EK’s Reviews > Cicero: On Old Age On Friendship On Divination > Status Update

We are presented with more examples of prophecies that have come true to make the case that divination is, in fact, a truthful art. Divination is connected with the divine as are our souls - we are given foreknowledge by the gods. Only the interpretations are incorrect, but not the prophecies themselves.

As a modern person - one thinks of tarot & astrology for comparison. Are these true, retrofitted, or a combo?

Cicero’s dissertation On Old Age left me with these thoughts:
1) One’s elderly life is built upon the foundation of their youthful life - the good, bad, and ugly
2) He takes a fairly Platonic view of the soul.
3) Death is no more imminent for the old than the young. “[The old man] is in a better position than a young man, since the […] the latter wishes to live long; the [former] has lived long.” -p.47

Friendship must ultimately be based on shared values and principles. It requires correction and rebuke and cannot sustain a requirement of flattery.

Loving oneself humbly creates the foundation for loving a friend.

Cicero considers this to be the greatest relationship in life, which makes me curious about familial dynamics in Ancient Greece. Today, one would think this is a suitable framework for marriage.

As we progress, Cicero emphasizes the importance of friendship for friendship’s sake and not action for the sake of friendship.

Reciprocity can invite danger if not handled with the utmost care.

Cicero echos his predecessors on friendship in two notable ways: 1) friendship is one of the greatest things bestowed on us by the gods, & 2) friendship is something held only between two”good men”.

Where he differs is his aversion to focusing so heavily on that definition of “good”. He sees that the Plato/Aristotle have an unattainable standard. He is only interested in reality.

I’m enjoying so far!