ion of Greece and the end of the war with
Antiochus, Flamininus was elected censor, which is the highest office
at Rome, and is as it were the goal of political life. His colleague
was Marcellus, the son of him that was five times consul. They ejected
from the Senate four men of no reputation, and admitted into it all
the candidates who were of free birth, being forced to do so by the
tribune of the people Terentius Culeo, who by his invectives against
the patricians had induced the people to pass a decree to that effect.

The two most prominent men in Rome at this time were Scipio Africanus
and Marcus Cato. Of these Titus appointed Scipio to be President of
the Senate, as being the first man in the state, but he quarrelled
with Cato for the following reason. Titus had a brother, Lucius
Flamininus, who was very unlike himself in disposition, being
licentious in his pleasures and careless of his reputation. He had a
favourite whom he always took with him even when he was in command of
an army or governor of a province. This boy once at a wine party said
that he was so greatly attached to Lucius, that he left a show of
gladiators before he had seen a man killed, to please him. Lucius,
delighted at this proof of affection, said, "That is easily remedied;
I will gratify your wish." He ordered a condemned criminal to be
brought, sent for the executioner, and bade him strike off the man's
head in the banquetting chamber. Valerius of Antium says that Lucius
did this to please a female, not a male favourite. But Livy says that
in Cato's own speech on the subject we are told that Lucius, to
gratify his favourite, slew with his own hand a Gaulish deserter who
came with his wife and children to the door, and whom he had himself
invited into the banquetting chamber. It is probable that Cato added
these particulars to exaggerate the horror of the story, for Cicero
the Orator, who gives the story in his book 'On Old Age,' and many
other writers, say that the man was not a deserter, but a criminal,
and condemned to death.

XIX. In consequence of this, Cato, when censor, removed Lucius from
the Senate, although he was of consular rank, and although his
degradation affected his brother as well as himself. Both of them now
presented themselves before the people poorly clad and in tears, and
appeared to be making a very reasonable demand in begging Cato to
state the grounds upon which he had cast such ignominy upon an
honourable family.