§1.1M. Cato, ortus municipio Tusculo, adulescentulus, priusquam honoribus operam daret, versatus est in Sabinis, quod ibi heredium a patre relictum habebat.
Marcus Cato, born in the municipality of Tusculum, as a young man, before he devoted himself to public offices, lived in the Sabine territory, because he had there an inheritance left by his father.
inde hortatu L. Valerii Flacci, quem in consulatu censuraque habuit collegam, ut M. Perpenna censorius narrare solitus est, Romam demigravit in foroque esse coepit.
From there, at the encouragement of Lucius Valerius Flaccus, whom he had as a colleague in his consulship and censorship, as Marcus Perpenna, the ex-censor, was accustomed to relate, he moved to Rome and began to frequent the Forum.
§1.2primum stipendium meruit annorum decem septemque.
He performed his first military service at the age of seventeen.
Q. Fabio M. Claudio consulibus tribunus militum in Sicilia fuit.
In the consulship of Quintus Fabius and Marcus Claudius, he was a military tribune in Sicily.
inde ut rediit, castra secutus est C. Claudii Neronis, magnique opera eius existimata est in proelio apud Senam, quo cecidit Hasdrubal, frater Hannibaris.
When he returned from there, he followed the camp of Gaius Claudius Nero, and his service was highly valued in the battle near Sena, in which Hasdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, fell.
§1.3quaestor obtigit P. Africano consuli, cum quo non pro sortis necessitudine vixit: namque ab eo perpetua dissensit vita.
As quaestor, he was assigned by lot to the consul Publius Africanus, with whom he did not live according to the closeness arising from the allotment; for he disagreed with him throughout his whole life.
aedilis plebei factus est cum C. Helvio.
He was made an aedile of the plebs with Gaius Helvius.
§1.4praetor provinciam obtinuit Sardiniam, ex qua quaestor superiore tempore ex Africa decedens Q. Ennium poetam deduxerat, quod non minoris aestimamus quam quemlibet amplissimum Sardiniensem triumphum.
As praetor, he obtained the province of Sardinia, from which, in an earlier time when returning from Africa as quaestor, he had brought back the poet Quintus Ennius; an act which we value no less than any most splendid Sardinian triumph.