Can anyone tell me who said "Et Carthago Delenda est"?

Question

A Roman Senator said this every time he made a speech before the senate in the inter-war years of the Punic Wars I think.

Answer 1

Cato the Elder. Read more about this phrase on Wikipedia with the link below.

Answer 2

Marcus Porcius Cato said: "Ceterum censeo, Carthaginem esse delandam."

"Moreover, I think that Carthage should be destroyed."

Cynically, he was right if Rome were to rule the Middle Sea. He realised that the Romans could not cope with Carthaginan competition unless military victory gave Rome the edge.

Remember that Cato had a phrase that he used to evaluate everything: "Cui bono?" ..to whose advantage?

The other Romans tought this was a great way to sort out things, even Cicero in his Second Philippic. He was really a fat old cynic.

Answer 3

It was Cato, and I've heard it phrased a couple of ways. "Carthago delenda est" is the most simplistic. "Ceterum censeo, Carthaginem esse delandam", as a previous user posted, should actually be "Ceterum censeo, Carthaginem delandam esse" to be grammatically correct. I suppose the version depends on the source you read.

Answer 4

Cato the Elder (Marcus Porcius Cato; 234 - 149 BC).