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On Living and Dying Well
In the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, orator, statesman, and defender of republican values, created these philosophical treatises on such diverse topics as friendship, religion, death, fate and scientific inquiry. A pragmatist at heart, Cicero's philosophies were frequently personal and ethical, drawn not from abstract reasoning but through careful observation of the world. The resulting works remind us of the importance of social ties, the questions of free will, and the justification of any creative endeavour.
This lively, lucid new translation from Thomas Habinek, editor of Classical Antiquity and the Classics and Contemporary Thought book series, makes Cicero's influential ideas accessible to every reader.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
124 people are currently reading
1495 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Tullius Cicero
8,080 books1,969 followersBorn 3 January 106 BC, Arpinum, Italy
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
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September 14, 2021
On all levels, Marcus Tullius Cicero lived a memorable life. He was the best-known barrister and the most respected orator in republican Rome, a society where law and oratory were central to public life. His success was such that he could have sat back, watched the money flow in, and written philosophy to his heart’s content. But when he saw the republican form of government that he loved threatened by autocrats like Julius Caesar, he felt obliged to speak out. Targeted for assassination by order of Mark Antony in 43 B.C., Cicero died without fear, just as he had lived; and the spirit that enabled him to live life with such courage and face death with such equanimity is fully apparent in this Penguin Books collection of essays, brought together under the title On Living and Dying Well.
Cicero’s commitment to philosophy was absolute; and in the first essay of this volume – an excerpt from “On the Ultimate Good and Evil” that is here retitled “Philosophy at Rome” – he offers a full-throated defense of continued work in philosophy, and of philosophy written by Romans in Latin at that.
Contradicting those Romans of his time who felt that only philosophy written in Greek by Athenians like Plato and Aristotle can have any merit, Cicero patriotically insists that “the Latin language is not only not impoverished, as is commonly thought, but is even richer than the Greek” (p. 4). And his excitement at the unlimited possibilities of philosophy comes forth when he writes that “once released [philosophy] can’t be reined in”, as the search for wisdom and truth “only gets better as it gets more ambitious” (p. 2).
Cicero adds in “Wisdom Across the Ages,” an excerpt from his “Tusculan Disputations,” that “In order to correct…all of our vices and errors – we must turn to philosophy” (p. 67). He seems to have turned to philosophy even more forcefully after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. signaled that the Roman state was sliding into the chaos of civil war and, most likely, an end to the Roman Republic. “[I]t was the downfall of the state,” Cicero writes in “Philosophy and Oppression” [an excerpt from “On Divination”], “that gave me reason to write philosophy, when in the midst of civil conflict I could do nothing to protect the Republic as I had in the past” (p. 73). Centuries before Boethius, Cicero was clearly experiencing the consolation of philosophy.
“The Divinity of the Universe,” an excerpt from “On the Nature of the Gods,” is a notable example of Cicero’s ontology. Cicero writes that “From the intelligence of human beings we ought to infer the existence of mind in the universe, one that is sharper than ours, even divine” (p. 58). He posits further that “There exists…a natural force that holds together and protects the entire universe, a force lacking neither sensation nor reason” (p. 61).
The importance of living one’s life in accordance with reason and virtue is a core theme throughout Cicero’s work. Many citizens here in the United States of America, at this divisive and tendentious point in the nation’s political history, might benefit from the eminently reasonable advice that Cicero offers in “On Duties, or Life in Accordance With Human Nature” regarding how to conduct conversations: “In every aspect of life the best rule is to avoid disturbance, in other words intense feelings that don’t obey reason. Conversation must also be free of such emotions….And we should especially make clear that we respect and cherish our interlocutors” (p. 151). How different might our political discourse be if more of our nation’s leaders followed that principle?
In “Against Fear of Death,” Cicero shows his habitual need to demonstrate his philosophical erudition: “Again we’ll pass over Dicaearchus and his student and contemporary Aristoxenus” (p. 25). Oh, yes, of course: what could they possibly have to say? Yet the modern reader may find more intellectual sustenance in Cicero’s suggestion that the pursuit and attainment of virtue can help one to meet the great unknown of death fearlessly: “Death is especially likely to be met with equanimity when the person departing from life can find comfort in his own laudable actions. No life is too short if virtue is complete” (p. 52).
Cicero likewise sees friendship in terms of virtue, writing in “On Friendship” that “People who deserve friendship are people who show reason to be loved. They’re a rare breed, but then everything remarkable is rare….For each person loves himself, not in order to make some profit from his affection, but because he is dear to himself on his own. Unless this same feeling is transferred to friendship, we will never find a true friend. For a friend is, in effect, another self” (p. 100).
Cicero denounced Mark Antony, while the forces of Antony and Octavian fought against those of Brutus and Cassius in the Liberators’ Civil War; and in doing so, Cicero must have known that he was, in all likelihood, signing his own death warrant. The playwright Seneca provides this moving setting-forth of the circumstances under which Cicero died:
“He fled first to his Tusculan villa, from there by a circuitous route to his place in Formiae, planning to board a ship and depart from Caieta. The winds repeatedly returned him to shore, and seasickness made it impossible for him to endure the tossing of the ship. At last, disgust with flight and life took hold of him. He returned to the villa up the coast, about a mile inland, saying, ‘Let me die in the country I have often saved’” (pp. 161-62) Having spoken thus, he confronted Antony’s minions with dignity and courage, and held himself steady for the executioner’s blow.
In “Against Fear of Death,” Cicero writes that “We must hold fast to our view that there’s no cause for concern after death, even though many people punish their dead enemies” (p. 50). How prophetic of Cicero, as Seneca writes that beheading Cicero “wasn’t enough for the stupid cruelty of the soldiers. They cut off his hands, saying they had written something against Antony. The head was carried to Antony, who ordered it placed between the two hands on the rostra” (p. 162), while ordinary Romans wept for the murdered statesman.
The contrast between the ethical sensibilities of Cicero and Mark Antony comes through here with particular power. This story, I think, gives us a strong sense of what kind of emperor Mark Antony would have been, if things had gone his way at the Battle of Actium.
In a helpful foreword titled “Why Does Cicero’s Philosophy Matter?”, translator Thmas Habinek of the University of Southern California suggests that “Cicero is the antitype of the ivory-tower scholastic. His insights and arguments, even when borrowed or adapted from Greek predecessors, intensify in value for having been tested in the crucible of experience” (p. xi). That focus on the practical makes sense for a seasoned politician like Cicero, and indicates well why the philosophical writings collected here as On Living and Dying Well provide useful, eminently practical advice for all of us who want to face every aspect of life – including its end – with strength and dignity.
