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tribune I took part in the engagement at Thermopylae under the
consul Manius Acilius Glabrio； but yet； as you see； old age has not
entirely destroyed my muscles； has not quite brought me to the
ground。 The Senate…house does not find all my vigour gone； nor
the rostra； nor my friends； nor my clients； nor my foreign guests。
For I have never given in to that ancient and much…praised proverb：
Old when young
Is old for long。
For myself； I had rather be an old man a somewhat shorter time
than an old man _before_ my time。 Accordingly； no one up to the
present has wished to see me； to whom I have been denied as
engaged。 But； it may be said； I have less strength than either of
you。 Neither have you the strength of the centurion T。 Pontius： is
he the more eminent man on that account？ Let there be only a
proper husbanding of strength； and let each man proportion his
efforts to his powers。 Such an one will assuredly not be possessed
with any great regret for his loss of strength。 At Olympia Milo is
said to have stepped into the course carrying a live ox on his
shoulders。 Which then of the two would you prefer to have given
to you…bodily strength like that； or intellectual strength like that of
Pythagoras？ In fine； enjoy that blessing when you have it； when it
is gone； don't wish it back…unless we are to think that young men
should wish their childhood back； and those somewhat older their
youth！ The course of life is fixed； and nature admits of its being
run but in one way； and only once； and to each part of our life
there is something specially seasonable； so that the feebleness of
children； as well as the high spirit of youth； the soberness of
maturer years； and the ripe wisdom of old age…all have a certain
natural advantage which should be secured in its proper season。 I
think you are informed； Scipio； what your grandfather's foreign
friend Masinissa does to this day； though ninety years old。 When
he has once begun a journey on foot he does not mount his horse at
all； when on horseback he never gets off his horse。 By no rain or
cold can he be induced to cover his head。 His body is absolutely
free from unhealthy humours； and so he still performs all the
duties and functions of a king。 Active exercise； therefore； and
temperance can preserve some part of one's former strength even
in old age。
11。 Bodily strength is wanting to old age； but neither is bodily
strength demanded from old men。 Therefore； both by law and
custom； men of my time of life are exempt from those duties
which cannot be supported without bodily strength。 Accordingly
not only are we not forced to do what we cannot do； we are not
even obliged to do as much as we can。 But； it will be said； many
old men are so feeble that they cannot perform any duty in life of
any sort or kind。 That is not a weakness to be set down as peculiar
to 61d age：
it is one shared by ill health。 How feeble was the son of P。
Africanus； who adopted you！ What weak health he had； or rather
no health at all！ If that had not been the case； we should have had
in him a second brilliant light in the political horizon； for he had
added a wider cultivation to his father's greatness of spirit。 What
wonder； then； that old men are eventually feeble； when even young
men cannot escape it？ My dear Laelius and Scipio； we must stand
up against old age and make up for its drawbacks by taking pains。
We must fight it as we should an illness。 We must look after our
health； use moderate exercise； take just enough food and drink to
recruit； but not to overload； our strength。 Nor is it the body alone
that must be supported； but the intellect and soul much more。 For
they are like lamps： unless you feed them with oil； they too go out
from old age。 Again； the body is apt to get gross from exercise； but
the intellect becomes nimbler by exercising itself。 For what
Caecilius means by 〃old dotards of the comic stage 〃 are the
credulous； the forgetful； and the slipshod。 These are faults that do
not attach to old age as such； but to a sluggish； spiritless； and
sleepy old age。 Young men are more frequently wanton and
dissolute than old men； but yet； as it is not all young men that are
so； but the bad set among them； even so senile folly…usually called
imbecility…applies to old men of unsound character； not to all。
Appius governed four sturdy sons； five daughters； that great
establishment； and all those clients； though he was both old and
blind。 For he kept his mind at full stretch like a how； and never
gave in to old age by growing slack。 He maintained not merely an
