Cato. 1.1M. Catō, ortus mūnicipiō Tusculō, adulēscentulus, priusquam honōribus operam daret, versātus est in Sabīnīs, quod ibi hērēdium ā patre relictum habēbat.Marcus Cato, born in the town of Tusculum, as a very young man, before he turned his attention to public office, lived in the Sabine country, because he had a small estate there left to him by his father. Cato. 1.1Inde hortātū L. Valeriī Flaccī, quem in cōnsulātū cēnsūrāque habuit collēgam, ut M. Perpenna cēnsōrius narrāre solitus est, Rōmam dēmigrāvit in forōque esse coepit.From there, at the urging of Lucius Valerius Flaccus, whom he had as his colleague in the consulship and the censorship, as Marcus Perpenna the former censor used to relate, he moved to Rome and began to take part in the life of the forum. Cato. 1.2Prīmum stīpendium meruit annōrum decem septemque.He served his first campaign at the age of seventeen. Cato. 1.2Q. Fabiō M. Claudiō cōnsulibus tribūnus mīlitum in Siciliā fuit.In the consulship of Quintus Fabius and Marcus Claudius he was military tribune in Sicily. Cato. 1.2Inde ut rediit, castra secūtus est C. Claudiī Nerōnis, magnīque opera eius exīstimāta est in proeliō apud Sēnam, quō cecidit Hasdrubal, frāter Hannibalis.When he returned from there, he followed the camp of Gaius Claudius Nero, and his services were highly valued in the battle at Sena, in which Hasdrubal, Hannibal's brother, fell.
Cato. 1.3Quaestor obtigit P. Āfricānō cōnsulī, cum quō nōn prō sortis necessitūdine vīxit: namque ab eō perpetuā dissēnsit vītā.As quaestor he was allotted to Publius Africanus as consul, but he did not live with him as the bond of the lot required: for he disagreed with him throughout his life. Cato. 1.3Aedīlis plēbeī factus est cum C. Helviō.He was made plebeian aedile with Gaius Helvius. Cato. 1.4Praetor prōvinciam obtinuit Sardiniam, ex quā quaestor superiōre tempore ex Āfricā dēcēdēns Q. Ennium poētam dēdūxerat, quod nōn minōris aestimāmus quam quemlibet amplissimum Sardiniēnsem triumphum.As praetor he held the province of Sardinia, from which, as quaestor at an earlier time, on his way back from Africa, he had brought the poet Quintus Ennius, an act we value no less than any Sardinian triumph, however great.