Complex sentence: Just after this controversy had been settled, Cato, who had maintained a severe and determined firmness without any very real damage to his popularity, set sail for his appointed province, Hispania Citerior.
Split into simpler sentences: Just after this controversy had been settled, Cato, who had maintained a severe and determined firm opposition, seems to have suffered no very real damage to his popularity. He soon set sail for his appointed province, Hispania Citerior.