Cicero’s commitment to philosophy was absolute; and in the first essay of this volume – an excerpt from “On the Ultimate Good and Evil” that is here retitled “Philosophy at Rome” – he offers a full-throated defense of continued work in philosophy, and of philosophy written by Romans in Latin at that.
Contradicting those Romans of his time who felt that only philosophy written in Greek by Athenians like Plato and Aristotle can have any merit, Cicero patriotically insists that “the Latin language is not only not impoverished, as is commonly thought, but is even richer than the Greek” (p. 4). And his excitement at the unlimited possibilities of philosophy comes forth when he writes that “once released [philosophy] can’t be reined in”, as the search for wisdom and truth “only gets better as it gets more ambitious” (p. 2).
Cicero adds in “Wisdom Across the Ages,” an excerpt from his “Tusculan Disputations,” that “In order to correct…all of our vices and errors – we must turn to philosophy” (p. 67). He seems to have turned to philosophy even more forcefully after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. signaled that the Roman state was sliding into the chaos of civil war and, most likely, an end to the Roman Republic. “[I]t was the downfall of the state,” Cicero writes in “Philosophy and Oppression” [an excerpt from “On Divination”], “that gave me reason to write philosophy, when in the midst of civil conflict I could do nothing to protect the Republic as I had in the past” (p. 73). Centuries before Boethius, Cicero was clearly experiencing the consolation of philosophy.
“The Divinity of the Universe,” an excerpt from “On the Nature of the Gods,” is a notable example of Cicero’s ontology. Cicero writes that “From the intelligence of human beings we ought to infer the existence of mind in the universe, one that is sharper than ours, even divine” (p. 58). He posits further that “There exists…a natural force that holds together and protects the entire universe, a force lacking neither sensation nor reason” (p. 61).
The importance of living one’s life in accordance with reason and virtue is a core theme throughout Cicero’s work. Many citizens here in the United States of America, at this divisive and tendentious point in the nation’s political history, might benefit from the eminently reasonable advice that Cicero offers in “On Duties, or Life in Accordance With Human Nature” regarding how to conduct conversations: “In every aspect of life the best rule is to avoid disturbance, in other words intense feelings that don’t obey reason. Conversation must also be free of such emotions….And we should especially make clear that we respect and cherish our interlocutors” (p. 151). How different might our political discourse be if more of our nation’s leaders followed that principle?
In “Against Fear of Death,” Cicero shows his habitual need to demonstrate his philosophical erudition: “Again we’ll pass over Dicaearchus and his student and contemporary Aristoxenus” (p. 25). Oh, yes, of course: what could they possibly have to say? Yet the modern reader may find more intellectual sustenance in Cicero’s suggestion that the pursuit and attainment of virtue can help one to meet the great unknown of death fearlessly: “Death is especially likely to be met with equanimity when the person departing from life can find comfort in his own laudable actions. No life is too short if virtue is complete” (p. 52).
Cicero likewise sees friendship in terms of virtue, writing in “On Friendship” that “People who deserve friendship are people who show reason to be loved. They’re a rare breed, but then everything remarkable is rare….For each person loves himself, not in order to make some profit from his affection, but because he is dear to himself on his own. Unless this same feeling is transferred to friendship, we will never find a true friend. For a friend is, in effect, another self” (p. 100).
Cicero denounced Mark Antony, while the forces of Antony and Octavian fought against those of Brutus and Cassius in the Liberators’ Civil War; and in doing so, Cicero must have known that he was, in all likelihood, signing his own death warrant. The playwright Seneca provides this moving setting-forth of the circumstances under which Cicero died:
“He fled first to his Tusculan villa, from there by a circuitous route to his place in Formiae, planning to board a ship and depart from Caieta. The winds repeatedly returned him to shore, and seasickness made it impossible for him to endure the tossing of the ship. At last, disgust with flight and life took hold of him. He returned to the villa up the coast, about a mile inland, saying, ‘Let me die in the country I have often saved’” (pp. 161-62) Having spoken thus, he confronted Antony’s minions with dignity and courage, and held himself steady for the executioner’s blow.
In “Against Fear of Death,” Cicero writes that “We must hold fast to our view that there’s no cause for concern after death, even though many people punish their dead enemies” (p. 50). How prophetic of Cicero, as Seneca writes that beheading Cicero “wasn’t enough for the stupid cruelty of the soldiers. They cut off his hands, saying they had written something against Antony. The head was carried to Antony, who ordered it placed between the two hands on the rostra” (p. 162), while ordinary Romans wept for the murdered statesman.
The contrast between the ethical sensibilities of Cicero and Mark Antony comes through here with particular power. This story, I think, gives us a strong sense of what kind of emperor Mark Antony would have been, if things had gone his way at the Battle of Actium.
In a helpful foreword titled “Why Does Cicero’s Philosophy Matter?”, translator Thmas Habinek of the University of Southern California suggests that “Cicero is the antitype of the ivory-tower scholastic. His insights and arguments, even when borrowed or adapted from Greek predecessors, intensify in value for having been tested in the crucible of experience” (p. xi). That focus on the practical makes sense for a seasoned politician like Cicero, and indicates well why the philosophical writings collected here as On Living and Dying Well provide useful, eminently practical advice for all of us who want to face every aspect of life – including its end – with strength and dignity.
July 18, 2019
Why does this book exist? Cicero wrote an entire book on what was essentially on living and dying well in the Tusculum Disputations but instead the publisher chose to create this franken book out of a barely coherent mix of excepts and essays. Its not like they had to cut down to save space either - the book was padded with unrelated maps and a biography.
For a rough analogy imagine someone creating a book called the life and teachings of Jesus and instead of getting the New Testament you instead just got a few chapters of Genesis an epistle of Paul and a couple of gospel chapters.
Definitely read Cicero - he has a lot of wisdom to share in a manner that is refreshingly accessible for an ancient work - but avoid penguin editions of his works like the plague as they appear to all follow this same patchwork approach.
For a rough analogy imagine someone creating a book called the life and teachings of Jesus and instead of getting the New Testament you instead just got a few chapters of Genesis an epistle of Paul and a couple of gospel chapters.
Definitely read Cicero - he has a lot of wisdom to share in a manner that is refreshingly accessible for an ancient work - but avoid penguin editions of his works like the plague as they appear to all follow this same patchwork approach.
February 5, 2024
Such a great book!! I really loved it!!!!
