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Cicero De Senectute De Amicitia De Divinatione
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 30, 2024
De Senectute was a short, cogent, eminently lucid, very practical treatise, one which offers some particularly penetrating correctives for our own day, in which old age is (once again) largely looked down upon and dreaded.
Portions of De Amicitia were very good, though I think one could get away with just reading sections I-IX for a synopsis of the entire treatise. Though sections XXIV-XXVII, on the dangers of flattery for friendship, were also very insightful.
I haven't read De Divinatione yet; I plan to read De Natura Deorum first, which seems more universally applicable.
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Some favorite quotes from these two works:
"Sic vitam adulescentibus vis aufert, senibus maturitas; quae quidem mihi tam iucunda est ut, quo propius ad mortem accedam, quasi terram videre videar aliquandoque in portum ex longa navigatione esse venturus." (De Senec. XIX.71)--notice the similarities to the Apostle Paul?
"Ut enim benefici liberalesque sumus, non ut exigamus gratiam--neque enim beneficium faeneramur, sed natura propensi ad liberalitatem sumus--sic amicitiam non spe mercedis adducti, sed quod omnis eius fructus in ipso amore inest, expetendam putamus." (De Amic. IX.31)--an interesting counterpoint, I think, to the stereotypical (and doubtless largely accurate) depiction of Roman culture as built almost exclusively on a reciprocal system of giving and repaying favors
"Virtutum amicitia adiutrix a Natura data est, non vitiorum comes, ut, quoniam solitaria non posset virtus ad ea quae summa sunt pervenire, coniuncta et consociata cum altera perveniret." (De Amic. XXII.83)--a neat little summation of the entire treatise
Portions of De Amicitia were very good, though I think one could get away with just reading sections I-IX for a synopsis of the entire treatise. Though sections XXIV-XXVII, on the dangers of flattery for friendship, were also very insightful.
I haven't read De Divinatione yet; I plan to read De Natura Deorum first, which seems more universally applicable.
~~~~~~~~~
Some favorite quotes from these two works:
"Sic vitam adulescentibus vis aufert, senibus maturitas; quae quidem mihi tam iucunda est ut, quo propius ad mortem accedam, quasi terram videre videar aliquandoque in portum ex longa navigatione esse venturus." (De Senec. XIX.71)--notice the similarities to the Apostle Paul?
"Ut enim benefici liberalesque sumus, non ut exigamus gratiam--neque enim beneficium faeneramur, sed natura propensi ad liberalitatem sumus--sic amicitiam non spe mercedis adducti, sed quod omnis eius fructus in ipso amore inest, expetendam putamus." (De Amic. IX.31)--an interesting counterpoint, I think, to the stereotypical (and doubtless largely accurate) depiction of Roman culture as built almost exclusively on a reciprocal system of giving and repaying favors
"Virtutum amicitia adiutrix a Natura data est, non vitiorum comes, ut, quoniam solitaria non posset virtus ad ea quae summa sunt pervenire, coniuncta et consociata cum altera perveniret." (De Amic. XXII.83)--a neat little summation of the entire treatise
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August 9, 2026De Senectute:
“so it is not necessary for the wise man to stay on this mortal stage to the last fall of the curtain.? For even if the allotted space of life be short, it is long enough in which to live honourably and well”
“Now the fruit of old age, as I have often said, is the memory of abundant blessings previously acquired.”
“To me, indeed, the thought of this "ripeness" for death is so pleasant, that the nearer I approach death the more I feel like one who is in sight of land at last and is about to anchor in his home port after a long voyage.”
De Amicitia:
“Seeing that friendship includes very many and very great advantages, it undoubtedly excels all other things in this respect, that it projects the bright ray of hope into the future, and does not suffer the spirit to grow faint or to fall. Again, he who looks upon a true friend, looks, as it were, upon a sort of image of himself.”
“amicus certus in re incerta cernitur”
“When Fortune's fickle the faithful friend is found”
De Divinatione:
“I recall a multitude of prophecies which the Chaldeans made to Pompey, to Crassus and even to Caesar himself (now lately deceased), to the effect that no one of them would die except in old age, at home and in great glory. Hence it would seem very strange to me should anyone, especially at this time, believe in men whose predictions he sees disproved every day by actual results.”
“so it is not necessary for the wise man to stay on this mortal stage to the last fall of the curtain.? For even if the allotted space of life be short, it is long enough in which to live honourably and well”
“Now the fruit of old age, as I have often said, is the memory of abundant blessings previously acquired.”
“To me, indeed, the thought of this "ripeness" for death is so pleasant, that the nearer I approach death the more I feel like one who is in sight of land at last and is about to anchor in his home port after a long voyage.”
De Amicitia:
“Seeing that friendship includes very many and very great advantages, it undoubtedly excels all other things in this respect, that it projects the bright ray of hope into the future, and does not suffer the spirit to grow faint or to fall. Again, he who looks upon a true friend, looks, as it were, upon a sort of image of himself.”
“amicus certus in re incerta cernitur”
“When Fortune's fickle the faithful friend is found”
De Divinatione:
“I recall a multitude of prophecies which the Chaldeans made to Pompey, to Crassus and even to Caesar himself (now lately deceased), to the effect that no one of them would die except in old age, at home and in great glory. Hence it would seem very strange to me should anyone, especially at this time, believe in men whose predictions he sees disproved every day by actual results.”
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