MEN WHO LIVED LONG

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 1

MEN WHO LIVED LONG

It is generally supposed that the men and women of this age live longer than those of ancient times, but certain classical scholars of Europe are of a different opinion, and they point to the census which was taken during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian as proof that they hav© good ground for disagreeing with scientist® on this point. When this census was taken several persons were living who were more than one hundred years old, among them being two in Parma, each one hundred and twenty years: one in Brixelium, one hundred and twenty-five; one in Placentia, one hundred and thirty ; a woman in Faventia, one hundred and thirty-five; L. Terentius, in Bolognia, one hundred and forty; Mj. Alponius. and Tertulla, the former being one hundred and forty, and the latter one hundred and thirty-seven; and at Velejacium, near Placentia, six persons who were one hundred and ten, four one hundred and twenty, and one who was one hundred ana forty. Moreover, several historical personages lived to a great age. Cato Censorius transacted business until he was nearly ninety, and retained to the end all his old-time vigour. Terentius Varro •lived to be nearly one hundred, and he continued to write up to the day of his death. Plato died in his eighty-third year, and his last hour was devoted to intellectual work. Isocrates was ninetyfour years old when he wrote his famous work “Panathenaikus.”

Ohrysippus began to write bis work on logic in his eightieth year. Cleanthes taught his pupils up to his ninetyninth year. Sop’hocles lived to be nearly one hundred, and during his last days he wrote the “Oedipus Colineus,” one of the greatest tragedies ever written.

Quintus Fabius was appointed augur when he was past middle age, and he held the office for sixty-two years. Li via, the wife of Rutilius, lived to be ninetyseven ; Terentia, Cicero's wife, one hundred and three, and Clodia, the wife of Aufidius, one hundred and fifteen. Hiero, King of Sicily, lived to be ninety, and Masinissa lived to be still older and ruled for sixty years. Cicero, in his work on old age, 6ays of the latter that nothing could induce Km to cover his head, no matter how incleiroent the weather was.

Gorgias, of Leontium, the teacher of Isocrates and other distinguished men, was in excellent health at the age of one hundred and seven yeers. Xenophilus, of Chalci®, the Pythagorean, lived to be almost as old as Gorgias, and his late years are described as being most happy. Finally, ancient records show that Arganthonius began to rule when he was forty years old, and held power for eighty years, and in the third book of his “History” Asinius Pollio tells us that he did not. die until he was past his one hundred and thirtieth year.