February 14, 2023
a lovely, conversational collection. refreshingly candid and clear-minded.
(this review is unintentionally alliterative o.o)
(this review is unintentionally alliterative o.o)
October 21, 2013
Cicero, after more than two-thousand years, remains a delight to read. This edition, selected and translated by Thomas Habinek, consists mainly of two long excerpts, from the Tusculan Disputations and On Duties. What On Living and Dying Well accomplishes is to remind us once again that the writings of the ancients are as relevant to us today in a way that contemporary philosophers are not.
Nothing is more basic to the human experience than the great Tusculan Disputations. It answers the question: Hoe are we to take the certainty that we will sicken and die? At the end of Book One, he writes:
Our ancestors read Cicero and took him to heart. I think we should do so also.
Nothing is more basic to the human experience than the great Tusculan Disputations. It answers the question: Hoe are we to take the certainty that we will sicken and die? At the end of Book One, he writes:
For we weren't conceived and born rashly and without reason, but surely there was some power that made plans for the human race. It didn't give birth to us and sustain us just so that when we had endured to the end all kinds of struggles we would fall into the endless evil of death. Let us suppose instead that a port or refuge has been prepared for us. If only we could approach it with sails unfurled! But if we are tossed by contrary winds, still it only means that we're delayed a little. Can something that everyone must undergo be a cause of misery to one?Now that is the rhetorical question of all time, and with hat Cicero bows out.
Our ancestors read Cicero and took him to heart. I think we should do so also.
May 21, 2021
This is a stunning book. The translation is really well written and easy to understand, which is hard to find when it comes to ancient philosophy. It's really enjoyable, too. Even though it is philosophy, it's a considerably light read, and it won't demand too much from you. It's also just a lovely, thoughtful work - it makes you think, and consider things you might never have considered, and in a way, it challenges your perspective and opinions. This is a really great introduction to Cicero's works. Highly recommended!
September 19, 2020
Left speechless.
February 4, 2021
This collection of Cicero’s work is perfectly ordered. The progression from discussions regarding death, friendship, and duty is a nice one, allowing us to contemplate how death—so central to Stoicism—impacts our understanding of the most significant corners of human existence. I found his dialogue on immorality helpful. Cicero harkens back to Plato in asserting that the soul desires higher forms or ideals in nature and perfection, that learning is conducted at the expense of right knowledge tucked away in memory, and that the mind has the incredible capacity to invent and create, leaving us to believe that such abilities cannot be the product of mere naturalistic or materialistic cause but a divine one. His discussion of these points leads me to think about Augustine’s influences, and, although both are at the will of Plato, to what extent the great saint found solace in the statesmen’s work, particularly in reference to their positions on immorality.
His section on friendship was my favorite. Cicero has some beautifully insightful quips:
“Anyone who thinks he has friends yet forgets about virtue, learns his mistake when some grave difficulty forces him to put his friends to the test.”
“I can only urge you to rank friendship above all other human concerns. There is nothing so well suited to our nature, nothing so helpful in good times or bad.”
“Take seriously the good advice of friends. Be ready to offer it openly, even forcefully, if the occasion demands—and also be ready to follow when it’s been offered.”
“For the power of friendship derives from the fact that several souls become, in effect, one.”
Cicero reminds the reader that there is no love so painstakingly significant than friendship—friendship makes suffering more bearable and happiness more jovial and duty more decent. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
His section on friendship was my favorite. Cicero has some beautifully insightful quips:
“Anyone who thinks he has friends yet forgets about virtue, learns his mistake when some grave difficulty forces him to put his friends to the test.”
“I can only urge you to rank friendship above all other human concerns. There is nothing so well suited to our nature, nothing so helpful in good times or bad.”
“Take seriously the good advice of friends. Be ready to offer it openly, even forcefully, if the occasion demands—and also be ready to follow when it’s been offered.”
“For the power of friendship derives from the fact that several souls become, in effect, one.”
Cicero reminds the reader that there is no love so painstakingly significant than friendship—friendship makes suffering more bearable and happiness more jovial and duty more decent. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
September 24, 2014
Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. His thoughts on dying and not fearing death were particularity good.
December 14, 2025
This book is an anthology of Cicero's work, and as such, it is difficult to review them all as one. Instead, here are my thoughs on each of the selections (as of right now, I have only read one. Expect me to return as I read more):
Against Fear of Death: 4/5
Cicero is an ortator not a philospher, and yet he elegantly synthesizes the three arguments against the fear of death: the Platonic, the Stoic, and the Epicurean. Of these three, I found his thoughts on the Epicurean most helpful, and a blessing given so much of Epicurus' original writings are lost. He explores the idea of "lacking" pleasure and argues that in death, we don't exist, so the concept of "lacking" anything is absurd. Many of his arguments set up contradictions and are in need of refinement (for example, given death is not preferable to life, if a boulder falls from above us, threatening to crush us painlessly if we do not dive to safety, why should we bother avoiding it?), but giving readers something to ponder is in no means a knock against Cicero.
Against Fear of Death: 4/5
Cicero is an ortator not a philospher, and yet he elegantly synthesizes the three arguments against the fear of death: the Platonic, the Stoic, and the Epicurean. Of these three, I found his thoughts on the Epicurean most helpful, and a blessing given so much of Epicurus' original writings are lost. He explores the idea of "lacking" pleasure and argues that in death, we don't exist, so the concept of "lacking" anything is absurd. Many of his arguments set up contradictions and are in need of refinement (for example, given death is not preferable to life, if a boulder falls from above us, threatening to crush us painlessly if we do not dive to safety, why should we bother avoiding it?), but giving readers something to ponder is in no means a knock against Cicero.
December 6, 2021
I really loved the section about Friendship. I think it was well written and had good guidelines for life.
For example:
My favourite - ”It’s true what they say: friends must eat many pecks of salt together before they discharge their mutual debt”
”…Friendship makes prosperity more splendid and adversity more bearable through sharing and exchange”
”In real friendship there is nothing false or simulated, only what is true and freely chosen”
”So it seems that in friendship arises from nature rather than from need, from the inclination of the soul accompanied by a certain sentiment of love, rather than from calculations of a relationships potential usefulness.”
