408 FLAMININUS.

However, this is certain ; Cato, during his censorship, made a severe scrutiny into the senators' lives in order to the purging and reforming the house, and expelled Lu- cius, though he had been once consul before, and though the punishment seemed to reflect dishonor on his brother also. Both of them presented themselves to the assembly of the people in a suppliant manner, not without tears in their eyes, requesting that Cato might show the reason and cause of his fixing such a stain ujdou so honorable a family. The citizens thought it a modest and moderate request. Cato, however, without any retraction or re- serve, at once came forward, and standing up with his col- leau-ue interrogated Titus, as to whether he knew the story of the supper. Titus answering in the negative, Cato related it, and challenged Lucius to a formal denial of it.* Lucius made no reply, whereupon the people ad- judged the disgrace just and suitable, and waited upon Cato home from the ti'ibunal in great state. But Titus still so deeply resented his brother's, degradation, that he allied himself mth those who had long borne a grudge against Cato ; and winning over a major part of the senate, he revoked and made void all the contracts, leases, and bar- gains made by Cato, relatmg to the public revenues, and also got numerous actions and accusations brought against him ; carrying on against a lawful magistrate and excel- lent citizen, for the sake of one who was indeed his relar tion, but was unworthy to be so, and had but gotten his deserts, a course of bitter and violent attacks, which it would be hard to say were either right or patriotic. Af- terwards, however, at a public spectacle in the theatre, at which the senatx)rs appeared as usual, sitting, as became their rank, in the first seats, when Lucius was spied at the lower end, seated in a mean, dishonorable place, it made • By the sponsio or wager ; compare the story as told in the life of Cato, page 338.