Editing Cato the Elder (section)

====End of consulship====
The return of Cato seems to have accelerated the enmity of [[Scipio Africanus]], who was Consul in 194 BC and is said to have desired the command of the province in which Cato was harvesting notoriety. There is some disagreement between Nepos (or the pseudo-Nepos), and Plutarch,<ref>Plutarch, ''Life of Cato the Elder'', 11.</ref> in their accounts of this topic. Nepos claims that Scipio failed to obtain the province, and, offended by the rejection, remained after his consulship in a private capacity at Rome. Plutarch claims that Scipio, who was disgusted by Cato's severity, was appointed to succeed him but could not convince the senate to censure Cato's administration, and passed his consulship in inactivity. Plutarch was probably mistaken, judging by the statement in Livy,<ref>Livy, ''History of Rome'', xxxiv. 43.</ref> that in 194 BC, Sextus Digitius was appointed to the province of Hispania Citerior. The notion that Scipio was appointed successor to Cato in Hispania may have arisen from a double confusion of name and place, since [[Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica (consul 191 BC)|Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica]] was chosen in 194 BC to the province of [[Hispania Ulterior]].

However true this account, Cato used his eloquence and produced detailed financial accounts to successfully defend against criticism of his consulship. The known fragments of the speeches (or one speech under different names) made after his return attest to the strength of his arguments.

Plutarch<ref>Plutarch, ''Cato the Elder'', 12.</ref> states that, after his Consulship, Cato accompanied [[Tiberius Sempronius Longus (consul 194 BCE)|Tiberius Sempronius Longus]] as [[legatus]] to [[Thrace]], but this seems incorrect because, although Scipio Africanus believed that one Consul should have [[Macedon]]ia, Sempronius was soon in [[Cisalpine Gaul]],<ref>Livy, ''History of Rome'', xxxiv. 43, 46.</ref> and in 193 BC Cato was in Rome dedicating a small temple to [[Victoria (mythology)|Victoria Virgo]].<ref>Livy, ''History of Rome'', xxxv. 9.</ref>