as Simonides has it. Thus Aristides followed Clisthenes, Cimon
Aristides, Phocion Chabrias, Cato Fabius Maximus, Pompey Sylla,
and Polybius Philopoemen; for these, when they were young, joining
themselves with their elders, and afterwards as it were flourishing and
growing up by their administrations and actions, gained experience, and
were inured to the management of public affairs with reputation and
power.
13. Aeschines therefore the Academic, being charged by certain
sophisters that he pretended himself a disciple of Carneades when he
was not so, said: I was then a hearer of Carneades, when his discourse,
having dismissed contention and noise by reason of his old age,
contracted itself to what was useful and fit to be communicated. Now an
aged man’s government being not only in words but in deeds far remote
from all ostentation and vain-glory,—as they say of the bird ibis, that
when she is grown old, having exhaled all her venomous and stinking
savor, she sends forth a most sweet and aromatical one,—so in men grown
into years, there is no opinion or counsel disturbed, but all grave and
settled. Wherefore, even for the young men’s sake, as has been said,
ought an old man to act in the government of the state; that, (as Plato
said of wine allayed with water, that the furious God was made wise,
being chastised by another who was sober) so the caution of old age,
mixed among the people with the fervency of youth, transported by glory
and ambition, may take off that which is furious and over-violent.
14. But besides all this, they are under a mistake who think that, as
sailing and going to the wars, so also acting in the state is done for
a certain end, and ceases when that is obtained. For the managing of
state affairs is not a ministry which has profit for its end; but the
life of gentle, civil, and sociable animals, framed by nature to live
civilly, honestly, and for the benefit of mankind. Wherefore it is fit
he should be such a one as that it may be said of him, he is employed
in state affairs, and not he has been so employed; as also, that he is
true, and not he has been true; he acts justly, and not he has acted
justly; and that he loves his country and fellow-citizens, and not
he has loved them. For to these things does Nature direct, and these
voices does she sound to those who are not totally corrupted with sloth
and effeminacy:
Thy father has engendered thee a man,
Worthy of much esteem with men:
and again,
Let us not cease to benefit mankind.
15. Now as for those who pretend weakness and impotency, they accuse
rather sickness and infirmity of body than old age; for there are many
young men sickly, and many old ones lusty; so that we are not to remove
from the administration of the state aged, but impotent persons; nor
call to it such as are young, but such as are able. For Aridaeus was
young, and Antigonus old; and yet the latter conquered in a manner
all Asia, whereas the former, as if he had only been to make a dumb
show with his guards upon a stage, was but the bare name of a king, a
puppet always mocked by those who were in power. As therefore he would
be a very fool that should think Prodicus the sophister and Philetas
the poet—men indeed young, but withal weak, sickly, and almost always
confined by their infirmity to their beds—fit to be concerned in the
management of the state; so he would be no less absurd that should
hinder such vigorous old men as were Phocion, Masinissa the Libyan, and
Cato the Roman, from governing or leading forth of armies. For Phocion,
when the Athenians were at an unseasonable time hurrying to war, made
proclamation that all who were not above sixty years of age should take
up arms and follow him; and when they were offended at it, he said,
There is no hardship put upon you, for I, who am above fourscore years
old, will be your general. And Polybius relates, that Masinissa, dying
at the age of ninety years, left behind him a young son of his own
begetting, not above four years old; and that, having a little before
been in a great fight, he was the next day seen at the door of his tent
eating a dirty piece of bread, and that he said to those who wondered
at it, that he did this....
For brass by use and wear its gleam displays,
But every house untenanted decays;[41]
as Sophocles has it; we all say the same of that light and lustre of
the soul, by which we reason, remember, and think.
16. Wherefore also they say, that kings become better in wars and
military expeditions than when they live at ease. Attalus therefore,
the brother of Eumenes, being enervated with long idleness and peace,
was with little skill managed by Philopoemen, one of his favorites,
who fattened him like a hog in the sty; so that the Romans were wont
in derision to ask those who came out of Asia, whether the king had
any power with Philopoemen. Now one cannot find amongst the Romans
many stouter generals than Lucullus, as long as he applied his mind
to action; but when he gave himself up to an unactive life, to a
continuing lazily at home, and an unconcernedness for the public,
being dulled and mortified, like sponges in calm weather, and then
delivering his old age to be dieted and ordered by Callisthenes one
of his freedmen, he seemed bewitched by him with philters and other
incantations; till such time as his brother Marcus, having driven away
this fellow, did himself govern and conduct the remainder of his life,
which was not very long. But Darius, father of Xerxes, said, that
by difficulties he grew wiser than himself. And the Scythian Ateas
affirmed, that he thought there was no difference between himself and
his horse-keepers, when he was idle. And Dionysius the Elder, when
one asked him whether he was at leisure, answered, May that never
befall me. For a bow, they say, will break, if over-bent; and a soul,
if too much slackened. For even musicians, if they over-long omit to
hear accords, geometricians, if they leave off demonstrating their
propositions, and arithmeticians, if they discontinue their casting up
of accounts, do, together with the actions, impair by their progress
in age the habits, though they are not practical but speculative arts;
but the habit of statesmen—being wise counsel, discretion, and justice,
and besides these, experience which seizes upon the right opportunities
and words, the very faculty which works persuasion—is maintained by
frequent speaking, acting, reasoning, and judging. And a hard thing it
would be, if by avoiding to do these things it should suffer such and
so great virtues to run out of the soul. For it is probable also that
humanity, friendly society, and beneficence will then also decay, of
which there ought to be no end or limit.
17. If then you had Tithonus to your father, who was indeed immortal,
but yet by reason of his old age stood perpetually in need of much
attendance, I do think you would shun or be weary of looking to him,
discoursing with him, and helping him, as having a long time done
him service. Now our fatherland (or, as the Cretans call it, our
_motherland_), being older and having greater rights than our parents,
is indeed long lasting, yet neither free from the inconveniences of
old age nor self-sufficient; but standing always in need of a serious
regard, succor, and vigilance, she pulls to her and takes hold of a
statesman,