First published 2016
Cicero tackles the universal anxieties about aging head on in this brief treatise from 44 BC. The Roman statesman argues that fears about declining health, lost vitality, and mental deterioration are largely overblown. He makes the case that life's second act can surpass the first, suggesting that intellectual pursuits like reading and simple pleasures like gardening may bring more satisfaction than the passions of youth ever did. Originally titled "On Old Age," this work has influenced readers from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson across two millennia. Cicero systematically addresses each major concern about growing older and demonstrates why these worries are either exaggerated or completely unfounded. The result is a persuasive argument for embracing rather than dreading the aging process, offering both philosophical comfort and practical wisdom for anyone facing the passage of time.
Genres: classics, philosophy, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: philosophical, practical-wisdom
Period: 44 BC
217 pages · Hardcover · Princeton University Press