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424 CATO THE YOUNGER. riage, might be disputed. As soon, however, as he had a°-ain taken Marcia, he committed his house and his daughters to her, and himself followed Pompey. And it is said, that from that day he never cut his hair, nor shaved his beard, nor wore a garland, but was always full of sadness, grief, and dejectedness for the calamities of his countiy, and continually showed the same feeling to the last, wbatever party had misfortune or success. The government of Sicily being allotted to him, he passed over to Syracuse ; where understanding that Asin- ius Pollio was arrived at Messena, with forces from the enemy, Cato sent to him, to know the reason of his com- ing thither : Pollio, on the other side, called upon him to show reason for the present convulsions. And being at the same time informed how Pompey had quite aban- doned Italy, and lay encamped at Dyrrhachium, he spoke of the strangeness and incomprehensibility of the divine government of things ; " Pompey, when he did nothing wisely nor honestly, was always successful ; and now that he would preserve his country, and defend her liberty, he is altogether unfortunate." As for Asinius, he said, he could drive him out of Sicily, but as there were larger forces coming to his assistance, he would not engage the island in a war. He therefore advised the Syracusans to join the conquering party and provide for their own safety ; and so set sail from thence. When he came to Pompey, he uniformly gave advice to protract the war ; as he always hoped to compose mat- ters, and was by no means desirous that they should come to action ; for the commonwealth would suffer extremely, and be the certain cause of its own ruin, whoever were conqueror by the sword. In like manner, he persuaded Pompey and the council to ordain, that no city should be sacked that was subject to the people of Rome; and that no Roman should be killed, but in the heat of battle ; and