treatises on friendship and old age-第12节

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4。　Take　the　case　of　Q。　Fabius　Maximus；　the　man；　I　mean；　who
recovered　Tarentum。　　When　I　was　a　young　man　and　he　an　old　one；
I　was　as　much　attached　to　him　as　if　he　had　been　my　contemporary。　
For　that　great　man　5　serious　dignity　was　tempered　by　courteous
manners；　nor　had　old　age　made　any　change　in　his　character。　　True；
he　was　not　exactly　an　old　man　when　my　devotion　to　him　began；　yet
he　was　nevertheless　well　on　in　life；　for　his　first　consulship　fell　in
the　year　after　my　birth。　　When　quite　a　stripling　I　went　with　him　in
his　fourth　consulship　as　a　soldier　in　the　ranks；　on　the　expedition
against　Capua；　and　in　the　fifth　year　after　that　against　Tarentum。　
Four　years　after　that　I　was　elected　Quaestor；　holding　office　in　the
consulship　of　Tuditanus　and　Cethegus；　in　which　year；　indeed；　he　as
a　very　old　man　spoke　in　favour　of　the　Cincian　law　〃on　gifts　and
fees。〃

Now　this　man　conducted　wars　with　all　the　spirit　of　youth　when　he
was　far　advanced　in　life；　and　by　his　persistence　gradually　wearied
out　Hannibal；　when　rioting　in　all　the　confidence　of　youth。　　How
brilliant　are　those　lines　of　my　friend　Ennius　on　him！

For　us；　down　beaten　by　the　storms　of　fate；
One　man　by　wise　delays　restored　the　State。
Praise　or　dispraise　moved　not　his　constant　mood；
True　to　his　purpose；　to　his　country's　good！
Down　ever…lengthening　avenues　of　fame
Thus　shines　and　shall　shine　still　his　glorious　name。

Again　what　vigilance；　what　profound　skill　did　he　show　in　the
capture　of　Tarentum！　　It　was　indeed　in　my　hearing　that　he　made
the　famous　retort　to　Salinator；　who　had　retreated　into　the　citadel
after　losing　the　town：　〃It　was　owing　to　me；　Quintus　Fabius；　that
you　retook　Tarentum。〃　Quite　so；〃　he　replied　with　a　laugh；　〃for　had
you　not　lost　it；　I　should　never　have　recovered　it。〃　Nor　was　he　less
eminent　in　civil　life　than　in　war。　　In　his　second　consulship；　though
his　colleague　would　not　move　in　the　matter；　he　resisted　as　long　as
he　could　the　proposal　of　the　tribune　C。　Flaminius　to　divide　the
territory　of　the　Picenians　and　Gauls　in　free　allotments　in　defiance
of　a　resolution　of　the　Senate。　　Again；　though　he　was　an　augur；　he
ventured　to　say　that　whatever　was　done　in　the　interests　of　the　State
was　done　with　the　best　possible　auspices；　that　any　laws　proposed
against　its　interest　were　proposed　against　the　auspices。　I　was
cognisant　of　much　that　was　admirable　in　that　great　man；　but
nothing　struck　me　with　greater　astonishment　than　the　way　in　which
he　bore　the　death　of　his　son…a　man　of　brilliant　character　and　who
had　been　consul。　His　funeral　speech　over　him　is　in　wide
circulation；　and　when　we　read　it；　is　there　any　philosopher　of　whom
we　do　not　think　meanly？　Nor　in　truth　was　he　only　great　in　the　light
of　day　and　in　the　sight　of　his　fellow…citizens；　he　was　still　more
eminent　in　private　and　at　home。　　What　a　wealth　of　conversation！
What　weighty　maxims！　　What　a　wide　acquaintance　with　ancient
history！　What　an　accurate　knowledge　of　the　science　of　augury！　For
a　Roman；　too；　he　had　a　great　tincture　of　letters。　　He　had　a　tenacious
memory　for　military　history　of　every　sort；　whether　of　Roman　or
foreign　wars。　And　I　used　at　that　time　to　enjoy　his　conversation　with
a　passionate　eagerness；　as　though　I　already　divined；　what　actually
turned　out　to　be　the　case；　that　when　he　died　there　would　be　no　one
to　teach　me　anything。

5。　What　then　is　the　purpose　of　such　a　long　disquisition　on
Maximus？　It　is　because　you　now　see　that　an　old　age　like　his　cannot
conscientiously　be　called　unhappy。　Yet　it　is　after　all　true　that
everybody　cannot　be　a　Scipio　or　a　Maximus；　with　stormings　of
cities；　with　battles　by　land　and　sea；　with　wars　in　which　they
themselves　commanded；　and　with　triumphs　to　recall。　Besides　this
there　is　a　quiet；　pure；　and　cultivated　life　which　produces　a　calm
and　gentle　old　age；　such　as　we　have　been　told　Plato's　was；　who
died　at　his　writing…desk　in　his　eighty…first　year；　or　like　that　of
Isocrates；　who　says　that　he　wrote　the　book　called　The　Panegyric　in
his　ninety…fourth　year；　and　who　lived　for　five　years　afterwards；
while　his　master　Gorgias　of　Leontini　completed　a　hundred　and
seven　years　without　ever　relaxing　his　diligence　or　giving　up　work。　
When　some　one　asked　him　why　he　consented　to　remain　so　long
alive…〃　I　have　no　fault；〃　said　he；　〃to　find　with　old　age。〃　That　was　a
noble　answer；　and　worthy　of　a　scholar。　For　fools　impute　their　own
frailties　and　guilt　to　old　age；　contrary　to　the　practice　of　Enniu9；
whom　I　mentioned　just　now。　In　the　lines…

