Testimonia. OriginesAncient Rome's original archconservative. M. Porcius Cato (234149 BC), one of the best known figures of the middle Roman Republic, remains legendary for his political and military career, especially his staunch opposition to Carthage; his modest way of life; his integrity of character and austere morality; his literary works, composed in a style at once sophisticated and down to earth; his pithy sayings; and his drive to define and to champion Roman