From 45 to 60 is the _aetas seniorum_, the period during which citizens in
early Rome might be called out for the defence of the city, but not for
active service. _Senectus_ was commonly reckoned as beginning at 60; but in
§ 60 Cicero includes in _senectus_ the _aetas seniorum_, and probably
intended to include it here. In Tusc. 1, 34 Cic. reckons three ages
_pueritia adulescentia senectus_ as here; below in 74, four periods, or
five. -- QUAMVIS: = _quantumvis_. -- EFFLUXISSET: subjunctive because the
mood of _posset_, to which it stands in subordinate relation _Cum_ here is
purely temporal. See Roby, 1778; A. 342; G. 666; H. 529, II. -- POSSET: see
n. on _esset_ above, 3.

5. SI ... SOLETIS ... SUMUS: the apodosis and protasis do not exactly
correspond; the sense really required is 'if that wisdom for which you
admire me does exist, it lies in this', etc. -- UTINAM ... ESSET: _esset_
here gives a greater appearance of modesty than would been expressed by
_sit_: 'would it were, as it certainly is not'. A. 267; G. 253; H. 483, 2.
-- COGNOMINE: Cato bore the title _sapiens_, even in his lifetime; see
Introd. _Cognomen_ is used in good Latin to denote both the family name and
the acquired by-name; in late Latin this latter is denoted by _agnomen_. --
IN HOC SAPIENTES: but above, 4 _rerum sapientiam_, not _in rebus_. The
genitive construction is not found with _sapiens_ used as noun or adjective
till late Latin times. -- NATURAM DUCEM etc.: Cato's claim to the title of
_sapiens_ does not rest on any deep knowledge of philosophy, but on
practical wisdom or common sense and experience in affairs. Cf. Lael. 6 and
19. In this passage Cicero has put into Cato's mouth phrases borrowed from
the Stoic philosophy, which declared the life of virtue to be life in
accordance with nature (_naturae convenienter vivere_ or ‛ομολογουμενως τη
φυσει ζην). Cf. 71, n. on _secundum naturam_. -- TAMQUAM DEUM: observe
_deum_ not _deam_, because nature is compared with, and not identified
with, a divine being. Cf. Fin. 5, 43 _eam (rationem) quasi deum ducem