On Old Age
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On Old Age is an essay written by Cicero in 44 BC on the subject of aging and death. In addition to its profound subject matter, it has remained popular because its clear and beautiful language have made it a useful example for teaching Latin to students.
The Latin title of the piece is "Cato Maior de Senectute". To lend his relections greater import[1], Cicero wrote his essay such that the esteemed Cato the Elder was lecturing to Scipio Africanus and Gaius Laelius Sapiens.
A translation by the colonial American scholar James Logan was published by Benjamin Franklin, the first printing of a translation of a classic text in North America[2]. It was a favorite of former U.S. President John Adams, and was selected for inclusion in the Harvard Classics.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Text in Latin with English introduction at Project Gutenberg
- Text in English, from Bartleby, translated by Evelyn S. Shuckburgh
- Text in Latin at The Latin Library
- Article in Slate
- Overview of piece
- ISBN 0-674-99170-2
