What is Cato the Elder?
[[File:Marco Porcio Caton Major.jpg|thumb|Cato the Elder]] '''Marcus Porcius Cato''' ([[Latin]]: <small>M·PORCIVS·M·F·CATO</small><ref>''Marcus Porcius Marci filius Cato'' - Marcus Porcius Cato, son of Marcus</ref>) (234 BC, [[Tusculum]]–149 BC) was a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] statesman, surnamed '''the Censor''' (''Censorius''), ''Sapiens, Priscus'', or '''the Elder''' (''Major''), to distinguish him from [[Cato the Younger]] (his great-grandson). He came of an ancient [[Plebeian]] family who all were noted for some military service but not for the discharge of the higher civil offices. He was bred, after the manner of his Latin forefathers, to [[agriculture]], to which he devoted himself when not engaged in military service. But, having attracted the notice of [[Lucius Valerius Flaccus]], he was brought to [[Rome]], and successively held the offices of [[Cursus honorum|Cursus Honorum]]: [[Tribune]] (214 BC), [[Quaestor]] (204 BC), [[Aedile]] (199 BC), [[Praetor]] (198 BC), [[Roman consul|Consul]] (195 BC) together with his old patron, and finally [[Censor (ancient Rome)|Censor]] (184 BC). Late in life, he encouraged the Romans to start the [[Third Punic War]] to destroy [[Carthage]]. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:234 BC births]] [[Category:149 BC deaths]] [[Category:Roman people]]