Cato the Elder

Marcus Porcius Cato
The Patrician Torlonia bust thought to be of Cato the Elder
Born234 BC
Died149 BC (aged 85)
Roman Republic
Notable workDe Agri Cultura
OfficeTribune (214 BC)
Quaestor (204 BC)
Aedile (199 BC)
Praetor (198 BC)
Consul (195 BC)
Censor (184 BC)
Spouses
Children
Military service
AllegianceRoman Republic
Battles/wars

Marcus Porcius Cato (/ˈkt/, KAY-toe; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor (Latin: Censorius), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization.[1] He was the first to write history in Latin with his Origines, a now fragmentary work on the history of Rome. His work De agri cultura, a rambling work on agriculture, rituals, and recipes, is the oldest extant prose written in the Latin language. His epithet "Elder" distinguishes him from his great-grandson Cato the Younger, who opposed Julius Caesar.

He came from an ancient plebeian family who were noted for their military service. Like his forefathers, Cato was devoted to agriculture when not serving in the army. Having attracted the attention of Lucius Valerius Flaccus, he was brought to Rome. He was successively military tribune (214 BC), quaestor (204), aedile (199), praetor (198), consul (195) together with Flaccus, and censor (184).[2] As praetor, he expelled usurers from Sardinia. As censor, he tried to save Rome's ancestral customs and combat Hellenistic influences.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Marcus Porcius Cato". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  2. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 535.