Like　some　brave　steed　that　oft　before
The　Olympic　wreath　of　victory　bore；
Now　by　the　weight　of　years　oppressed；
Forgets　the　race；　and　takes　his　rest…

he　compares　his　own　old　age　to　that　of　a　high…spirited　and
successfal　race…horse。　And　him　indeed　you　may　very　well
remember。　　For　the　present　consuls　Titus　Flamininus　and　Manius
Acilius　were　elected　in　the　nineteenth　year　after　his　death；　and　his
death　occurred　in　the　consulship　of　Caepio　and　Philippus；　the
latter　consul　for　the　second　time：　in　which　year　I；　then　sixty…six
years　old；　spoke　in　favour　of　the　Voconian　law　in　a　voice　that　was
still　strong　and　with　lungs　still　sound；　while　be；　though　seventy
years　old；　supported　two　burdens　considered　the　heaviest　of
all…poverty　and　old　age…in　such　a　way　as　to　be　all　but　fond　of　them。

The　fact　is　that　when　I　come　to　think　it　over；　I　find　that　there　are
four　reasons　for　old　age　being　thought　unhappy：
First；　that　it　withdraws　us　from　active　employments；　second；　that　it
enfeebles　the　body；　third；　that　it　deprives　us　of　nearly　all　physical
pleasures；　fourth；　that　it　is　the　next　step　to　death。　　Of　each　of　these
reasons；　if　you　will　allow　me；　let　us　examine　the　force　and　justice
separately。

6。　OLD　AGE　WITHDRAWS　US　FROM　ACTIVE
EMPLOYMENTS。　From　which　of　them？　　Do　you　mean　from　thosc
carried　on　by　youth　and　bodily　strength？　　Are　there　then　no　old
men's　employments　to　be　after　all　conducted　by　the　intellect；　even
when　bodies　are　weak？　　So　then　Q。　Maximus　did　nothing；　nor　L。
Aemilius…our　father；　Scipio；　and　my　excellent　son's　father…in…law！　
So　with　other　old　men…the　Fabricii；　the　Guru　and　Coruncanii…when
they　were　supporting　the　State　by　their　advice　and　influence；　they
were　doing　nothing！　To　old　age　Appius　Claudius　had　the
additional　disadvantage　of　being　blind；　yet　it　was　he　who；　when
the　Senate　was　inclining　towards　a　peace　with　Pyrrhus　and　was　for
making　a　treaty；　did　not　hesitate　to　say　what　Ennius　has　embalmed
in　the　verses：

Whither　have　swerved　the　souls　so　firm　of　yore？
Is　sense　grown　senseless？　Can　feet　stand　no　more？

And　so　on　in　a　tone　of　the　most　passionate　vehemence。　You　know
the　poem；　and　the　speech　of　Appius　himself　is　extant。　Now；　he
delivered　it　seventeen　years　after　his　second　consulship；　there
having　been　an　interval　of　ten　years　between　the　two　consulships；
and　he　having　been　censor　before　his　previous　consulship。　　This
will　show　you　that　at　the　time　of　the　war　with　Pyrrhus　he　was　a
very　old　man。　Yet　this　is　the　story　handed　down　to　us。

There　is　therefore　nothing　in　the　arguments　of　those　who　say　that
old　age　takes　no　part　in　public　business。　They　are　like　men　who
would　say　that　a　steersman　docs　nothing　in　sailing　a　ship；　because；
while　some　of　the　crew　are　climbing　the　masts；　others　hurrying　up
and　down　the　gangways；　others　pumping　out　the　bilge　water；　he
sits　quietly　in　the　stern　holding　the　tiller。　　He　does　not　do　what
young　men　do；　nevertheless　he　does　what　is　much　more　important
and　better。　　The　great　affairs　of　life　are　not　performed　by　physical
strength；　or　activity；　or　nimbleness　of　body；　but　by　deliberation；
character；　expression　of　opinion。　Of　these　old　age　is　not　only　not
deprived；　but；　as　a　rule；　has　them　in　a　greater　degree。　Unless　by
any　chance　I；　who　as　a　soldier　in　the　ranks；　as　military　tribune；　as
legate；　and　as　consul　have　been　employed　in　various　kinds　of　war；
now　appear　to　you　to　be　idle　because　not　actively　engaged　in　war。
But　I　enjoin　upon　the　Senate　what　is　to　be　done；　and　how。
Carthage　has　long　been　harbouring　evil　designs；　and　I　accordingly
proclaim　war　against　her　in　good　time。　　I　shall　never　cease　to
entertain　fears　about　her　till　I　bear　of　her　having　been　levelled　with
the　ground。　　The　glory　of　doing　that　I　pray　that　the　immortal　gods
may　reserve　for　you；　Scipio；　so　that　you　may　complete　the　task
begun　by　your　grand…father；　now　dead　more　than　thirty…two　years
ago；　though　all　years　to　come　will　keep　that　great　man's　memory
green。　He　died　in　the　year　before　my　censorship；　nine　years　after
my　consulship；　having　been　returned　consul　for　the　second　time　in
my　own　consulship。　　If　then　he　had　lived　to　his　hundredth　year；
would　he　have　regretted　having　lived　to　be　old？　For　he　would　of
course　not　have　been　practising　rapid　marches；　nor　dashing　on　a
foe；　nor　hurling　spears　from　a　distance；　nor　using　swords　at　close
quarters…but　only　counsel；　reason；　and　senatorial　eloquence。　And　if
those　qualities　had　not　resided　in　us　_seniors_；　our　ancestors
would　never　have　called　their　supreme　council　a　Senate。　　At
Sparta；　indeed；　those　who　hold　the　highest　magistracies　are　in
accordance　with　the　fact　actually　called　〃elders。〃　　But　if　you　will
take　the　trouble　to　read　or　listen　to　foreign　history；　you　will　fi