Treatises on Friendship and Old Age | Page 5

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 many
people's mouths. You must remember, Atticus, for you were very
intimate with Publius Sulpicius, what expressions of astonishment, or
even indignation, were called forth by his mortal quarrel, as tribune,
with the consul Quintus Pompeius, with whom he had formerly lived
on terms of the closest intimacy and affection. Well, on this occasion,
happening to mention this particular circumstance, Scaevola detailed to
us a discourse of Laelius on friendship delivered to himself and
Laelius's other son-in-law Galus Fannius, son of Marcus Fannius, a few
days after the death of Africanus. The points of that discussion I
committed to memory, and have arranged them in this book at my own
discretion. For I have brought the speakers, as it were, personally on to
my stage to prevent the constant "said I" and "said he" of a narrative,
and to give the discourse the air of being orally delivered in our
hearing.
You have often urged me to write something on Friendship, and I quite
acknowledged that the subject seemed one worth everybody's
investigation, and specially suited to the close intimacy that has existed
between you and me. Accordingly I was quite ready to benefit the
public at your request.
As to the dramatis personae. In the treatise on Old Age, which I
dedicated to you, I introduced Cato as chief speaker. No one, I thought,
could with greater propriety speak on old age than one who had been an
old man longer than any one else, and had been exceptionally vigorous
in his old age. Similarly, having learnt from tradition that of all
friendships that between Gaius Laelius and Publius Scipio was the most
remarkable, I thought Laelius was just the person to support the chief
part in a discussion on friendship which Scaevola remembered him to
have actually taken. Moreover, a discussion of this sort gains somehow
in weight from the authority of men of ancient days, especially if they
happen to have been distinguished. So it comes about that in reading
over what I have myself written I have a feeling at times that it is
actually Cato that is speaking, not I.

Finally, as I sent the former essay to you as a gift from one old man to
another, so I have dedicated this On Friendship as a most affectionate
friend to his friend. In the former Cato spoke, who was the oldest and
wisest man of his day; in this Laelius speaks on friendship-Laelius,
who was at once a wise man (that was the title given him) and eminent
for his famous friendship. Please forget me for a while; imagine Laelius
to be speaking.
Gaius Fannius and Quintus Mucius come to call on their father-in-law
after the death