Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.83 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.83
We must, of course, never be guilty of seeming cowardly and craven in our avoidance of danger; but we must also beware of exposing ourselves to danger needlessly. Nothing can be more foolhardy than that. Accordingly, in encountering danger we should do as doctors do in their practice: in light cases of illness they give mild treatment; in cases of dangerous sickness they are compelled to apply hazardous and even desperate remedies. It is, therefore, only a madman who, in a calm, would pray for a storm; a wise man's way is, when the storm does come, to withstand it with all the means at his command, and especially, when the advantages to be expected in case of a successful issue are greater than the hazards of the struggle. The dangers attending great affairs of state fall sometimes upon those who undertake them, sometimes upon the state. In carrying out such enterprises, some run the risk of losing their lives, others their reputation and the good-will of their fellow-citizens. It is our duty, then, to be more ready to endanger our own than the public welfare and to hazard honour and glory more readily than other advantages.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.83, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.83
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 notesDo not act cowardly in avoiding danger, but do not seek needless danger either, which is the height of foolishness. Like a doctor who gives mild treatment for light illness and drastic remedies only for serious cases, resist storms with all your resources when they come but never pray for one. Be more willing to risk your own safety and honour than the public interest.
Older wording
- “craven”
- — cowardly
- “foolhardy”
- — recklessly daring
Themes and situations
- Courage
- Fear and anxiety
- Preparing for difficulty
- Leadership and power
- Duty and roles
- A hard decision
- Leading others
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