Graduation Year
2015
Date of Submission
12-2014
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Government
Second Department
Classical Studies
Reader 1
Charles Kesler
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2014 Kayla A. Nonn
Abstract
This thesis examines the extent to which George Washington may have intentionally modeled himself upon Cato the Younger, the Roman senator who famously resisted tyranny during the decline of the Roman Republic. Having seen a rendition of Joseph Addison's Cato as a young man and quoting the play throughout his life, Washington was profoundly impacted by the performance and bore many resemblances to the play's protagonist. Though scholars often paint Washington as a near reincarnation of Cato, I will provide both an interpretation of Addison's Cato and evaluate Washington and Cato int their respective historical contexts in order to ultimately conclude that Washington was much more of a reasonable, practical politician than his Roman counterpart.
Recommended Citation
Nonn, Kayla A., "Virtue, Politics, and Republican Heroes: A Comparison of George Washington and Cato the Younger" (2015). CMC Senior Theses. 1025.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1025
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
