CATO, that is, the Wise, was a surname given to MARCUS P011 CIUS PRISCUS. This extraordinary man, commonly called Cato Censorius, or Cato Major, to distinguish him from his descendant who fell on his sword at Utica, was born in the year ore. 234. Ile wee descended from a respectable family in Tusenlum, and passed his earlier years on a farm in the Sabine country, which he inherited from his father. At the age of seventeen a Roman necessarily became a soldier, and Cato's military career commenced in the very year when Hannibal was laying waste the north of Italy after the battle of the Trebia, n.c. 217. We find him afterwards nerving under the command of Fabius, at the capture of Tarentum, in rase. 209 ; and two years after he distinguished himself at. the memorable battle on the banks of the Metaurua, which was fatal to the brother of Hannibal. In private life he maintained the same character for hardiness, industry, and sobriety which he had earned in the military profession. Occupying a farm adjoining that which had once belonged to Curius Dentatus, he seemed to take that old Roman for a model, and drew upon him the attention of the neighbouring farmers, not more by the simplicity of his habits than by the plain good sense of the laconic maxims which fell from his lips and became current in the neighbourhood. His singular reputation obtained him the name of Cato, and at length attracted the observation of a young Patrician, named L. Valerius Flaccus, who, looking upon him, to use the laugunge of Plutarch. "as a plant that deserved a better soil," persuaded him to remove to Rome, and to offer himself for the public, magistracies. With this friend, 'rho thus introduced him to the Mom= public, he afterwards held the highest posts in the state, the consulship and the censorahip. The first step in the series of Roman offices was the quaestorship. This office he filled in n.c. 204, and was appointed to join the army in Sicily, which Scipio was about to carry across into Africa ; but the profuse expenditure of the general offended those notions of strict economy which belonged to the character of Cato. The qurestor returned to Heine, and taking his scat in the senate, to which be was entitled by right of his office, he denounced the conduct of Scipio as fatal to the discipline of the army. Soon after we find him, according to Nepos, acting as qumstor in the island of Sardinia, where he became acquainted with Hunius. It is more probable that the noquaintanee with Emilia was formed when Cato was in Sardinia as pmter. The errors of Ncpoe, or rather of the writer, whose works are ascribed to him, are innumerable. Cato, with all his rustic character, was a friend to literature, and it was he who first brought the Calabriau poet to Rome. After holding the plebeian redileallip and the prmtorship, in
the latter of which he was the governor of Sardinia, ha finally arrived at the consulate, which he filled in n.c. 195, the year of Terence's birth, having his friend Vnleriva for his colleague. At that period of the Roman commonwealth it was wind for the consuls to hold com mands at a distance from Home. Cato was appointed governor of Nearer Spaiu, where the vigour of his Arms and the policy of hi.
counsels added greatly to the Roman influence, and procured him the honour of a triumph in the following year. He had now attained to the summit of military glory, but his zeal was not fatigued. The new consul, Tiberius Sempronius, being despatched on an expedition against the Thracians and the neighbourhood of the Danube, Cato accompanied him as one of his lieutenants.
When Antiochus invaded Greece, we find Cato again in military employment in the Peloponnesue, securing the fidelity of Corinth, £gium, and Patrm; and in 191, by a bold movement, he dislodged Antiochus from the pass of Thermopylae, and had the chief glory of the victory gained there by M. Acilius Glabrio. In 184, the year in which Plautus died (it is useful to connect the life of Cato with the literature of his country), he was elected censor, and, as was before observed, with Valerius for his colleague. This censorship ho made memorable in the annals of Roman history by the strictness with which he executed its important duties. He was now 50 years of age, and he continued for more than 30 years to take a prominent part in public life. But the unflinching determination with which he attacked the crimes and vices of the nobles called up many assail ants upon himsel£ No Roman was ever a party to more public pro secutions, or had to defend himself against more. Even in his 81st year, be had to support himself against an accusation which had no foundation but the malice of his enemies. But these attacks produced no effect upon his courage. When Sergius Galba bad disgraced his country by the massacre of the Luaitaniana after they had surrendered upon terms, and was brought to public trial at Rome, Cato again subscribed his name as one of the prosecutors, and took an active part in the proceedings. This trial was followed almost immediately by his death, at the age of 85, in the year B.C. 149. Thus as he entered active life soon after the invasion of Italy by Hannibal, so be just lived to ace the commencement of the third Punic war, a war indeed into which the Romans were induced to enter chiefly by the urgent advice of Cato himself.