Chapter 19

66 “For what could be more absurd than to seek more provisions for a journey as less of the road remains?

“The fourth reason remains: the approach of death, which seems above all to distress and trouble men of our age, and which certainly cannot be far from old age. Miserable indeed is the old man who has not learned in so long a life that death should be held of no account! Either we should disregard it altogether, if it wholly extinguishes the soul, or even desire it, if it leads the soul somewhere it will exist forever. There can certainly be no third possibility.”

67 “Why, then, should I fear, if after death I shall either not be unhappy or shall even be happy? Besides, who is so foolish, however young, as to be sure of living until evening? Indeed, the young face many more chances of death than we do. They fall ill more readily, suffer more severely, and undergo harsher treatment. So few reach old age. Were it otherwise, life would be lived better and more wisely. For understanding, reason, and judgment belong to the old; had there been no old men, there would have been no states at all.

“But I return to death’s approach. How can this be a charge against old age when you see it shares that condition with youth?”

68 “I learned through the loss of my excellent son, and you, Scipio, through your brothers, from whom the highest distinction was expected, that death is common to every age. But the young man hopes to live long, while the old man cannot hope for the same. It is a foolish hope: what could be more foolish than taking uncertainty for certainty and falsehood for truth? But the old man has nothing even to hope for. Then he is in a better position than the young man, for he has already obtained what the other hopes for. The one wishes to live long; the other has lived long.”

69 “And yet, good gods, what is ‘long’ in human life? Grant us the furthest limit: let us expect the lifespan of the king of Tartessus—for I read that there was a certain Arganthonius at Gades who reigned eighty years and lived a hundred and twenty. Still, nothing seems lasting to me that has an end. When that end arrives, all that has passed has flowed away; only what you have gained through virtue and right conduct remains. Hours give way to days, months, and years; time past never returns, and what will follow cannot be known. Each should be content with whatever time is given him to live.”

70 “An actor need not play the whole drama to win approval, provided he pleases in whatever act he appears; nor need the wise reach the final ‘Applaud!’ A brief span of years is long enough to live well and honorably. If it extends further, we should no more grieve than farmers grieve when spring’s sweetness has passed and summer and autumn arrive. For spring, like youth, promises and reveals the fruit to come; the other seasons are suited to reaping and gathering it.”

71 “The fruit of old age, as I have often said, is the memory and possession of good things won before. Everything that happens according to nature must be counted a good; and what is more according to nature than that the old should die? When the same befalls the young, nature resists and rebels. So young people seem to me to die as a flame is overwhelmed by a flood of water; old people, as a fire goes out of itself, with no force applied, when its fuel is spent. And just as unripe fruit is scarcely torn from the tree, while ripe and mellow fruit falls, so force takes life from the young, ripeness from the old. That ripeness is so sweet to me that the nearer I draw to death, the more I seem to sight land, and at last to be approaching harbor after a long voyage.”

66 “Could anything be sillier than wanting more supplies for a journey when there is less road left to travel?

“One reason remains, the fourth. It seems to cause people our age the most anxiety: death is coming closer. It certainly cannot be far away when we are old. How unfortunate is an old man who has not learned in all those years that death is nothing to fear! If it destroys the soul completely, we should give it no thought at all. If it takes the soul somewhere it will live forever, we should actually want it. There is certainly no third option.”

67 “So what should I be afraid of? After death I will either not suffer or will even be happy. Besides, who is foolish enough, however young, to be sure of surviving until tonight? In fact, young people face far more ways of dying than we do. They get sick more easily, are more seriously ill, and need more painful treatment. That is why few people become old. If things were different, people would live better and more wisely. Old people have intelligence, reasoning, and judgment. Without them, there would never have been any organized states at all.

“But back to the threat of death. Why blame old age for something you can see is just as true of youth?”

68 “Scipio, my very fine son taught me through his death that people of any age can die. Your brothers, who were expected to reach the highest positions, taught you the same thing. But a young person hopes to have many years ahead, and an old person cannot have that hope. It is a foolish hope. What could make less sense than treating doubtful things as certain, or false things as true? But an old person has nothing left even to hope for. Then he is better off than a young person. He has already achieved what the young person hopes for. One wants a long life. The other has had one.”

69 “And yet, good gods, what does a long time mean for a human being? Give us the longest possible life. Let us look forward to the age reached by the king of Tartessus. I read that a man called Arganthonius at Gades ruled for eighty years and lived for a hundred and twenty. But to me, nothing that comes to an end seems long-lasting. Once the end arrives, everything before it has slipped away. All that remains is what you gained by being good and doing right. Hours, days, months, and years go by. Lost time never comes back, and we cannot know what is next. We should each be satisfied with the amount of living time we are given.”

70 “An actor does not have to finish the whole play to please the audience. It is enough to be good in whatever act he appears in. Wise people likewise do not need to reach the final call for applause. Even a short life gives enough time to live well and decently. If life goes on longer, we should feel no more sadness than farmers feel when the pleasant spring ends and summer and fall arrive. Spring is like youth: it points to and shows the crops that are going to come. The later seasons are for cutting and gathering them.”

71 “As I have said often, old age’s harvest is remembering and enjoying good things gained earlier. We should count everything that happens in line with nature as good. And what could be more natural than for old people to die? When young people die, nature fights against it. To me, their dying is like a blaze being smothered by a great rush of water. Old people die like a fire that burns itself out, without any force being used. Unripe fruit is hard to pull off a tree. When it is ripe and ready, it falls. In the same way, violence takes the young out of life, while ripeness takes the old. I enjoy this ripeness so much that, as I get closer to death, I feel as though I can see land and will at last reach port after a long sea journey.”