Cato den äldre (Marcus Porcius Cato maior), född 234 f.Kr., död 149 f.Kr., var en romersk författare, statsman och senator. Cato förföljde Roms gamla fiende Karthago med stort hat och han lär ha avslutat alla sina senatstal med orden "Ceterum/Praeterea censeo Carthaginem esse delendam" (För övrigt anser jag att Karthago bör förstöras) oavsett innehåll. Han hade stor del i att Romerska riket åter förklarade Karthago krig år 149 f.Kr. i det tredje puniska kriget. Kriget totalraserade Karthago och dess befolkning såldes till slaveri.

Verk
- Origines
- Om jordbruket (De agri cultura)
- Orationes
- De re militari
- De lege ad pontifices auguresque spectanti
- Praecepta ad filium
- Historia Romana litteris magnis conscripta
- Carmen de moribus
- Apophthegmata

Marcus Porcius Cato was a Roman senator and historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He was the first to write history in Latin.

He came of an ancient Plebeian family who were noted for their military but not civil 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 and began to follow the cursus honorum: he was successively military tribune (214 BC), quaestor (204 BC), aedile (199 BC), praetor (198 BC), junior consul (195 BC) together with Flaccus, and censor (184 BC).

As praetor, he expelled usurers from Sardinia. As censor, he tried to preserve Rome's ancestral customs and combat "degenerate" Hellenistic influences.

Spouses and children

Married to Salonia ... with
M Cato Salonianus av PORCII -154--118

Married to Licinia ... with
M Cato Licinianus av PORCII -200--152

Gift med
Salonia.

Barn:
Cato Salonianus av Porcii, född -154, död -118