shion. Cicero as a man, in spite of his self-importance, the
vacillation of his political conduct in desperate crises, and the
whining despondency of his times of adversity, stands out as at bottom
a patriotic Roman of substantial honesty, who gave his life to check the
inevitable fall of the commonwealth to which he was devoted. The evils
which were undermining the Republic bear so many striking resemblances
to those which threaten the civic and national life of America to-day
that the interest of the period is by no means merely historical.

As a philosopher, Cicero's most important function was to make his
countrymen familiar with the main schools of Greek thought. Much of
this writing is thus of secondary interest to us in comparison with his
originals, but in the fields of religious theory and of the application
of philosophy to life he made important first-hand contributions. From
these works have been selected the two treatises, on Old Age and on
Friendship, which have proved of most permanent and widespread interest
to posterity, and which give a clear impression of the way in which
a high-minded Roman thought about some of the main problems' of human
life.

ON FRIENDSHIP

THE augur Quintus Mucius Scaevola used to recount a number of stories
about his father-in-law Galus Laelius, accurately remembered and
charmingly told; and whenever he talked about him always gave him the
title of "the wise" without any hesitation. I had been introduced by my
father to Scaevola as soon as I had assumed the _toga virilis_, and I
took advantage of the introduction never to quit the venerable man's
side as long as I was able to stay and he was spared to us. The
consequence was that I committed to memory many disquisitions of his,
as well as many short pointed apophthegms, and, in short, took as much
advantage of his wisdom as I could. When he died, I attached myself
to Scaevola the Pontifex, whom I may venture to call quite the most
distinguished of our countrymen for ability and uprightness. But of this
latter I shall take other occasions to speak. To return to Scaevola the
augur. Among many other occasions I particularly remember one. He was
sitting on a semicircular garden-bench, as was his custom, when I and
a very few intimate friends were there, and he chanced to turn the
conversation upon a subject which about that time was in many people's
mouths. You must remember, Atticus, for you were very intimate
with Publ