Who is cato the elder

Returning to Rome later in , he celebrated a triumph. During his travels in Greece, Cato acquired his anti-Hellenic attitude. After brilliant operations at Thermopylae he was sent to Rome to report the victory, and soon afterward he began a series of accusations directed against the progressive and pro-Hellenic wing of the Senate, which centered on Scipio Africanus. His indefatigable attacks upon what he considered the demoralizing effects of foreign influences and his attempt to steer back to the "good old Roman ways" led to his becoming censor in Having reached the culmination of his career at the age of 50, Cato gave full scope to his doctrines of social regeneration.

As censor, he introduced taxes on luxuries and revised rigorously the enrollment of the Senate and the equestrian order. On the other hand, he spent lavishly on public works such as the sewerage system and built the first Roman market hall, the Basilica Porcia, next to the Senate house. Through the sternness of his censorship he made so many enemies that he had to defend himself in court to the end of his life in at least 44 trials.

He pursued a vigorous anti-Carthaginian policy after he returned from an embassy to Carthage, where he witnessed to his great dismay the economic recovery of Rome's former enemy.

He died in B. Cato was one of the founders of Roman history, and in lost work, he described the origins of Rome and many other Italian cities. In this work, he sought to demonstrate that Latin culture was superior to Greek. Cato was a master of the Latin Language. His speeches and maxims were considered masterpieces and showed that the Italian language was suitable for serious literature writing.

Tragically, nearly all his works are lost, but the traditional Roman was critical in developing Latin literature. His writing ensured that Greek literature did not predominate in Rome, and native literature emerged.

Without Cato and his commitment to Latin, there would have been no poets of the stature of Vergil or Ovid and writers such as Tacitus and Livy. As a young man, the future Consul fought many battles against the armies of Hannibal. He had personally witnessed how close Rome had come to defeat. He came to believe that Carthage would once again pose a challenge to Rome and its Empire.

Cato the Elder believed that Rome should attack before the great Punic city became too strong. In the Senate, he constantly demanded a war against the Punic city-state [15]. The Romans demanded more concessions from the Carthaginians, such as moving their city inland. Cato the Elder did not live to see the destruction of his hated enemy.

He died in , before the annihilation of the Punic city. Without the campaign of Cato, it is possible that Carthage could have endured and even once again challenged Rome. The disappearance of Carthage was to have immense consequences for Rome. The destruction of Carthage ultimately allowed Rome to become a North Africa power, and the rich farmland of their old enemy became the granary of Rome. This change was all in part due to the campaign of Cato and his implacable hatred of the Carthaginians.

Cato the Elder was one of the giants of the Roman Republic. He contributed to transforming the city on the Tiber, from a small Republic to an Empire. Cato was pivotal in the politics of the Republic for some fifty years.

He possibly prevented Scipio Africanus from dominating the Republic and undermining its constitution. His efforts to prevent Hellenic culture from undermining Roman values and traditions failed. However, Cato the Elder was important in the development of Latin Literature and, as a result, helped to preserve the unique culture of Rome and ensured that Greek values did not dominate it.

Finally, Cato was very instrumental in Carthage's final defeat, which ultimately led to the Republic coming to dominate the Mediterranean. Admin and EricLambrecht. Early Life of Cato the Elder. Consul, censor and general. Bibliography Attwood, Philip, 'Italian Medals c. Production date Production date 16thC.

Production place Made in: Vicenza city. Production date 16C. Production place Made in: Italy.