”…honourable men reduce their own advantages, or let them be reduced by others, to allow a friend to benefit instead”
”…people pay closer attention to everything else: they can tell you how many goats and sheep they have, but not how many friends; they exercise caution in acquiring the former, but are negligent in choosing the latter. They don’t even have marks or signs for determining who might be fit for friendship”
”You should give as follows to each friend: first, as much as you can provide; second, as much as the one you love and assist can handle”
For example:
My favourite - ”It’s true what they say: friends must eat many pecks of salt together before they discharge their mutual debt”
”…Friendship makes prosperity more splendid and adversity more bearable through sharing and exchange”
”In real friendship there is nothing false or simulated, only what is true and freely chosen”
”So it seems that in friendship arises from nature rather than from need, from the inclination of the soul accompanied by a certain sentiment of love, rather than from calculations of a relationships potential usefulness.”
”…honourable men reduce their own advantages, or let them be reduced by others, to allow a friend to benefit instead”
”…people pay closer attention to everything else: they can tell you how many goats and sheep they have, but not how many friends; they exercise caution in acquiring the former, but are negligent in choosing the latter. They don’t even have marks or signs for determining who might be fit for friendship”
”You should give as follows to each friend: first, as much as you can provide; second, as much as the one you love and assist can handle”
March 21, 2022
Some very excellent points in here that I'll no doubt return to in future (On Duties and the letter to his son particularly). Cicero writes the obvious but makes it applicable and knowable. To turn such normal implications and explain them is an intense talent that Cicero develops well throughout this. I'm not wholly convinced by the fear of death piece and the nothingness, but that is neither here nor there. When reading the work of Marcus Tullius Cicero, there is the underlying tone of, whether agreeing or disagreeing, the thoughts come from a place of genuine structure and reason. It is hard to knock the worst bits of On Living and Dying Well as anything but disagreeable. Either way, they present an open opportunity for debate and discussion. An inspired bit of philosophy, and a must-read.
January 24, 2025
Cicero is one of those classical authors I have been meaning to read for probably going on twenty years, yet he’s weirdly unavailable in bookshops. Obviously I could research and order in the best of his writings. Instead, lazily, I saw this volume and thought it would be as good a place to start as any. ‘On Friendship’ is famous, after all.
I’m not going to lie; I wasn’t blown away. Maybe it’s the translation, but there’s something chummy and down-to-earth in the voice – maybe it’s the dialogue and correspondence framings. It’s not bad, it’s just not the elevated and slightly distant style I’m used to from other philosophers. It reminds me of how whiny I found (the bit I’ve read of) Seneca. Maybe it’s a Roman thing?!
Introduction by Thomas Habinek
‘The ideal life is one attuned to the particularities of the here and now understood as manifestations of a larger cosmic order.’
‘But it also allows us to conceive of our lives as works of art. The artist is limited by the materials available – their quantity, colour, durability, and so on – yet within those limitations she or he can create wondrous effects.’
‘The decorum or orderly beauty of individual life is to be a small-scale version of the orderly beauty of the universe.’
I have to say I found the summary by Habinek rather more compelling than a lot of the actual text.
Against Fear of Death
‘Still others believe that breath (anima) is soul (animus) [...]. The very word for soul or mind (animus) is derived from anima, meaning ‘breath’.’
‘[...] Apollo’s pronouncement, ‘know thyself’. He’s not telling us to know our limbs or stature or appearance. We aren’t simply bodies and in speaking to you I don’t speak to your body alone. When he says ‘know thyself’ he means ‘know your soul’. The body is just a vessel or receptacle of the soul. Whatever action is taken by your soul is taken by you. Therefore, if knowing yourself weren’t the act of a god, then this wise saying wouldn’t be attributed to a god.’
‘[...] he is not learning but recognising through recollection. This couldn’t happen, according to Socrates, unless already in childhood we had inborn and as it were imprinted notions of all sorts, which he calls ennoiai, or preconceptions, that is, unless the soul had already pulsed with knowledge prior to entering the body.’
I mean. Okay? It’s an appealing concept. Cicero just doesn’t DO much with that. When you consider the knots Kant ties himself in…
The Divinity of the Universe
‘[...] then the universe must be wise, for if it weren’t, then man, who is part of the universe, would, in that he has a share of reason, be greater than the whole universe.’
Nice calming thought.
Friendship
‘People say your wisdom consists in your belief that your entire well-being is in your own power and that the circumstances of human life matter less than virtue.’
PICKLE RICK! IT’S YOUR MIND UNDER YOUR CONTROL!
‘True friendship is spendthrift; it doesn’t worry about giving more than it receives; it isn’t afraid to be wasteful, to let things fall by the wayside, to contribute more than its share to the friendship.’
It’s part of friendship to lift up someone suffering, who maybe isn’t able to put the same value on you as you do on them.
‘You must judge before loving, not love before judging.’
‘Giving and taking criticism is the mark of a true friendship, giving cheerfully, not harshly, and accepting patiently, not reluctantly.’
On Duties
‘People of this sort have the same goal as kings: to ask nothing, obey no one and enjoy liberty, the defining feature of which is to live just as one pleases.’
‘Life among a free population, with equality before the law, requires a relaxed and tolerant attitude.’
Please inform Trump ASAP.
‘Punishment, whether in word or in deed, should be in the interest of the republic, not the one inflicting punishment. We should also avoid making the punishment more severe than the crime, or punishing some people harshly while not even indicting others on the same charges; in particular, anger when punishing must be forbidden.’
‘But of all productive enterprises, none is better than agriculture, none more beneficial, more pleasant, more worthy of a free person.’
This? On its face it’s wild. He puts farming above music and art! And yet I also kind of … get it? Manual labour, where you see the fruits of said labour day by day? I mean, I don’t want to DO it, and I doubt Tullius ever did a hand’s turn himself. He had SLAVES. But still. I kind of, kind of get it.
I’m not going to lie; I wasn’t blown away. Maybe it’s the translation, but there’s something chummy and down-to-earth in the voice – maybe it’s the dialogue and correspondence framings. It’s not bad, it’s just not the elevated and slightly distant style I’m used to from other philosophers. It reminds me of how whiny I found (the bit I’ve read of) Seneca. Maybe it’s a Roman thing?!
Introduction by Thomas Habinek
‘The ideal life is one attuned to the particularities of the here and now understood as manifestations of a larger cosmic order.’
‘But it also allows us to conceive of our lives as works of art. The artist is limited by the materials available – their quantity, colour, durability, and so on – yet within those limitations she or he can create wondrous effects.’
‘The decorum or orderly beauty of individual life is to be a small-scale version of the orderly beauty of the universe.’
I have to say I found the summary by Habinek rather more compelling than a lot of the actual text.
