treatises on friendship and old age-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







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