Marcus Tullius Cicero
114 quotes
Biography
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, and writer who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises of the Roman Republic that led to the establishment of the Roman Empire. The extensive writings of Cicero include treatises on rhetoric, philosophy, and politics.
"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
"What sweetness is left in life, if you take away friendship? Robbing life of friendship is like robbing the world of the sun. A true friend is more to be esteemed than kinsfolk."
"Love is the attempt to form a friendship inspired by beauty."
"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living."
"The rule of friendship means there should be mutual sympathy between them, each supplying what the other lacks and trying to benefit the other, always using friendly and sincere words."
"The life given us, by nature is short; but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal."
"For books are more than books, they are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men worked and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives."
"The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter."
"To study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one’s self to die."
"What is morally wrong can never be advantageous, even when it enables you to make some gain that you believe to be to your advantage. The mere act of believing that some wrongful course of action constitutes an advantage is pernicious."
"I criticize by creation, not by finding fault."
"When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men's [children's] minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind."
"Sed nescio quo modo nihil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo philosphorum. (There is nothing so absurd but some philosopher has said it.)"
"We must not only obtain Wisdom: we must enjoy her."
"O philosophy, life's guide! O searcher-out of virtue and expeller of vices! What could we and every age of men have been without thee? Thou hast produced cities; thou hast called men scattered about into the social enjoyment of life."
"Old age: the crown of life, our play's last act."
"Rashness belongs to youth prudence to old age."
"Hatred is inveterate anger."
"Hatred is settled anger."
"Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator."
"The best interpreter of the law is custom."
"That last day does not bring extinction to us, but change of place."
"To some extent I liken slavery to death."
"Death is not natural for a state as it is for a human being, for whom death is not only necessary, but frequently even desirable."
"I add this, that rational ability without education has oftener raised man to glory and virtue, than education without natural ability."