37).]
[Footnote 693: Quintus Hortensius was consul B.C. 69, a distinguished
orator and a man of refined and luxurious habits. Bibulus is M.
Calpurnius Bibulus, the colleague of Caesar in his consulship B.C. 59.
He had three sons by Porcia, Cato's daughter by Atilia.
This transfer of Marcia is oddly told by Plutarch. It was not a mere
case of lending the woman for the purpose of procreation, for the
child of Hortensius could not be his legal child, unless Marcia became
his legal wife. Cato must accordingly have divorced his wife, which
was done at Rome without any trouble. The only thing then that is
peculiar in the affair is, that Cato did not divorce his wife because
he was dissatisfied with her on good grounds, nor for such grounds as
Cicero divorced his wife, but for the reason mentioned in the text.
Marcia continued to be the wife of Hortensius till his death. The
marriage with Hortensius probably took place about B.C. 56.
This affair has caused the critics much difficulty. But as we may
assume that Hortensius wished to have a child that would be his own,
which is in fact Plutarch's statement, and one that would be in his
paternal power, he must have married Marcia, and Cato must have
divorced her in proper form. The fact of Philippus giving his daughter
away shows that she was then at his disposal. Cato married her again,
and his conduct proved that he trusted her.
Pages:
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868