The pleasure of growing old:Applying discourse analysis to Ciceros de Senectute

Not so much.

MAN IS A BEASTMetaphor in Ciceros de Senectute

Peter SipesNEIU Student Research Symposium17 April 2015

Cicero

commoner consul pro-Republic prodigious writer lasting influence

Image source http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137527/quintus-tullius-cicero-and-james-carville/campaign-tips-from-cicero

de Senectute

Cato Maior de Senectute dialog 44 BC Ben Franklin printed first

American- printed translation of de Senectute

Image source http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/marginal_matters/walters_265_decorator.html

Metaphor

Method of comparison in language

Image source: https://www.haikudeck.com/shall-i-compare-thee-to-a-summers-day-sonnet18-education-presentation-ADXJJbccch

Metaphor in ordinary language

It is everywhereIt is basic to language ahead behind handle hamstring

Lakoff and Johnson

Things are looking up.Profits are up.On the up and up.

On the down low.Down in the dumps.Broken down.

Lakoff and Johnson

Things are looking up.Profits are up.On the up and up.

On the down low.Down in the dumps.Broken down.

GOOD IS UP

BAD IS DOWN

Sjblads analysis

THE MIND IS A BODYLIFE IS A JOURNEYSTATES ARE LOCATIONSPURPOSES ARE DESTINATIONSLIFE IS HEATUNDERSTANDING IS SEEINGUNDERSTANDING IS GRASPING

SIGNIFICANT IS BIGTALENT IS LIGHT FAME IS LIGHT ABSTRACT ENTITIES ARE PHYSICAL OBJECTSDIFFICULTIES ARE BURDENS

Ciceros language in de Senectute is largely metaphorically consistent with the rest of Latin and, interestingly, that of English.

One is missing59. ..quoniam virtuti tuae fortuna coniuncta est59. ...since fortune is joined to your (manly) virtue

27. Ne nunc quidem vires desidero adulescentis... non plus quam adulescens tauri aut elephanti desiderabam.27. Nor do I now desire the strength of youth any more than as a youth I desired that of a bull or elephant.

MAN IS A BEAST14. Sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremoVicit Olympia, nunc senio confectus quiescit.14. Just like a strong horse winning the Olympics in the last lap, he rests all wasted by old age.

39. ...cuius voluptatis avidae libidines temere et ecfrenate ad potiendum incitarentur.39. ...whose greedy pleasure drives the passions to enslavement in a reckless and unbridled way.

Final thought

nemo enim est tam senex qui se annum non putet posse vivere. (24)

No one is so old they dont think they can live another year.