Cicero: On Old Age, On Friendship, On Divination
Book details
- Title
- Cicero: On Old Age, On Friendship, On Divination
- Author
- William Armistead Falconer
- Publication year listed
- 1923
- Format
- Public domain eBook
- Reading access
- Free online reader; no registration required
- Source record
- View on Archive.org
About this book
Cicero: On Old Age, On Friendship, On Divination
Author: Marcus Tullius Cicero
Year: 1923
Cicero. De Senectute, De Amicitia, De Divinatione [On Old Age, On Friendship, On Divination]. Translated by William Armistead Falconer, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard UP, 1964. De Divinatione [On Divination] Cicero debates whether ancient fortune-telling or interpreting omens can be trusted as a source of knowledge. De Senectute [On Old Age] Cicero argues that old age is not something to be feared or pitied, but a natural and valuable stage of life—especially when guided by wisdom, experience, and moral character. De Divinatione [On Divination] Cicero debates whether ancient fortune-telling or interpreting omens can be trusted as a source of knowledge. I. De Senectute (On Old Age) Context and Purpose Written in 44 BCE, De Senectute presents a dialogue between Cato the Elder, Laelius, and Scipio. At a time when the Roman Republic was in decline, Cicero offers a defense of old age as a dignified and meaningful stage of life. It reflects Roman Stoic ideals and is filled with historical references to prominent Roman elders. Philosophy of Knowledge Cicero emphasizes that wisdom increases with age. Unlike the body, the mind—if properly exercised—remains sharp. Knowledge in old age is le