Marcus Porcius Cato was a Roman statesman and writer whose work is characterized by an emphasis on traditional Roman values and practical wisdom. His writings offer valuable insights into Roman society and the thinking of his era. Cato was known for his censorious approach to morality and public life, which is reflected in his texts.
Focuses on the appeasers of the 1930s, the leading culprits being Baldwin, Chamberlain and Halifax who had left the country so ill-prepared, and who, by their pusillanimity, had emboldened Hitler and Mussolini; and in the case of the last two still favoured some accommodation with the fascist dictators.
Cato s second century BCE De Agricultura is our earliest complete Latin prose text, recommends farming for its security and profitability, and advises on management of labor and resources. Varro s Res rustica (37 BCE) is not a practical treatise but instruction, in dialogue form, about agricultural life meant for prosperous country gentlemen.