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In an assembly of elders, stand; and if one is wise, attach yourself to him.

Sirach 8. Do not dishonor a man in his old age; for some of us are also growing old.

(917) Sirach 25. How beautiful is judgment for the gray-haired, and for elders to know counsel.

How beautiful is the wisdom of the old, and for the honored, the thoughts of counsel!

My soul has hated an old adulterer, lacking in understanding.

Basil. Indeed, more important for the constitution of an elder than the whiteness of his hair, is that which is elderly in wisdom.

He who is childish in his wits differs in no way from an infant in age.

Of the Theologian. It is shameful for one's age to decline, but for one's licentiousness not to decline.

Even gray hair is sometimes taught a lesson, and old age, it seems, is not entirely trustworthy for understanding.

Chrysostom. Gray hair is not white hairs, but virtues of the soul.

Do not slander the young; nor praise the aged; for virtue and vice are not in the difference of age, but in the difference of disposition.

Greg. Nyss. In almost every matter, youth is a perilous counselor; and one could not easily accomplish anything worthy of serious attention, for whom gray hair was not also included in the sharing of the deliberation.

Philo. The true elder is seen not in length of time, but in a praiseworthy and perfect life.

Of Evagrius. To be honored in old age is proof of having been industrious before old age; but to be diligent in youth is a pledge of being honored in old age.

The soul blossoms toward knowledge, whenever the primes of the body are ended by length of time.

Of Nilus. Whitened hair cries out and testifies to the soul's departure from here.

Plutarch. Winter needs shelter; and old age, freedom from pain.

Plutarch. It is sweet to grow old with good discourse, just as with a good friend.

He exhorted the young to have these three things: in their mind, moderation; on their tongue, silence; on their face, modesty.

From Favorinus. Eratosthenes of Cyrene said of the stages of life, that the prime is spring; summer and autumn, that which is after the prime; and winter, old age.

Of Solon. Old age, he said, is a bad harbor; for all things take refuge in it.

Diogenes. When someone asked him, "What do you think old age is?" he answered, "The winter of life."

Diogenes. And seeing an old woman beautifying herself, he said, (920) "If it is for the living, you are mistaken; but if for the dead, do not delay."

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Ἐν πλήθει πρεσβυτέρων, στῆθι· καί εἴ τις σοφός, προσκολλήθητι αὐτῷ.

Σιράχ η´. Μή ἀτιμάσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν γήρει αὐτοῦ· καί γάρ καί ἐξ ἡμῶν γηράσκουσιν.

(917) Σιράχ κε΄ . Ὡς ὡραῖον πολιαῖς κρίσις, καί πρεσβύτερος ἐπιγνῶναι βουλήν.

Ὡς ὡραία γερόντων σοφία, καί δεδοξασμένοις διανοήματα βουλῆς!

Ἐμίσησεν ἡ ψυχή μου γέροντα μοιχόν, ἐλαττούμενον συνέσει.

Βασιλ. Πλέον τῷ ὄντι τῆς ἐν θριξί λευκότητος εἰς πρεσβυτέρου σύστασιν, τό ἐν φρονήσει πρεσβυτερικόν.

∆ιαφέρει τοῦ νηπίου καθ᾿ ἡλικίαν οὐδέν, ὁ ἐν ταῖς φρεσί μηπιάζων.

Θεολόγου. Αἰσχρόν τήν μέν ἡλικίαν παρακμάσαι, μή παρακμάσαι δέ τήν ἀσέλγειαν.

Παιδεύεταί τι καί πολιά, καί οὐ πάντη τό γῆρας, ὡς ἔοικεν, εἰς σύνεσιν ἀξιόπιστον.

Χρυσοστόμ. Πολιά οὐ τρίχες λευκαί, ἀλλά ψυχῆς ἀρεταί.

Μή τόν νέον διάβαλλε· μηδέ τόν γεγηρακότα ἐπαίνει· οὔτε γάρ ἐν τῇ διαφορᾷ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀρετή καί κακία, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τῇ διαφορᾷ τῆς γνώμης.

Γρηγ. Νύσσ. Ἐπί παντός ὡς ἐπί πολύ πράγματος, ἐπισφαλής σύμβουλος ἡ νεότης· καί οὐκ ἄν τις ῥᾳδίως κατώρθωσέ τι τῶν σπουδῆς ἀξίων, ᾧ μή καί πολιά συμπαρελήφθη πρός κοινωνίαν τοῦ σκέμματος.

Φίλων. Ὁ ἀληθείᾳ πρεσβύτερος, οὐκ ἐν μήκει χρόνου, ἀλλ' ἐπαινετῷ καί τελείῳ βίῳ θεωρεῖται.

Εὐαγρίου. Τό ἔντιμον ἐν γήρᾳ εἶναι, ἀπόδειξις τοῦ φιλόπονον πρό γήρως γεγονέναι· τό δέ σπουδαῖον ἐν νέῳ, ἐχέγγυον τοῦ ἔντιμον ἐν γήρᾳ ἔσεσθαι.

Ἀνθεῖ πρός ἐπιστήμην ψυχή, ὁπότε ὁ τοῦ σώματος ἀκμαί χρόνου μήκει περαίνονται.

Νείλου. Θρίξ λελευκαμένη, τήν ἐντεῦθεν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποδημίαν βοᾷ καί διαμαρτύρεται.

Πλουτάρχ. Ὁ μέν χειμών, σκέπης· τό δέ γῆρας, ἀλυπίας δεῖται.

Πλουτάρχ. Ἡδύ ἐστιν ὥσπερ φίλῳ σπουδαίῳ, οὕτω καί λόγῳ καλῷ συγγηράσκειν.

Παρεκελεύετο τοῖς νέοις τρία ταῦτα ἔχειν, ἐπί μέν τῆς γνώμης, σωφροσύνην· ἐπί δέ τῆς γλώττης, σιγήν· ἐπί δέ τοῦ προσώπου, αἰδώ.

Ἐκ τῶν Φαυωρίνου. Ἐρατοσθένης ὁ Κυρηναῖος, τῆς ἡλικίας ἔφη, τό μέν ἀκμάζον, ἔαρ εἶναι· θέρος δέ καί μετόπωρον, τό μετά τήν ἀκμήν· χειμῶνα δέ, τό γῆρας.

Σόλωνος. Γῆρας, ἔλεγεν ὅρμον εἶναι κακόν· εἰς αὐτό γάρ πάντα καταφεύγει.

∆ιογένης. Ἐρομένου τινός αὐτόν, Τί νομίζεις τό γῆρας; ἀπεκρίνατο, Τοῦ ζῇν χειμῶνα.

∆ιογένης. Ἰδών δέ γραῦν καλλωπιζομένην, εἶπεν, (920) Εἰ μέν πρός τούς ζῶντας, πεπλάνησαι· εἰ δέ πρός τούς νεκρούς μή βράδυνε.