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Treatises on Friendship and Old Age
by Marcus Tullius Cicero
Translated by E S Shuckburgh
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO； the greatest of Roman orators and
the chief master of Latin prose style； was born at Arpinum； Jan。
3；106 B。C。 His father； who was a man of property and belonged
to the class of the 〃Knights；〃 moved to Rome when Cicero was a
child； and the future statesman received an elaborate education in
rhetoric； law； and philosophy； studying and practising under some
of the most noted teachers of the time。 He began his career as an
advocate at the age of twenty…five； and almost immediately came
to be recognized not only as a man of brilliant talents but also as a
courageous upholder of justice in the face of grave political
danger。 After two years of practice he left Rome to travel in
Greece and Asia； taking all the opportunities that offered to study
his art under distinguished masters。 He returned to Rome greatly
improved in health and in professional skill； and in 76 B。 C。 was
elected to the office of quaestor。 He was assigned to the province
of Lilybarum in Sicily； and the vigor and justice of his
administration earned him the gratitude of the inhabitants。 It was
at their request that he undertook in 70 B。 C。 the Prosecution of
Verres； who as Praetor had subjected the Sicilians to incredible
extortion and oppression； and his successful conduct of this case；
which ended in the conviction and banishment of Verres； may be
said to have launched him on his political career。 He became
aedile in the same year； in 67 B。C。 praetor； and in 64 B。 C。 was
elected consul by a large majority。 The most important event of the
year of his consulship was the conspiracy of Catiline。 This
notorious criminal of patrician rank had conspired with a number
of others； many of them young men of high birth but dissipated
character； to seize the chief offices of the state； and to extricate
themselves from the pecuniary and other difficulties that had
resulted from their excesses； by the wholesale plunder of the city。
The plot was unmasked by the vigilance of Cicero； five of the
traitors were summarily executed； and in the overthrow of the
army that had been gathered in their support Catiline himself
perished。 Cicero regarded himself as the savior of his country； and
his country for the moment seemed to give grateful assent。
But reverses were at hand。 During the existence of the political
combination of Pompey； Caesar； and Crassus； known as the first
triumvirate； P。 Clodius； an enemy of Cicero's； proposed a law
banishing 〃any one who had put Roman citizens to death without
trial。〃 This was aimed at Cicero on account of his share in the
Catiline affair； and in March； 58 B。 C。； he left Rome。 The same
day a law was passed by which he was banished by name； and his
property was plundered and destroyed； a temple to Liberty being
erected on the site of his house in the city。 During his exile
Cicero's manliness to some extent deserted him。 He drifted from
place to place； seeking the protection of officials against
assassination； writing letters urging his supporters to agitate for his
recall； sometimes accusing them of lukewarmness and even
treachery； bemoaning the ingratitude of his' country or regretting
the course of action that had led to his outlawry； and suffering
from extreme depression over his separation from his wife and
children and the wreck of his political ambitions。 Finally in
August； 57 B。 C。； the decree for his restoration was passed； and he
returned to Rome the next month； being received with immense
popular enthusiasm。 During the next few years the renewal of the
understanding among the triumvirs shut Cicero out from any
leading part in politics； and he resumed his activity in the
law…courts； his most important case being； perhaps； the defence of
Milo for the murder。 of Clodius； Cicero's most troublesome
enemy。 This oration； in the revised form in which it has come
down to us； is ranked as among the finest specimens of the art of
the orator； though in its original form it failed to secure Milo's
acquittal。 Meantime； Cicero was also devoting much time to
literary composition； and his letters show great dejection over the
political situation； and a somewhat wavering attitude towards the
various parties in the state。 In 55 B。 C。 he went to Cilicia in Asia
Minor as proconsul； an office which he administered with
efficiency and integrity in civil affairs and with success in military。
He returned to Italy in the end of the following year； and he was
publicly thanked by the senate for his services； but disappointed in
his hopes for a triumph。 The war for supremacy between Caesar
and Pompey which had for some time been gradually growing
more certain； broke out in 49 B。C。； when Caesar led his army
across the Rubicon； and Cicero after much irresolution threw in his
lot with Pompey； who was overthrown the next year in the battle
of Pharsalus and later murdered in Egypt。 Cicero returned to Italy；
where Caesar treated him magnanimously； and for some time he
devoted himself to philosophical and rhetorical writing。 In 46 B。C。
he divorced his wife Terentia； to whom he had been married for
thirty years and married the young and wealthy Publilia in order to
relieve himself from financial difficulties； but her also he shortly
divorced。 Caesar； who had now become supreme in Rome； was
assassinated in 44 B。C。； and though Cicero was not a sharer in the
conspiracy； he seems to have approved the deed。 In the confusion
which followed he supported the cause of the conspirators against
Antony； and when finally the triumvirate of Antony； Octavius； and
Lepidus was established； Cicero was included among the
proscribed； and on December 7； 43 B。C。； he was killed by agents
of Antony。 His head and hand were cut off and exhibited at Rome。
The most important orations of the last months of his life were the
fourteen 〃Philippics〃 delivered against Antony； and the price of
this enmity he paid with his life。
To his contemporaries Cicero was primarily the great forensic and
political orator of his time； and the fifty…eight speeches which have
come down to us bear testimony to the skill； wit； eloquence； and
Passion which gave him his pre…eminence。 But these speeches of
necessity deal with the minute details of the occasions which
called them forth； and so require for their appreciation a full
knowledge of the history； political and personal； of the time。 The
letters； on the other hand； are less elaborate both in style and in the
handling of current events； while they serve to reveal his
personality； and to throw light upon Roman life in the last days of
the Republic in an extremely vivid fashion。 Cicero as a man； in
spite of his self…importance； the vacillation of his political conduct
in desperate crises； and the whining despondency of his times of
adversity； stands out as at bottom a patriotic Roman of substantial
honesty； who gave his life to check the inevitable fall of the
commonwealth to which he was devoted。 The evils which were
undermining the Republic bear so many striking resemblances to
those which threaten the civic and national life of America to…day
that the interest of the period is by no means merely historical。
As a philosopher； Cicero's most important function was to make
his countrymen familiar with the main schools of Greek thought。
Much of this writing is thus of secondary interest to us in
comparison with his originals； but in the fields of religious theory
and of the application of philosophy to life he made important
first…hand contributions。 From these works have been selected the
two treatises； on Old Age and on Friendship； which have proved of
most permanent and widespread interest to posterity； and which
give a clear impression of the way in which a high…minded Roman
thought about some of the main problems' of human life。
On Friendship
by Marcus Tullius Cicero translated by E。 S。 Shuckburgh
THE augur Quintus Mucius Scaevola used to recount a number of
stories about his father…in…law Galus Laelius； accurately
remembered and charmingly told； and whenever he talked about
him always gave him the title of 〃the wise〃 without any hesitation。
I had been introduced by my father to Scaevola as soon as I had
assumed the _toga virilis_； and I took advantage of the
introduction never to quit the venerable man's side as long as I was
able to stay and he was spared to us。 The consequence was that I
committed to memory many disquisitions of his； as well as many
short pointed apophthegms； and； in short； took as much advantage
of his wisdom as I could。 When he died； I attached myself to
Scaevola the Pontifex； whom I may venture to call quite the most
distinguished of our countrymen for ability and uprightness。 But
of this latter I shall take other occasions to speak。 To return to
Scaevola the augur。 Among many other occasions I particularly
remember one。 He was sitting on a semicircular garden…bench； as
was his custom； when I and a very few intimate friends were there；
and he chanced to turn the conversation upon a subject which
about that time was in man