Against Fear of Death
‘Still others believe that breath (anima) is soul (animus) [...]. The very word for soul or mind (animus) is derived from anima, meaning ‘breath’.’
‘[...] Apollo’s pronouncement, ‘know thyself’. He’s not telling us to know our limbs or stature or appearance. We aren’t simply bodies and in speaking to you I don’t speak to your body alone. When he says ‘know thyself’ he means ‘know your soul’. The body is just a vessel or receptacle of the soul. Whatever action is taken by your soul is taken by you. Therefore, if knowing yourself weren’t the act of a god, then this wise saying wouldn’t be attributed to a god.’
‘[...] he is not learning but recognising through recollection. This couldn’t happen, according to Socrates, unless already in childhood we had inborn and as it were imprinted notions of all sorts, which he calls ennoiai, or preconceptions, that is, unless the soul had already pulsed with knowledge prior to entering the body.’
I mean. Okay? It’s an appealing concept. Cicero just doesn’t DO much with that. When you consider the knots Kant ties himself in…
The Divinity of the Universe
‘[...] then the universe must be wise, for if it weren’t, then man, who is part of the universe, would, in that he has a share of reason, be greater than the whole universe.’
Nice calming thought.
Friendship
‘People say your wisdom consists in your belief that your entire well-being is in your own power and that the circumstances of human life matter less than virtue.’
PICKLE RICK! IT’S YOUR MIND UNDER YOUR CONTROL!
‘True friendship is spendthrift; it doesn’t worry about giving more than it receives; it isn’t afraid to be wasteful, to let things fall by the wayside, to contribute more than its share to the friendship.’
It’s part of friendship to lift up someone suffering, who maybe isn’t able to put the same value on you as you do on them.
‘You must judge before loving, not love before judging.’
‘Giving and taking criticism is the mark of a true friendship, giving cheerfully, not harshly, and accepting patiently, not reluctantly.’
On Duties
‘People of this sort have the same goal as kings: to ask nothing, obey no one and enjoy liberty, the defining feature of which is to live just as one pleases.’
‘Life among a free population, with equality before the law, requires a relaxed and tolerant attitude.’
Please inform Trump ASAP.
‘Punishment, whether in word or in deed, should be in the interest of the republic, not the one inflicting punishment. We should also avoid making the punishment more severe than the crime, or punishing some people harshly while not even indicting others on the same charges; in particular, anger when punishing must be forbidden.’
‘But of all productive enterprises, none is better than agriculture, none more beneficial, more pleasant, more worthy of a free person.’
This? On its face it’s wild. He puts farming above music and art! And yet I also kind of … get it? Manual labour, where you see the fruits of said labour day by day? I mean, I don’t want to DO it, and I doubt Tullius ever did a hand’s turn himself. He had SLAVES. But still. I kind of, kind of get it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2024
Very interesting and informative introduction into Cicero’s teachings and writings.
You get a taste of the ideals he promoted and the ones he abhorred.
You don’t really need to have read anything else by him,but this book does need to be read slowly so as to absorb the lessons he’s trying to impart.
His discussions on souls,friendships,the nature of divinity and most importantly the nature of death invite deep reflection and reconsideration of modern attitudes and beliefs.
Favourite quotes:
“In the dialogues,tradition and reason become mutually enforcing,as the Roman interlocutors identify and authorise the most compelling aspects of Greek teaching while the Greek experts provide the rationale for defending and modifying traditional values and practices in the face of intellectual and political challenges.”
“There’s no mixture in souls,no coalescence,no linking,no compounding,no double nature; since that’s the case,it can’t be separated,divided,picked apart,or torn asunder- and so it can’t perish. For perishing is a kind of departure or separation or tearing of the very parts that prior to perishing were joined and held together.”
“In the words of Socrates,the whole life of a philosopher is practice for death.
For what else are we doing when we call the soul away from pleasure,that is to say,from the body; or from family property,which is the aid and attendant of the body; or from public affairs and every occupation? What- except calling it to itself,urging it to be with itself and drawing it away entirely from the body? To separate the soul from the body is the same thing as learning how to die. Let us practice this separation,let us unbind ourselves from our bodies and grow accustomed to dying. In this way,although we remain on earth,our life will be as if in heaven, and when we are finally carried off,having been released from bondage, our soul’s journey will not be delayed. For those who have always been shackled to their bodies,even when freed move very slowly,like men who have spent years in fetters and chains. And when we reach the heavens, then,finally,will we live.”
“We,who exist,wouldn’t say we lack horns or wings,would we? Has anyone said such a thing? Of course not. Why? Because,when you don’t have something for which you have no use or aren’t by nature suited,you don’t lack it,even if you perceive that you don’t have it.”
“Indeed,nature arranges that just as birth is the beginning of everything for us,so death is the end,and just as nothing mattered to us before we were born,nothing will matter after we die. What harm can there be in death,when it isn’t relevant to the living or the dead?
It won’t affect the former,and the latter don’t exist.”
“Friendship encompasses the greatest number of benefits. Whichever way you turn,there it is! Nowhere is it excluded,at no time is it inappropriate,it never causes annoyance… For friendship makes prosperity more splendid and adversity more bearable through sharing and exchange.
Among the many great benefits of friendship ,one stands out above all others; friendship shines the light of hope into the future and keeps the spirit from becoming weak or stumbling. Looking at a true friend is like seeing an image of yourself. Even when absent,friends are near; although poor,they bring riches,although weak they are strong,and what is especially hard to express,although dead they live- for respect,memory and longing pursue them. In this way the dead are blessed and the living worthy of praise.”
“We don’t practice generosity in order to secure gratitude,nor do we invest our gifts in the hope of a favourable return. Rather,it is nature that inclines us towards generosity. Just so,we don’t seek friendship with an expectation of gain,but regard the feeling of love as its own reward.”
“…feeling of love and goodwill arise naturally whenever there’s an indication of a person’s goodness. People who are on the lookout for it draw closer in order to enjoy the companionship and the character of the one they have begun to love. They strive to be partners in love,equals in doing favours rather than in seeking their return. In this way there’s an honourable rivalry between them. They will obtain great advantages from their friendship,which has its deep and true origin in nature,not weakness. For if advantage were the glue of friendship,its alteration would dissolve the bond. Because nature cannot change,true friendships are eternal.”
“Doing wrong for the sake of a friend never justifies that wrong. Belief in a friend’s virtue sustains the friendship. It’s hard for the friendship to continue once the virtue is gone.”
