of lex Oppia. It was then, in one of the first mass demonstrations by women in Roman history, that Roman women gathered on the Capitoline Hill to demand an end to restrictions on luxury. Cato, faithful to ancient traditions, headed the camp of opponents.
In the turbulent history of ancient Rome, there is rarely a figure as controversial and inflexible as Cato the Elder, the famous defender of tradition and law, whose stubbornness earned him the nickname “Censor”. One of the most famous episodes of his political career was the fierce fight against the repeal of the lex Oppia – a law passed in 215 BCE, at the height of the Second Punic War. This law was intended to limit luxury among Roman women, forbidding them, among other things, possessing more than half an ounce of gold and wearing brightly coloured clothing.
When in 195 BCE the abolition of lex Oppia was proposed, one of the most heated debates in Roman history broke out. Women, determined to regain the right to wear luxurious clothes and jewellery, took to the streets en masse, filling the Capitol and the forum. Cato, who was then consul, tried to resist this rebellion, arguing that Rome could not allow women too much freedom, which would threaten the moral decline of the state. “What sort of practice is this, of running out into the streets and blocking the roads?” – asked Cato indignantly, suggesting that women should stay at home and mind their own business.
However, his speech did not stop the wave of dissatisfaction. Women, not only from Rome but also from surrounding cities, besieged the offices in even greater numbers, demanding the lifting of restrictions. Representatives of the plebeians, initially opposed to the abolition of the law, bowed to pressure. Ultimately, twenty years after the introduction of lex Oppia, this law was repealed.
However, Cato did not give up his views. His tenacity in defending ancient values, the so-called mos maiorum – the tradition of the fathers – became one of the pillars of his further political activity. As a censor, he repeatedly tried to restore the old rules, limiting luxury and excess. He introduced the lex Orchia (181 BCE), which limited the number of people at banquets, and the lex Voconia (169 BCE), prohibiting women from inheriting large estates.
Cato, an opponent of spreading Hellenism and a supporter of strict Roman values, fought to maintain traditional roles and restrictions until the end of his life. His actions, although sometimes considered anachronistic, were intended to protect Roman society from changes that he believed threatened to weaken the state.
However, it was not only internal affairs that occupied Cato’s attention. In 157 BCE, during a mission to Carthage, he noticed a potential threat from this wealthy city. It was then that his famous maxim was born: Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam – “Furthermore, I consider Carthage to need to be destroyed”. Although Cato did not live to see the fall of Carthage, his calls led to the outbreak of the Third Punic War, and in 146 BCE. The Romans finally fulfilled their prophecy by destroying Carthage.
