Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.12 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.12
Nature likewise by the power of reason associates man with man in the common bonds of speech and life; she implants in him above all, I may say, a strangely tender love for his offspring. She also prompts men to meet in companies, to form public assemblies and to take part in them themselves; and she further dictates, as a consequence of this, the effort on man's part to provide a store of things that minister to his comforts and wants—and not for himself alone, but for his wife and children and the others whom he holds dear and for whom he ought to provide; and this responsibility also stimulates his courage and makes it stronger for the active duties of life.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.12, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.12
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 notesHuman reason ties people together through speech and shared life, gives parents a strong love for their children, and pushes people to form groups and to provide for their spouse, children and others they care for. That sense of responsibility also strengthens courage for the work of daily life.
Themes and situations
- Community and our duty to others
- Family and love
- Duty and roles
- Nature and the cosmos
- Parenting
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