Marcus Tullius Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicerowas a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul, and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and was one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionStatesman
Marcus Tullius Cicero quotes about
allowance
We make allowance for necessity.
war law dumb
When war is raging the laws are dumb.
enjoyed
Wisdom is not only to be acquired, but enjoyed.
coats shabby
Wisdom often exists under a shabby coat.
silent prudence folly
I prefer silent prudence to loquacious folly. [Lat., Malo indisertam prudentiam, quam loquacem stultitiam.]
punishment equal offence
Let the punishment be equal with the offence. [Lat., Noxiae poena par esto.]
liberty slavery individual
Excessive liberty leads both nations and individuals into excessive slavery. [Lat., Nimia libertas et populis et privatis in nimiam servitutem cadit.]
errors soul needs
If I am mistaken in my opinion that the human soul is immortal, I willingly err; nor would I have this pleasant error extorted from me; and if, as some minute philosophers suppose, death should deprive me of my being, I need not fear the raillery of those pretended philosophers when they are no more.
window-to-the-soul soul window
It is the soul itself which sees and hears, and not those parts which are, as it were, but windows to the soul.
stars feet nemo
No one sees what is before his feet: we all gaze at the stars. [Lat., Quod est ante pedes nemo spectat: coeli scrutantur plagas.]
strength elephants wish
I do not now so much as wish to have the Strength of Youth again that I wish'd in Youth for the Strength of an Ox or Elephant. For it is our Business only to make the best Use we can of the Powers granted us by Nature.
success men virtue
The man who is always fortunate cannot easily have a great reverence for virtue.
superstitions worship pious
There is in superstition a senseless fear of God; religion consists in the pious worship of Him. [Lat., Superstitio, in qua inest inanis timor Dei; religio, quae dei pio cultu continetur.]
talking folly uneducated
I prefer the wisdom of the uneducated to the folly of the loquacious.