Qin Shi Huang · Cato the Elder Were Qin Shi Huang and Cato the Elder alive at the same time? Yes. Qin Shi Huang and Cato the Elder were alive at the same time, from c. 234 BC to 210 BC. Qin Shi HuangFirst emperor of Qin DynastyBorn 259 BC · died 210 BC, aged 48 or 49Cato the ElderRoman politician, soldier and writerBorn c. 234 BC · died 149 BC AshokaArchimedesEratosthenesQin Shi HuangPlautusHannibalCato the Elder Qin Shi Huang and Cato the Elder in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.