Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 2.85 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.85
Those, then, whose office it is to look after the interests of the state will refrain from that form of liberality which robs one man to enrich another. Above all, they will use their best endeavours that everyone shall be protected in the possession of his own property by the fair administration of the law and the courts, that the poorer classes shall not be oppressed because of their helplessness, and that envy shall not stand in the way of the rich, to prevent them from keeping or recovering possession of what justly belongs to them; they must strive, too, by whatever means they can, in peace or in war, to advance the state in power, in territory, and in revenues. Such service calls for great men; it was commonly rendered in the days of our ancestors; if men will perform duties such as these, they will win popularity and glory for themselves and at the same time render eminent service to the state.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.85, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/2.85
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 notesPeople in public office should not be generous with some citizens' goods at the expense of others. Their job is to secure fair laws and courts that protect everyone's property, shield the poor from oppression, and stop envy from stripping the well-off of what is rightfully theirs.
Older wording
- “liberality”
- — generosity
Themes and situations
- Justice and fairness
- Leadership and power
- Community and our duty to others
- Leading others
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