This article is the 2nd of 2 on the prevalence of suicide in the Roman Empire. From the drama of the period, one would expect that suicide was socially acceptable, but there were strict moral codes for suicide – for example, to escape shame or defeat, or to avoid or make up for a failure to meet social expectations. The Stoic Cato’s suicide is an excellent example of an “acceptable” Roman suicide. The author discusses whether this celebration of suicide derived from philosophic principles. (VM)