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take the trouble to read or listen to foreign history； you will find
that the mightiest States have been brought into peril by young
men； have been supported and restored by old。 The question
occurs in the poet Naevius's _Sport_：
Pray； who are those who brought your State
With such despatch to meet its fate？
There is a long answer； but this is the chief point：
A crop of brand…new orators we grew；
And foolish； paltry lads who thought they knew。
For of course rashness is the note of youth； prudence of old age。
7。 But； it is said； memory dwindles。 No doubt； unless you keep it in
practice； or if you happen to be somewhat dull by nature。
Themistocles had the names of all his fellow…citizens by heart。 Do
you imagine that in his old age he used to address Aristides as
Lysimachus？ For my part； I know not only the present generation；
but their fathers also； and their grandfathers。 Nor have I any fear of
losing my memory by reading tombstones； according to the vulgar
superstition。 On the contrary； by reading them I renew my
memory of those who are dead and gone。 Nor； in point of fact；
have I ever heard of any old man forgetting where he had hidden
his money。 They remember everything that interests them： when
to answer to their bail； business appointments； who owes them
money； and to whom they owe
it。 What about lawyers； pontiffs； augurs； philosophers； when old？
What a multitude of things they remember！ Old men retain their
intellects well enough； if only they keep their minds active and
fully employed。 Nor is that the case only with men of high
position and great office：
it applies equally to private life and peaceful pursuits。 Sophocles
composed tragedies to extreme old age； and being believed to
neglect the care of his property owing to his devotion to his art； his
sons brought him into court to get a judicial decision depriving
him of the management of his property on the ground of weak
intellect…just as in our law it is customary to deprive a
paterfamilias of the management of his property if he is
squandering it。 There…upon the old poet is said to have read to the
judges the play he had on hand and had just composed…the
_Oedipus Coloneus_…and to have asked them whether they thought
that the work of a man of weak intellect。 After the reading he was
acquitted by the jury。 Did old age then compel this man to become
silent in his particular art； or Homer； Hesiod； Simonides； or
Isocrates and Gorgias whom I mentioned before； or the founders of
schools of philosophy； Pythagoras； Democritus； Plato； Xenocrates；
or later Zeno and Cleanthus； or Diogenes the Stoic； whom you too
saw at Rome？ Is it not rather the case with all these that the active
pursuit of study only ended with life？
But； to pass over these sublime studies； I can name some rustic
Romans from the Sabine district； neighbours and friends of my
own； without whose presence farm work of importance is scarcely
ever performed…whether sowing； or harvesting or storing crops。
And yet in other things this s' less surprising； for no one is so old
as to think that he may not live a year。 But they bestow their labour
on what they know does not affect them in any case：
He plants his trees to serve a race to come；
as our poet Statius says in his Comrades。 Nor indeed would a
farmer； however old； hesitate to answer any one who asked him for
whom he was planting： 〃For the immortal gods； whose will it was
that I should not merely receive these things from my ancestors；
but should also hand them on to the next generation。〃
8。 That remark about the old man is better than the following：
If age brought nothing worse than this；
It were enough to mar our bliss；
That he who bides for many years
Sees much to shun and much for tears。
Yes； and perhaps much that gives him pleasure too。 Besides； as to
subjects for tears； he often comes upon them in youth as well。
A still more questionable sentiment in the same Caecilius is：
No greater misery can of age be told
Than this： be sure； the young dislike the old。
Delight in them is nearer the mark than dislike。 For Just as old
men； if they are wise； take pleasure in the society of young men of
good parts； and as old age is rendered less dreary for those who are
courted and liked by the youth； so also do young men find pleasure
in the maxims of the old； by which they are drawn to the pursuit of
excellence。 Nor do I perceive that you find my society less
pleasant than I do yours。 But this is enough to show you how； so
far from being listless and sluggish； old age is even a busy time；
