Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.116 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.116
They, whose fathers or forefathers have achieved distinction in some particular field, often strive to attain eminence in the same department of service: for example, Quintus, the son of Publius Mucius, in the law; Africanus, the son of Paulus, in the army. And to that distinction which they have severally inherited from their fathers some have added lustre of their own; for example, that same Africanus, who crowned his inherited military glory with his own eloquence. Timotheus, Conon's son, did the same: he proved himself not inferior to his father in military renown and added to that distinction the glory of culture and intellectual power. It happens sometimes, too, that a man declines to follow in the footsteps of his fathers and pursues a vocation of his own. And in such callings those very frequently achieve signal success who, though sprung from humble parentage, have set their aims high.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.116, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.116
Cicero, On Duties (De Officiis), tr. Walter Miller (Loeb, 1913). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesChildren of distinguished parents often aim for the same field and sometimes add their own lustre to the family name, while others choose a different calling, and those from humble backgrounds who aim high often achieve great success.
Older wording
- “lustre”
- — brilliance or distinction
- “vocation”
- — a calling or career
- “signal”
- — notable
Themes and situations
- Duty and roles
- Ambition and success
- Family and love
- A hard decision
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