Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.139 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.139
The truth is, a man's dignity may be enhanced by the house he lives in, but not wholly secured by it; the owner should bring honour to his house, not the house to its owner. And, as in everything else a man must have regard not for himself alone but for others also, so in the home of a distinguished man, in which numerous guests must be entertained and crowds of every sort of people received, care must be taken to have it spacious. But if it is not frequented by visitors, if it has an air of lonesomeness, a spacious palace often becomes a discredit to its owner. This is sure to be the case if at some other time, when it had a different owner, it used to be thronged. For it is unpleasant, when passers-by remark: "O good old house, alas! how different The owner who now owneth thee!" And in these times that may be said of many a house!
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.139, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.139
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 notesA fine house can add to a person's standing but cannot create it: the owner should bring honour to the house, not the other way round. A large home makes sense for someone who hosts many guests, but an empty mansion only makes its owner look small.
Older wording
- “frequented”
- — regularly visited
- “discredit”
- — something that damages reputation
Themes and situations
- Pride and humility
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Wealth and poverty
- Money, status and wanting more
- Handling success
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