Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.155 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.155
From all this we conclude that the duties scribed by justice must be given precedence the pursuit of knowledge and the duties imp by it; for the former concern the welfare of fellow-men; and nothing ought to be more sacred in men's eyes than that. And vet scholars, whose whole life and interests have been devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, have not, after all, failed to contribute to the advantages and blessings of mankind. For they have trained many to be better citizens and to render larger service to their country. So, for example, the Pythagorean Lysis taught Epaminondas of Thebes; Plato, Dion of Syracuse; and many, many others. As for me myself, whatever service I have rendered to my country—if, indeed, I have rendered any—I came to my task trained and equipped for it by my teachers and what they taught me.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.155, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.155
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 notesDuties of justice, which protect the welfare of fellow humans, come before the pursuit of knowledge. Still, scholars serve society by training others to be better citizens, as Plato did for Dion and the speaker himself benefited from his teachers.
Older wording
- “Pythagorean”
- — a follower of the philosopher Pythagoras
Themes and situations
- Duty and roles
- Justice and fairness
- Community and our duty to others
- Learning and progress
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