The Fragility of Tradition in Republican Rome

The Finale, of the life of Cato the Younger. In this episode:

• The burning of the Senate house after Clodius' murder in 52 BCE
• Cato's failed bid for consulship and his hardline stance against Caesar
• The outbreak of civil war and Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon
• Cato's final days and dramatic suicide

A tale of principle and paradox, Cato's resolute stand for Republican values helped precipitate its own downfall. His death at Utica - dramatic, philosophical, and on his own terms - marked not just the end of his life but symbolically, the end of the Roman Republic itself.

Check out Becoming the Main Character.  Here's a link to the Moby Dick episode.