Senectus / senex / senior in the works of Gregory the Great

Krzysztof Tyburowski

Abstract

The issue of the old age – senectus arise in abundance in the writings of many ancient authors. First of all we can see it in the biographic works written both in biographies of Saints and in other works. In most cases the purpose of these works was the admiration of an exceptional person, whose the author sometimes was a disciple, and the education and sanctification of the Christian reader as well. Therefore the authors of ancient biographies used some known in antiquity forms for reaching their purpose. One of them was the fi­gure of old man (senex, senior), who was a synonym of wisdom and holiness. Gregory the Great writes relatively much, although not directly, about the education of man. Certainly the cause of such his attitude was the disastrous situation of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. Gregory wants to teach his reader the wisdom. The wisdom (which is a synonym of old age (senectus) is seen first of all in the lives of the old men (senes, seniores). This article is a presentation and analyse of above-mentioned problem on the basis of three latin terms: senectus, senex, senior used by Gregory the Great.