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were ripe for civil war, and was much perplexed as to which of the two leaders, Pompey or Cæsar, he should support. His sympathies lay with the cause of Pompey, but his judgment told him that the cause of Cæsar would prevail. He finally followed the dictates of his sympathies, and allied himself with Pompey.

Notwithstanding this unfriendly act on his part, Cæsar always treated him kindly and with the utmost consideration. Cicero never appeared to appreciate this treatment, and during the struggle between Brutus and Cassius and the supporters of Antony, which followed the assassination of Cæsar, took sides strongly against Antony, employing himself in guiding, as he thought, the young Octavius, whom he expected to make use of as an opponent to him. It was largely through his influence that Octavius was successful in obtaining the office of Consul.

Upon the formation of the second triumvirate it is not to be wondered at that Antony should have insisted upon the death of one who had so bitterly denounced him. That Octavius should have yielded is regarded by some as an act of the basest ingratitude, but it must be remembered that in those days politics was a game with life for its stake, and a man should not be too harshly

censured for preferring his own life to that of a friend, particularly where there is reason to doubt the sincerity and motives of his friendship.

Upon learning of the coalition Cicero fled from Rome, but hesitated to abandon Italy. He was finally overtaken by a band of assassins at whose head was a man whom he had once successfully defended on a charge of parricide. His head and hands were cut off and sent to Rome, where they were affixed to the Rostra at the instance of Antony. Fulvia, Antony's wife, who was also the widow of Clodius, pierced with her needle the tongue which had declaimed so bitterly against both her husbands.

The following pages contain a translation of several of Cicero's lesser works. The treatise on "Friendship" is in the form of a dialogue, and is an eulogy on the virtues of the younger Scipio Africanus, whose friendship for Lælius is well known.

The essay on "Old Age" represents the censor Cato delivering a lecture to the two friends, Scipio and Lælius, on the advantages and disadvantages of old age. Cicero was sixty-three years old when he wrote this essay, and he says that the pleasure he experienced in writing it made him forget his own infirmities.

The "Paradoxes" were written in defence of certain views of the Stoics. It is thought that they are the result of an attempt on the part of Cicero to exercise his witty rhetorical powers rather than a serious expression of his own views.

ON OLD AGE.

"O TITUS,' if I shall have assisted you at all, or alleviated the anxiety which now fevers, and, fixed in your heart, distracts you, shall I have any reward ?"

I. For I may address you, Atticus, in the same lines in which he addresses Flaminius,

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That man, not of great property, but rich in integrity."

And yet I am very sure that not, as Flaminius,

"Are you, O Titus, so racked by anxiety night and day:"

for I know the regularity and even temperament of your mind; and I am well aware that you have derived not only your surname from Athens, but also refinement and wisdom; and yet I suspect that you are sometimes too deeply affected by the same causes by which I myself am; the consolation of which is of a higher kind, and requires to be put off to another occasion.2 But at present

1 Titus Pomponius Atticus, to whom this treatise is addressed, was a celebrated Roman knight. Cicero wrote to him a number of letters which still survive. He was surnamed Atticus from his perfect knowledge of the Greek language and literature A minute account of his life has been written by Cornelius Nepos, one of his intimate friends.

2 "This alludes to the disordered state of the commonwealth occasioned by Julius Cæsar's usurpation, and the commotion consequent on his death; the present treatise having been written soon after he was assassinated in the senate. No man had more at stake in these public convulsions than Cicero; and nothing sets the power of his mind in a more striking point of view than his being able, at such an alarming crisis, sufficiently to compose his thoughts to meditations of this kind. For not only this treat se, but his Essay on Friendship, his dialogues on the Nature of the Gods, together with those concerning Divination, as also his book of Offices, and some other of the most considerable of his philosophical writings, were drawn up within the same turbulent and distracted period."--Melmoth.

I have thought it good to write to you something on Old Age; for of this burden which I have in common with you of old age, either now weighing upon, or at any rate approaching us, I wish both you and myself to be relieved, although I am very sure that you indeed bear it, and will bear it, with temper and wisdom (as you do all things). But to my mind, when I was about to write an essay on old age, you occurred as worthy of a gift, which each of us might enjoy in common. For my part I have found the composition of this book so delightful, that it has not only wiped off all the annoyance of old age, but has rendered old age even easy and delightful. Never, therefore, can philosophy be praised in a manner sufficiently worthy, inasmuch as he who obeys philosophy is able to pass every period of life without irksomeness. But upon other subjects we both have discoursed much, and often shall discourse: this book, on the subject of old age, I have sent to you. And all the discourse we have assigned not to Tithonus,' as Aristo2 the Chian did, lest there should be too little of authority in the tale; but to Marcus Cato,3 when an old man, that the discourse might carry with it the greater weight; at whose house we introduce Lælius and Scipio, expressing their wonder that he so patiently bears old age, and him replying to them. And if he shall appear to discourse more learn

1 Tithonus, son of Laomedon, king of Troy. He was carried away by Aurora, who made him immortal.

2 Aristo, a philosopher of Chios, a pupil of Zeno the Stoic.

3 M. Cato. M Porcius Cato was a Roman censor, famed for the strictness of his morals He died at an advanced age, about B.C. 151. He wrote a work called "Origines," i. e., antiquities, some fragments of which are still extant.

4 Lælium.

C. Lælius, a Roman consul, A.U.C. 614. He was the intimate friend of Africanus the younger, and is the principal character in Cicero's treatise," De Amicitiâ."

edly than he himself was accustomed to do in his own books, ascribe it to Greek literature, of which it is well known that he was very studious in old age. But what need is there to say more? for now the conversation of Cato himself shall unfold all my sentiments on old age.

II. SCIPIO. I am very often accustomed with my friend here, C. Lælius, to admire as well your surpassing and accomplished wisdom in all other matters, O Marcus Cato, as also especially that I have never perceived old age to be burdensome to you; which to most old men is so disagreeable, that they say they support a burden heavier than Etna. CATO. It is not a very difficult matter, Scipio, and Lælius, which you seem to be surprised at; for to those who have no resource in themselves for living well and happily, every age is burdensome; but to those who seek all good things from themselves, nothing can appear evil which the necessity of nature entails; in which class particularly is old age, which all men wish to attain, and yet they complain of it when they have attained it; so great is the inconsistency and waywardness of folly. They say that it steals over them more quickly than they had supposed. Now, first of all, who compeiled them to form a false estimate of its progress? for how does old age more quickly steal upon youth, than youth upon boyhood? Then, again, how would old age be less burdensome to them, if they were in their Sooth year than in their 8oth? for the past time, however long, when it had flowed away, would not be able to soothe with any consolation an old age of folly. Wherefore, if you are accustomed to admire my wisdom-and I would that it were worthy of your high opinion and my surname-in this I am wise that I follow nature, that best guide, as a

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