Distichs of Cato
Cato was in common use as a Latin teaching aid as late as the 18th century, used by Benjamin Franklin.He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude.Geoffrey Chaucer referred to Cato in Canterbury Tales, through which modern students, less versed in Latin, often first come upon it.Cato the Elder was assumed to have included tracts of the prose in his Carmen de Moribus, but this was found to be a later addition.It was eventually attributed to the anonymous author Dionysius Cato (also known as Catunculus) from the 3rd or 4th century AD, based upon evidence in a manuscript discussed by Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484–1558).Of its limited need in the morally puritan New England colonies, Franklin says: Libros lege (Read books)—Cato, Monostichs.
Benjamin FranklinMiddle AgesCanterbury TalesGeoffrey ChaucerCato the ElderCato the YoungerJulius Caesar ScaligerErasmusCorderiusMichael ServetusBoston Latin SchoolPoor Richard's AlmanackJames LoganColoniespuritanNew EnglandDistichThe Durham ProverbsMedieval literaturePublilius SyrusWikisourceThe Latin Library