by Sarah E. Lytle
Children look forward to adolescence; teenagers look forward to adulthood; adults look forward to retirement; and the elderly look back to the happiness of childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. That is, people often wish for a different situation in life. If a man could only reach the next phase of life, then he would find happiness and contentment. Of course, this phenomenon is not new. Many of the great works of literature and art throughout history wrestle with the travails of life at every stage.
In first century B.C. Rome, the statesman, scholar, and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wrestled with the subject of elderliness in his essay, “On Old Age.” Cicero reflects on possible reasons for being discontent in our advanced years, such as apathy or feebleness. He asserts in the opening of this letter, “Men who lack within themselves the means to live a virtuous and happy life find every stage of life a burden.”[1] Everyone desires old age, but, once reached, he is discontent to find himself older.[2]
That letter explores what it means to live life well. For Cicero, the practice of virtue in youth would relieve the burdens of longevity. But Cicero gives us only part of a greater truth. Virtue is a good and necessary part of life, but it is not the final aim of human life. The chief aim of humanity is to glorify Almighty God. Living a virtuous life is a means by which believers honor God. This article will examine these points by comparing Cicero’s “On Old Age” and Paul’s first letter to Timothy.
Cultivate Virtue in Youth
The main argument that Cicero makes is that old age does not cause man to act without virtue; rather, old age exposes man’s true nature. Those who lack virtue in their last years likely lacked virtue in every stage of life. In contrast, the person who practices virtue throughout his life finds old age bearable. Virtue, for Cicero, is a tool that eases some of the misfortunes that befall the aged.
Discontented and unhappy people will be unhappy no matter their circumstances because they long for what they do not have. Old age is no more susceptible to weakness than childhood, youth, or adulthood. Each age has its own follies in “its own season.”[3] One can find fault in all circumstances, but the person who enjoys life at every stage is wise. Growing old, though at times a burden, can be joyous.
Contentment is a seed sown in youth that, if nurtured, has the potential to grow throughout one’s life. Men and women should cultivate virtue in all stages of life. The issue is not old age as such; the issue lies within each person’s character. Cicero’s charge is to for men to live well.
In I Timothy, Paul advises his young protege on how to conduct himself within the household of God—how to interact with others in leadership, with elders, with families, and other young adults. Paul tells Timothy to exemplify godliness in “speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity” (I Timothy 4:12b, NASB). In other words, Timothy should discipline himself and stand as a godly example before the church. He is to act with integrity as he leads the household of God. Likewise, the church body should also strive “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (I Timothy 6:18–19).
Admire Godly Examples
Cicero’s “On Old Age” is a conversation between two students and an elder teacher. The young men seek counsel from their teacher, a man who “travelled the long road” that they would also walk.[4] The old mentor the young. This relationship brings delight to both student and teacher. Young men find delight in hearing “the instructions of the old through which they are led into the study of virtue,” and older men delight in the young man who has “good qualities of mind.”[5] Elders are admired and the young are trained up in virtue.
Cicero reflects on the relationship between old and young people through the example of a helmsman sailing a ship. The helmsman “sits peacefully at the stern just holding the tiller,” while the young men “climb the masts” and “run up and down the deck.” The helmsman “does not do what the young men do”; rather, he by “judgment, authority, and thought” guides the ship safely through the waters.[6] His role changes naturally with age. That change in position is not necessarily evil or even irksome, but it is still a change. The helmsman steers the young men and charts the correct course.
Whereas Cicero uses the image of a sailing ship, Paul uses the image of a household. The church is the household of God. Within this household, every individual has a role to play. Elders “who lead well” should be honored, “especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (I Timothy 5:17). They lead the household. Godly elders should be revered. The young humbly follow the example of godly elders.
Paul encourages Timothy to show deference to whomever he interacts with. When interacting with an elder, Paul advises that Timothy “appeal to him as a father,” and when entreating with someone his own age, Timothy ought to appeal to that person as a sibling (I Timothy 5:1–2). The principle is to care for the household of God, as one would care for his own family. Timothy should revere godly elders and be a godly example to those who follow after him.
Cherish Every Stage of Life
Contentment at every stage of life is a recurring theme in Cicero. “The racetrack of life is fixed,” he says, and it “is run only once; and each part of life has been given its own appropriate quality, so that the weakness of childhood, the high spirits of youth, the seriousness of middle age and the maturity of old age bear some of nature’s fruit which should be reaped in its own season.”[7] In whatever stage of life one finds himself, the call is to be content.
Every stage of life is prone to follies. Youth are prone to “gratifying desires without restraint.”[8] Overindulgence snuffs out the light of life and “hands on to old age a body” exhausted.[9] Cicero’s teaching is that of moderation and contentment in all seasons. If one is content and cherishes every season of life, then old age comes as a welcome friend.
The type of old age Cicero praises is “one established on the foundations of youth,” one that is not dissatisfied or miserly. He praises an old age that endures life’s burdens with humility and delights in life regardless of circumstance. Old age is the harvest time of life, where the old man reaps what he sowed in youth.[10]
The principle of contentment that Cicero offers is again only part of the truth. Paul tells Timothy that contentment is joined together with godliness. Paul and Timothy strive for godliness, which leads to contentment: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either” (I Timothy 6:6). Paul encourages Timothy to serve the household of God well as striving to be an example, shepherding the flock. Timothy’s task is to cultivate virtue, admire godly examples, and find contentment in God. Paul calls all men and women to live honorably and fulfill their role in the household of God.
Conclusion
Cicero sees contentment as the means by which one lives well. Cultivating virtue in youth eases the burden of old age. Virtuous mentors advise young men to live honorably, and when one does reach life’s end, he must strive to finish well. Paul tells Timothy to pursue godliness, to revere preachers and teachers of the gospel, and to live as an example to the flock. A life well-lived deserves honor; it is an example for the young to follow after. Both Paul and Cicero encourage their readers to live honorably to the end.
About the Author: Sarah E. Lytle is the Lead Interpreter and Education Coordinator at Historic Castalian Springs, the managing non-profit for state historic sites Cragfont, Wynnewood, and Hawthorn Hill. She has a BA in History from Welch College and is pursuing the MA in Humanities at Welch College. Sarah is an active member of Sylvan Park Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Her interests are baking, history, hiking, gardening, and philosophy.
[1] Marcus Tullius Cicero, On Life and Death, trans. John Davie (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 117.
[2] Cicero, On Life and Death, 118.
[3] Cicero, On Life and Death, 127.
[4] Cicero, On Life and Death, 119.
[5] Cicero, On Life and Death, 125.
[6] Cicero, On Life and Death, 123.
[7] Cicero, On Life and Death, 127.
[8] Cicero, On Life and Death, 126.
[9] Cicero, On Life and Death, 126.
[10] Cicero, On Life and Death, 123.
Recent Comments