Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.78 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.78
For I may boast to you, my son Marcus; for to you belong the inheritance of that glory of mine and the duty of imitating my deeds. And it was to me, too, that Gnaeus Pompey, a hero crowned with the honours of war, paid this tribute in the hearing of many, when he said that his third triumph would have been gained in vain, if he were not to have through my services to the state a place in which to celebrate it. There are, therefore, instances of civic courage that are not inferior to the courage of the soldier. Nay, the former calls for even greater energy and greater devotion than the latter.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.78, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.78
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 notesThe author tells his son he may boast of his deeds, because the son inherits that glory and the duty of imitating it. He argues that courage in civic service is not inferior to a soldier's, and in fact demands even more energy and devotion.
Older wording
- “triumph”
- — a Roman victory parade
Themes and situations
- Pride and humility
- Courage
- Family and love
- Reputation and others' opinions
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