Cato Maior de Senectute

About “Cato Maior de Senectute”

Cato Maior de Senectute is an essay written by Cicero in 44 BC that explores the themes of aging and death. Cicero structured the work as a dialogue in which the respected statesman Cato the Elder delivers a speech to two other Roman figures, Scipio Aemilianus and Gaius Laelius Sapiens. Through this format, Cicero presents reflections on the value of a long life, the dignity of old age, and the philosophical approach to death. The essay serves as both a personal meditation and a public statement on the virtues of wisdom and endurance. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)