“It’s isn’t the advantage generated by a friend that makes us happy, but our very feeling of love for him. And whatever advantage does come from a friend is only enjoyable if it proceeds from his intention. It’s far from being the case that friendship is cultivated because of need; on the contrary, the kindest and most generous people are those who have least need of others,thanks to their own wealth and resources, and especially their virtue,which is the greatest source of protection.”
“In the name of gods and mortals,who on earth would wish to be showered with riches and to enjoy an abundance of every kind of possession if it meant not loving or being loved by another? Surely this is the life of tyrants: to be without trust,affection or reliable expectation of goodwill,always anxious and suspicious about everything,with no opportunity for friendship. For who could love the person he fears,or the person he thinks fears him? Tyrants may be treated to a pretence of affection,at least for a time,but once they run into trouble,as tends to happen,it becomes obvious how few friends they have.”
“Fortune is blind- and often blinds those she embraces. They get carried away by their own sense of superiority- and nothing is harder to put up with than a lucky fool! Then,too,it’s been known to happen that people who were formerly of good character become transformed by high office,power or prosperity,and end up disregarding old friendships while devoting themselves to new ones.”
“Nature created friendship as an aide to virtue,not a comrade in vice,because virtue cannot achieve its highest goals in isolation,but only when joined and linked with that of another.”
“… each instance of honourable conduct falls into one of four categories: it entails perception and discernment of the truth; or safeguarding bonds among humans,by assigning to each his own and securing relations of trust; or it originates in the magnificent strength of a lofty,unconquered soul; or in temperate,moderate order and measure in word and deed.”
👍🏻❤️💯💡🏺
You get a taste of the ideals he promoted and the ones he abhorred.
You don’t really need to have read anything else by him,but this book does need to be read slowly so as to absorb the lessons he’s trying to impart.
His discussions on souls,friendships,the nature of divinity and most importantly the nature of death invite deep reflection and reconsideration of modern attitudes and beliefs.
Favourite quotes:
“In the dialogues,tradition and reason become mutually enforcing,as the Roman interlocutors identify and authorise the most compelling aspects of Greek teaching while the Greek experts provide the rationale for defending and modifying traditional values and practices in the face of intellectual and political challenges.”
“There’s no mixture in souls,no coalescence,no linking,no compounding,no double nature; since that’s the case,it can’t be separated,divided,picked apart,or torn asunder- and so it can’t perish. For perishing is a kind of departure or separation or tearing of the very parts that prior to perishing were joined and held together.”
“In the words of Socrates,the whole life of a philosopher is practice for death.
For what else are we doing when we call the soul away from pleasure,that is to say,from the body; or from family property,which is the aid and attendant of the body; or from public affairs and every occupation? What- except calling it to itself,urging it to be with itself and drawing it away entirely from the body? To separate the soul from the body is the same thing as learning how to die. Let us practice this separation,let us unbind ourselves from our bodies and grow accustomed to dying. In this way,although we remain on earth,our life will be as if in heaven, and when we are finally carried off,having been released from bondage, our soul’s journey will not be delayed. For those who have always been shackled to their bodies,even when freed move very slowly,like men who have spent years in fetters and chains. And when we reach the heavens, then,finally,will we live.”
“We,who exist,wouldn’t say we lack horns or wings,would we? Has anyone said such a thing? Of course not. Why? Because,when you don’t have something for which you have no use or aren’t by nature suited,you don’t lack it,even if you perceive that you don’t have it.”
“Indeed,nature arranges that just as birth is the beginning of everything for us,so death is the end,and just as nothing mattered to us before we were born,nothing will matter after we die. What harm can there be in death,when it isn’t relevant to the living or the dead?
It won’t affect the former,and the latter don’t exist.”
“Friendship encompasses the greatest number of benefits. Whichever way you turn,there it is! Nowhere is it excluded,at no time is it inappropriate,it never causes annoyance… For friendship makes prosperity more splendid and adversity more bearable through sharing and exchange.
Among the many great benefits of friendship ,one stands out above all others; friendship shines the light of hope into the future and keeps the spirit from becoming weak or stumbling. Looking at a true friend is like seeing an image of yourself. Even when absent,friends are near; although poor,they bring riches,although weak they are strong,and what is especially hard to express,although dead they live- for respect,memory and longing pursue them. In this way the dead are blessed and the living worthy of praise.”
“We don’t practice generosity in order to secure gratitude,nor do we invest our gifts in the hope of a favourable return. Rather,it is nature that inclines us towards generosity. Just so,we don’t seek friendship with an expectation of gain,but regard the feeling of love as its own reward.”
“…feeling of love and goodwill arise naturally whenever there’s an indication of a person’s goodness. People who are on the lookout for it draw closer in order to enjoy the companionship and the character of the one they have begun to love. They strive to be partners in love,equals in doing favours rather than in seeking their return. In this way there’s an honourable rivalry between them. They will obtain great advantages from their friendship,which has its deep and true origin in nature,not weakness. For if advantage were the glue of friendship,its alteration would dissolve the bond. Because nature cannot change,true friendships are eternal.”
“Doing wrong for the sake of a friend never justifies that wrong. Belief in a friend’s virtue sustains the friendship. It’s hard for the friendship to continue once the virtue is gone.”
“It’s isn’t the advantage generated by a friend that makes us happy, but our very feeling of love for him. And whatever advantage does come from a friend is only enjoyable if it proceeds from his intention. It’s far from being the case that friendship is cultivated because of need; on the contrary, the kindest and most generous people are those who have least need of others,thanks to their own wealth and resources, and especially their virtue,which is the greatest source of protection.”
“In the name of gods and mortals,who on earth would wish to be showered with riches and to enjoy an abundance of every kind of possession if it meant not loving or being loved by another? Surely this is the life of tyrants: to be without trust,affection or reliable expectation of goodwill,always anxious and suspicious about everything,with no opportunity for friendship. For who could love the person he fears,or the person he thinks fears him? Tyrants may be treated to a pretence of affection,at least for a time,but once they run into trouble,as tends to happen,it becomes obvious how few friends they have.”
“Fortune is blind- and often blinds those she embraces. They get carried away by their own sense of superiority- and nothing is harder to put up with than a lucky fool! Then,too,it’s been known to happen that people who were formerly of good character become transformed by high office,power or prosperity,and end up disregarding old friendships while devoting themselves to new ones.”
“Nature created friendship as an aide to virtue,not a comrade in vice,because virtue cannot achieve its highest goals in isolation,but only when joined and linked with that of another.”
