Cato the Elder

Cato the Elder was a Roman statesman and author who championed traditional Roman values against the growing influence of Greek culture during the 2nd century BC. As Censor in 184 BC he enforced austerity and moral standards, and his relentless advocacy — famously ending every speech with 'Carthage must be destroyed' — helped precipitate the Third Punic War. His work De Agri Cultura is the earliest surviving prose text in Latin.

• Nationality: roman
• Roles: ruler, writer