Chapter 2

SECTION 6FANNIUS. That is true, Laelius; for no man was better than Africanus, nor more illustrious. But you ought to realize that the eyes of everyone are fixed upon you alone: they both call you and consider you a wise man. This distinction used to be accorded to Marcus Cato; and we know that Lucius Acilius was called wise in our fathers’ time, though each was so called in a somewhat different sense: Acilius because he was considered learned in civil law, Cato because he possessed experience in many affairs, and because many instances were recounted of things that he had either prudently foreseen, resolutely carried out, or shrewdly answered, both in the Senate and in the Forum. For that reason, in his old age he already bore “the Wise” almost as a surname.

SECTION 7But you are considered wise in still another sense—not only by nature and character, but also through study and learning—and not as the common people use the word, but as educated men commonly apply the name “wise.” Such a man, we are told, existed nowhere else in Greece—for those who investigate these matters more precisely do not count the men called the Seven among the truly wise—but at Athens there was one, and he indeed was judged by Apollo’s oracle to be the wisest of men. They believe that your wisdom consists in regarding all that is yours as resting within yourself, and in considering the accidents of human life inferior to virtue. And so they ask me—and, I suppose, they likewise ask Scaevola here—how you bear the death of Africanus, especially because on the last Nones, when, as usual, we came to the gardens of Decimus Brutus the augur for the purpose of study, you were not present, although you had always been most scrupulous in observing that day and performing that duty.

SECTION 8SCAEVOLA. They do indeed ask me often, Gaius Laelius, as Fannius has said. But I answer according to what I have observed: that you bear with moderation the grief you have suffered through the death of a man who was at once most eminent and your dearest friend; that you could not have remained unmoved, nor would such insensibility have accorded with your humanity; but that the reason you were absent from our college on the Nones was ill health, not sorrow.LAELIUS. Your answer, Scaevola, is both correct and true. For no personal affliction should have kept me from that duty, which I always performed when my health permitted; nor do I think that any mischance can cause a steadfast man to leave a duty unperformed.

SECTION 9As for you, Fannius, when you say that people accord me a distinction I neither recognize nor claim for myself, you speak as a friend; but in my opinion you do not judge Cato rightly. Either no one was ever wise—which I am more inclined to believe—or, if anyone was, he was. How he bore his son’s death, to say nothing of everything else! I remembered Paulus; I had seen Gallus; but their sons were boys, while Cato’s was a mature and proven man.

SECTION 6FANNIUS. That is true, Laelius; for no man was better or more illustrious than Africanus. But you should realize that everyone’s eyes are fixed on you alone. They both call you wise and consider you so. This distinction was once given to Marcus Cato, and we know that Lucius Acilius was called “the Wise” in our fathers’ time, but each of them was called so in a different sense. Acilius was thought to be skilled in civil law, while Cato possessed experience in many fields, and people repeated many examples of how, both in the Senate and in the Forum, he had either foreseen things wisely, acted resolutely, or answered incisively. For that reason, in his old age “the Wise” had already become virtually a surname for him.

SECTION 7But you are considered wise in another sense—not only by nature and character, but also through study and learning—and not in the way the general public uses the word, but as educated people normally apply the name “wise.” We have heard that in all the rest of Greece there was no one like that, for those who examine these matters more precisely do not count the men called the Seven among the wise. At Athens, we have heard of only one, and he was even judged the wisest of men by Apollo’s oracle. People believe that your wisdom consists in regarding everything that concerns you as depending on yourself and in considering the accidents of human life inferior to virtue. And so they ask me—and, I suppose, they similarly ask Scaevola here—how you are bearing the death of Africanus, especially because on the most recent Nones, when we came, as usual, to the gardens of Decimus Brutus the augur for our regular meeting, you were not present, although you had always been most conscientious in observing that day and performing that duty.

SECTION 8SCAEVOLA. They do indeed ask frequently, Gaius Laelius, just as Fannius has said. But I answer according to what I have observed: that you are bearing with moderation the grief you have suffered from the death of both a supremely great man and your dearest friend; that you could not have remained unmoved, and that it would not have been consistent with your humanity to do so. As for your not being present at our college’s meeting on the Nones, I answer that ill health, not grief, was the reason.LAELIUS. Your answer, Scaevola, is both correct and true. For my personal sorrow should not have kept me from that duty, which I have always performed when my health allowed; nor do I think that any circumstance could ever cause a steadfast man to interrupt the performance of a duty.

SECTION 9As for you, Fannius, when you say that people attribute so much to me—more than I either acknowledge or claim—you speak like a friend, but, as it seems to me, you do not judge Cato correctly. Either no one was ever wise, which I am more inclined to believe, or, if anyone was, he was. To pass over everything else, consider how he bore his son’s death! I remembered Paulus and had seen Gallus; but their sons died as boys, while Cato’s son was a mature and distinguished man.