“… each instance of honourable conduct falls into one of four categories: it entails perception and discernment of the truth; or safeguarding bonds among humans,by assigning to each his own and securing relations of trust; or it originates in the magnificent strength of a lofty,unconquered soul; or in temperate,moderate order and measure in word and deed.”
👍🏻❤️💯💡🏺
July 11, 2025
Cicero is a cool guy, a good citizen, and wants the best for Rome and the Roman People. This book is him going through semi-common Greek philosophy and translating it to Latin so that Romans can have access to this knowledge.
Throughout these translations, he sprinkles in his own ideas and opinions. Some of the writings being written directly to his son. His ideas and philosophies on death, friendship, the universe, and our duties as humans and citizens are worth reading. It’s crazy to think that high ranking and influential politicians at one time on earth thought about these ideas extensively and lived their lives according to virtuous duties.
This is a book that I’ll continue to think about for a long time, and hopefully will allow me to live a more virtuous life and help my fellow friends and citizens.
Throughout these translations, he sprinkles in his own ideas and opinions. Some of the writings being written directly to his son. His ideas and philosophies on death, friendship, the universe, and our duties as humans and citizens are worth reading. It’s crazy to think that high ranking and influential politicians at one time on earth thought about these ideas extensively and lived their lives according to virtuous duties.
This is a book that I’ll continue to think about for a long time, and hopefully will allow me to live a more virtuous life and help my fellow friends and citizens.
March 22, 2023
From finding an unsettling sense of connection to fatalism in my eighth-grade philosophy class (thanks, Dr. Kjellberg) to throwing a Descartes book down in frustration during my first quarter of college (thanks, Dr. Hsu), I’ve always had a complicated relationship with philosophy. While I wouldn’t say that Cicero’s work has completely changed my attitude on the subject as a whole, On Living and Dying Well presented me with intriguing perspectives on familiar social “truths” that are often taken for granted. The conversational style of the essays is accessible to non-philosophers and, if the translation by Thomas Habinek is loyal to the original text, Cicero definitely had a wit to his writing that feels almost contemporary.
As promised by the title, this book covers living, dying, and everything in between. The author makes compelling analyses of (among other timeless themes) friendship, duty, politics, and war. While I was unable to get past his insistence on putting one’s state and intellectual advancement above all else (likely a result of this compilation of pieces being written, for the most part, during the tumultuous final days of the Roman Republic), his perspectives on friendship and death were particularly refreshing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an approachable introduction to philosophy and who isn’t embarrassed by reading slews of Greek and Roman names that you feel like you should remember but don’t.
As promised by the title, this book covers living, dying, and everything in between. The author makes compelling analyses of (among other timeless themes) friendship, duty, politics, and war. While I was unable to get past his insistence on putting one’s state and intellectual advancement above all else (likely a result of this compilation of pieces being written, for the most part, during the tumultuous final days of the Roman Republic), his perspectives on friendship and death were particularly refreshing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an approachable introduction to philosophy and who isn’t embarrassed by reading slews of Greek and Roman names that you feel like you should remember but don’t.
June 11, 2022
big fan of the ancients, if not for their philosophical and rhetorical abilities then for their absurdly long father’s father’s father’s names: “quintus fabius maximus aemilianus,” etc..
March 27, 2022
An interesting read in which Cicero explores our fear of death amongst other philosophies. This was the first of his works that I have read and I wasn't disappointed. The collection is easily accessible and a lot is remarkably relevant still, over 2000 years later.
Read
June 12, 2021cicero was so fruity
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2025
I'm admittedly biased against selections from authors which mix-and-match from across their works, which is essentially what this is. From what I've read of Cicero, this wasn't strictly necessary as while he is a little long-winded, it isn't so bad as to require an editor. In addition, looking around at contemporary translations I noticed that Penguin has published many of these works, split across different compilations: On Duties' Book 1 (of 3) appears here, Book 3 elsewhere, so I question why they didn't just publish the entire thing and let it stand as a whole, coherent statement.
I think there are other works they could have included which were related to the title. Cicero has an essay arguing that only virtue is necessary to be happy, which for some reason they only included the opening of.
With that in mind, this wasn't bad. On Duties and On Friendship are undoubtedly the best - others passages dealing with the nature of the soul I didn't care about very much, but you might do. The value of Cicero is as an ethicist and a statesman worth studying so if those are tour interests, this is as good a starting point as any. The introduction, historical background and a selection of obituaries were very nice for learning about the man. The translations are readable. Still, I think there must have been more potential in the idea of the book than what transpired, or even in reading him unedited.
I think there are other works they could have included which were related to the title. Cicero has an essay arguing that only virtue is necessary to be happy, which for some reason they only included the opening of.
With that in mind, this wasn't bad. On Duties and On Friendship are undoubtedly the best - others passages dealing with the nature of the soul I didn't care about very much, but you might do. The value of Cicero is as an ethicist and a statesman worth studying so if those are tour interests, this is as good a starting point as any. The introduction, historical background and a selection of obituaries were very nice for learning about the man. The translations are readable. Still, I think there must have been more potential in the idea of the book than what transpired, or even in reading him unedited.
January 31, 2024
A peak into the mind of a key figure of the Roman Republic (Paperback review)
“On Living and Dying Well” by Cicero contains a selection of philosophical essays covering a wide variety of topics, including death and the soul, the nature of the gods, ethics, and friendship. Philosopher, politician, lawyer and orator, Cicero was a contemporary of Caesar and Augustus and one of the dominant figures of the Roman Republic in the turbulent first century BC. The essays allow for a peak into the mind of Cicero and his central idea that links the individual to the cosmic experience; everything is inter-connected. After more than 2,000 years of the study of Ciceronian philosophy, I have nothing new to add other than that I liked reading the treatises as much as I did about the man and his times.
Although many of the old source texts, can be dry, “On Living and Dying Well” is another Penguin classic that has a great introduction and excellent footnotes enriching the text with details and references. After further reading, I understand better why Cicero has become a byword for eloquence and why his ideas have been so influential over two millennia.
In summary, for anybody interested in the Roman period or Republic in general, or Cicero and his philosophy specifically, “On Living and Dying Well” is a good addition to your book collection.
“On Living and Dying Well” by Cicero contains a selection of philosophical essays covering a wide variety of topics, including death and the soul, the nature of the gods, ethics, and friendship. Philosopher, politician, lawyer and orator, Cicero was a contemporary of Caesar and Augustus and one of the dominant figures of the Roman Republic in the turbulent first century BC. The essays allow for a peak into the mind of Cicero and his central idea that links the individual to the cosmic experience; everything is inter-connected. After more than 2,000 years of the study of Ciceronian philosophy, I have nothing new to add other than that I liked reading the treatises as much as I did about the man and his times.