influence； but an absolute command over his family： his slaves
feared him； his sons were in awe of him； all loved him。 In that
family； indeed； ancestral custom and discipline were in full vigour。
The fact is that old age is respectable just as long as it asserts
itself； maintains its proper rights； and is not enslaved to any one。
For as I admire a young man who has something of the old man in
him； so do I an old one who has something of a young man。 The
man who aims at this may possibly become old in body…in mind he
never will。 I am now engaged in composing the seventh book of
my _Origins_。 I collect all the records of antiquity。 The speeches
delivered in all the celebrated cases which I have defended I am at
this particular time getting into shape for publication。 I am writing
treatises on augural； pontifical； and civil law。 I am； besides；
studying hard at Greek； and after the manner of the
Pythagoreans…to keep my memory in working order…I repeat in the
evening whatever I have said； heard； or done in the course of each
day。 These are the exercises of the intellect； these the training
grounds of the mind： while I sweat and labour on these I don't
much feel the loss of bodily strength。 I appear in court for my
friends； I frequently attend the Senate and bring motions before it
on my own responsibility； prepared after deep and long reflection。
And these I support by my intellectual； not my bodily forces。 And
if I were not strong enough to do these things； yet I should enjoy
my sofa…imagining the very operations which I was now unable to
perform。 But what makes me capable of doing this is my past life。
For a man who is always living in the midst of these studies and
labours does not perceive when old age creeps upon him。 Thus； by
slow and imperceptible degrees life draws to its end。 There is no
sudden breakage； it just slowly goes out。
12。 The third charge against old age is that it LACKS SENSUAL
PLEASURES。 What a splendid service does old age render； if it
takes from us the greatest blot of youth！ Listen； my dear young
friends； to a speech of Archytas of Tarentum； among the greatest
and most illustrious of men； which was put into my hands when as
a young man I was at Tarentum with Q。 Maximus。 〃No more
deadly curse than sensual pleasure has been inflicted on mankind
by nature； to gratify which our wanton appetites are roused beyond
all prudence or restraint。 It is a fruitful source of treasons；
revolutions； secret communications with the enemy。 In fact； there
is no crime； no evil deed； to which the appetite for sensual
pleasures does not impel us。 Fornications and adulteries； and
every abomination of that kind； are brought about by the
enticements of pleasure and by them alone。 Intellect is the best gift
of nature or God： to this divine gift and endowment there is
nothing so inimical as pleasure。 For when appetite is our master；
there is no place for self…control； nor where pleasure reigns
supreme can virtue hold its ground。 To see this more vividly；
imagine a man excited to the highest conceivable pitch of sensual
pleasure。 It can be doubtful to no one that such a person； so long as
he is under the influence of such excitation of the senses； will be
unable to use to any purpose either intellect； reason； or thought。
Therefore nothing can be so execrable and so fatal as pleasure；
since； when more than ordinarily violent and lasting； it darkens all
the light of the soul。〃
These were the words addressed by Archytas to the Samnite Caius
Pontius； father of the man by whom the consuls Spurius Postumius
and Titus Veturius were beaten in the battle of Caudium。 My
friend Nearchus of Tarentum； who had remained loyal to Rome；
told me that he had heard them repeated by some old men； and
that Plato the Athenian was present； who visited Tarentum； I find；
in the consulship of L。 Camillus and Appius Claudius。
What is the point of all this？ It is to show you that； if we were
unable to scorn pleasure by the aid of reason and philosophy； we
ought to have been very grateful to old age for depriving us of all
inclination for that which it was wrong to do。 For pleasure hinders
thought； is a foe to reason； and； so to speak； blinds the eyes of the
mind。 It is； moreover； entirely alien to virtue。 I was sorry to have
to expel Lucius； brother of the gallant Titus Flamininus； from the
Senate seven years after his consulship； but I thought it imperative
to affix a stigma on an act of gross sensuality。 For when he was in
Gaul as consul； he had yielded to the entreaties of his paramour at
a dinner…party to behead a man who happened to