An uprising of Spartacus in 73-71 BCE was a very serious threat that the Roman state had to deal with. It was then that Cato the Younger and probably Julius Caesar took their first steps into the Roman army.
Cato the Younger, a descendant of Cato the Elder “Censor” known for his very restrictive and conservative approach to life, from a young age distinguished himself from his peers primarily by the rules he followed.
In 72 BCE Cato volunteered to fight the insurgents of Spartacus when the senate decided to send four Roman legions to fight. He probably did so to support his brother Caepio, who was serving as a military tribune in the consular army.
According to Plutarch, Cato the Younger was to stand out with extraordinary courage during the fights, for which he was even awarded a prize; Cato, however, did not accept it, because he believed that he had not done anything exceptional. Plutarch stated, “He was thought to be a strange creature”1.