Although many of the old source texts, can be dry, “On Living and Dying Well” is another Penguin classic that has a great introduction and excellent footnotes enriching the text with details and references. After further reading, I understand better why Cicero has become a byword for eloquence and why his ideas have been so influential over two millennia.
In summary, for anybody interested in the Roman period or Republic in general, or Cicero and his philosophy specifically, “On Living and Dying Well” is a good addition to your book collection.
November 16, 2024
How would you approach a book on how to live well or die well? Where would you start? How would your book end? Cicero’s writing style did not initially appear to be as well conceived as other Roman philosophers, like Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, but the use of direct language to neatly present concepts or lessons to the reader, which is imminently more quotable than Seneca. The ideas can be grasped at once and approach his subject matter from multiple angles. Initially some of his statements seemed disjointed or trite. The effect of his style is like he throws a bowl of pasta at the wall and nearly every noodle sticks. The effect of the work as a whole is compelling and inspires me to sift through it for again and again.
The biographical notes at the end are curious but tragic. For all of Cicero’s experience, fortitude, and wisdom, he becomes the pawn in the power struggles of younger and more powerful men. How are we to reconcile the wisdom of Cicero’s work with his personal impotence in civic affairs later in life? His younger patrons are not the model of virtue and yet they have wealth and power to propel their egos. Living well may be its own consolation, an aesthetic ideal that adds beauty and dignity to an otherwise dreary world. Maybe this book is a nine out of ten, but I walk away from this work as a believer in Cicero.
The biographical notes at the end are curious but tragic. For all of Cicero’s experience, fortitude, and wisdom, he becomes the pawn in the power struggles of younger and more powerful men. How are we to reconcile the wisdom of Cicero’s work with his personal impotence in civic affairs later in life? His younger patrons are not the model of virtue and yet they have wealth and power to propel their egos. Living well may be its own consolation, an aesthetic ideal that adds beauty and dignity to an otherwise dreary world. Maybe this book is a nine out of ten, but I walk away from this work as a believer in Cicero.
January 20, 2025
by
Bram StokerFinish date: 19.01.2025
Genre: essays
Rating: C
#Classics Club List
Personal:
Is the book worth reading?
Depends on what interests you but I:
1. did not care if the soul was immortal or not
2. did care about the fear against death (pg 7-56)
3. did not care if the universe should be considered a god
4. did not think philosophy is the best guide for life.
5. did care about the importance of friendship (pg 75-108)
6. did care about our duties, responsiblities and forms of justice (pg 107-159)
Favorite quote: pg 49
When he was dying at Lampsacus, he told friends
who asked if he wanted to be taken to
Clazomenae in the event something happened to him:
That won’t be necessary; the trip to hell
...is just as long no matter where you start from.
January 5, 2025
It is difficult to call Cicero's writings "philosophical" as the term is applied to Plato or Aristotle. He is not particularly thorough; he often inserts unacknowledged, undefended, or hidden premises in his arguments; and his logic is spotty at times. But for me that only minimally diminishes the pleasure of reading his prose, which is always lucid and compelling. He excels when he offers practical advice rooted in experience, such as when he describes the benefits and boundaries of good friendships. And for that reason, this book - primarily a collection of such advice - was one of my favorite collections of his writings. Although there is much to disagree with in his deeply Roman sensibility, these are worthwhile reflections on how to live a good life.
December 28, 2024
Cicero’s On Living and Dying Well is a timeless work that feels as relevant today as it must have been when it was first written around 44 BCE (over 2,060 years ago). His reflections on friendship, death, and fate are profound, offering wisdom that resonates deeply with modern life.
Reading this book made me think more critically about these universal themes and how they apply to my own experiences. Cicero’s insights feel strikingly contemporary, a testament to the enduring power of his philosophy. This is a work that truly stands the test of time.
Reading this book made me think more critically about these universal themes and how they apply to my own experiences. Cicero’s insights feel strikingly contemporary, a testament to the enduring power of his philosophy. This is a work that truly stands the test of time.
September 9, 2024
Cicero has become my go to Stoic. Frankly, of all of the ancient philosophers I have read this year he gets it right. He is not your ivory tower intellectual. He wrote about his philosophy in Latin to make it accessible to a wider audience. Modern readers will get a lot from the text. It’s 2000 years old, some parts will make you cringe!
This Penguin classic was concise with an excellent translation. Pragmatic virtue that motivated the founders to start our republic.
This Penguin classic was concise with an excellent translation. Pragmatic virtue that motivated the founders to start our republic.
February 18, 2025
I really liked this book. Cicero's notes in "Against Fear of Death" impacted my view on the end of our life. The book chose a great collection of writings to pair together as one cohesive study. The chronology at the end of the book helped put Cicero's writings into perspective.
Docking 1 star because-- as eloquent as Cicero was in his writings, his defense of the republic, and his death-- I can't help but feel like his wishy-washy politics make his philosophical pieces a bit hollow.
Docking 1 star because-- as eloquent as Cicero was in his writings, his defense of the republic, and his death-- I can't help but feel like his wishy-washy politics make his philosophical pieces a bit hollow.
December 10, 2025
Cicero, in a very stoic manner, guides you to the most important/basic questions that one might have about how to live and die.
Either by acknowledging the essence of the universe, on what friendship is, what virtues are important and what philosophy is supposed to be about; Cicero describes these matters in a broad and concise sense.
It’s a great book for anyone who is trying to asses the basic concepts and blocks, in order to begin to be a better person.
Either by acknowledging the essence of the universe, on what friendship is, what virtues are important and what philosophy is supposed to be about; Cicero describes these matters in a broad and concise sense.
It’s a great book for anyone who is trying to asses the basic concepts and blocks, in order to begin to be a better person.
February 4, 2023
Cicero was greatly influential in his time and remains so today. He is thoughtful and highly quotable. He offers wise advice for how to act and make decisions, largely influenced by stoic philosophy and Ancient Roman cultural norms. It is amazing how much of this has stayed relevant for 2,000 years.
November 28, 2023
A nice collection of excerpts from Cicero. While some of the philosophical arguments are archaic and only interesting on historical grounds, the questions and topics he raises through musing on philosophical and moral issues are still as valid as in 44BC. Accounts of his murder told by various authors of antiquity, as well as a brief summary of his life at the end of the book is a bonus!
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