By Amit Sheth
I was reading Cicero’s essay, ‘on old age’ and he mentions something about Sophocles which I found very interesting and so am taking the liberty to share. Cicero talks about the decline in one’s mental faculty, memory, ability to remember and manage things as one gets older and in this reference mentions Sophocles.
“Sophocles went on writing tragedies until he reached a very great age. His preoccupation with this literary work created the impression that he was neglecting his family’s finances. So his sons took him to court, urging that he was weak-minded and should have the family property taken out of his control (like us they had laws empowering such action in cases of mismanagement). The story goes on, however, that the aged Sophocles read aloud to the magistrates from the play that he had just written and was still working on, the Oedipus at Colonus. Then he asked them if they would describe its author as weak-minded. After listening to his recitation, they voted his acquittal. Clearly, then, his activities were not silenced by old age! “
Cicero / selected works. Penguin classics
I had so enjoyed reading Sophocles and had felt so much affection for him and those plays we read, that I felt very happy for him and cheered for him when I read this and so sharing with you.
