Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 2.47 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.47
His frequent visits to the home of Publius Mucius assisted young Publius Rutilius to gain a reputation for integrity of character and for ability as a jurisconsult. Not so, however, Lucius Crassus; for, though he was a mere boy, he looked to no one else for assistance, but by his own unaided ability he won for himself in that brilliant and famous prosecution a splendid reputation as an orator. And at an age when young men are accustomed with their school exercises to win applause as students of oratory, this Roman Demosthenes, Lucius Crassus, was already proving himself in the law-courts a master of the art which he might even then have been studying at home with credit to himself.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.47, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/2.47
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 notesTwo routes to a good reputation: one young man earned his by regularly learning in the household of a respected legal expert, while another won his through unaided brilliance in a famous prosecution, already a master of the courtroom while still of student age.
Older wording
- “jurisconsult”
- — an expert in law who gives legal opinions
- “orator”
- — a skilled public speaker
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Learning and progress
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