always doing and attempting something； of course of the same
nature as each man's taste had been in the previous part of his life。
Nay； do not some even add to their stock of learning？ We see
Solon； for instance； boasting in his poems that he grows old 〃daily
learning something new。〃 Or again in my own case； it was only
when an old man that I became acquainted with Greek literature；
which in fact I absorbed with such avidity…in my yearning to
quench； as it were； a long…continued thirst…that I became
acquainted with the very facts which you see me now using as
precedents。 When I heard what Socrates had done about the lyre I
should have liked for my part to have done that too； for the
ancients used to learn the lyre but； at any rate； I worked hard at
literature。
9。 Nor； again； do I now MISS THE BODILY STRENGTH OF A
YOUNG MAN （for that was the second point as to the
disadvantages of old age） any more than as a young man I missed
the strength of a bull or an elephant。 You should use what you
have； and whatever you may chance to be doing； do it with all your
might。 What could be weaker than Milo of Croton's exclamation？
When in his old age he was watching some athletes practising in
the course； he is said to have looked at his arms and to have
exclaimed with tears in his eyes： 〃Ah well！ these are now as good
as dead。〃 Not a bit more so than yourself； you trifler！ For at no
time were you made famous by your real self； but by chest and
biceps。 Sext。 Aelius never gave vent to such a remark； nor； many
years before him； Titus Coruncanius； nor； more recently； P。
Crassus…all of them learned juris…consults in active practice； whose
knowledge of their profession was maintained to their last breath。 I
am afraid an orator does lose vigour by old age； for his art is not a
matter of the intellect alone； but of lungs and bodily strength。
Though as a rule that musical ring in the voice even gains in
brilliance in a certain way as one grows old…certainly I have not yet
lost it； and you see my years。 Yet after all the style of speech
suitable to an old man is the quiet and unemotional； and it often
happens that the chastened and calm delivery of an old man
eloquent secures a hearing。 If you cannot attain to that yourself；
you might still instruct a Scipio and a Laelius。 For what is more
charming than old age surrounded by the enthusiasm of youth？
Shall we not allow old age even the strength to teach the young； to
train and equip them for all the duties of life？ And what can be a
nobler employment？ For my part； I used to think Publius and
Gnaeus Scipio and your two grandfathers； L。 Aemilius and P。
Africanus； fortunate men when I saw them with a company of
young nobles about them。 Nor should we think any teachers of the
fine arts otherwise than happy； however much their bodily forces
may have decayed and failed。 And yet that same failure of the
bodily forces is more often brought about by the vices of youth
than of old age； for a dissolute and intemperate youth hands down
the body to old age in a worn…out state。 Xenophon's Cyrus； for
instance； in his discourse delivered on his death…bed and at a very
advanced age； says that he never perceived his old age to have
become weaker than his youth had been。 I remember as a boy
Lucius Metellus； who having been created Pontifex Maximus four
years after his second consul…ship； held that office twenty…two
years； enjoying such excellent strength of body in the very last
hours of his life as not to miss his youth。 I need not speak of
myself； though that indeed is an old man's way and is generally
allowed to my time of life。 Don't you see in Homer how frequently
Nestor talks of his own good qualities？ For he was living through a
third generation； nor had he any reason to fear that upon saying
what was true about himself he should appear either over vain or
talkative。 For； as Homer says； 〃from his lips flowed discourse
sweeter than honey；〃 for which sweet breath he wanted no bodily
strength。 And yet； after all； the famous leader of the Greeks
nowhere wishes to have ten men like Ajax； but like Nestor： if he
could get them； he feels no doubt of Troy shortly falling。
10。 But to return to my own case： I am in my eighty…fourth year。 I
could wish that I had been able to make the same boast as Cyrus；
but； after all； I can say this： I am not indeed as vigorous as I was as
a private soldier in the Punic war； or as quaestor in the same war；
or as consul in Spain； and four years later when as a military
tribune I took part in the engagement at Thermopylae under the
consul Manius Acilius G