In the republics of Greece and Rome the government was divided between the popular assembly and a group of men selected for their wisdom.
But because it was considered that full wisdom came only with advanced years, all members of the latter group were persons of advanced age, old men. For this reason the Roman group was senatus, a council of old men, from senex, old.
Thus, to be literal, a member of our own senate should be an old man, an age set by our Constitution, however, as not less than thirty.
