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
children past forever
To be ignorant of the past is to be forever a child.
time
Time is the herald of truth.
memories past trouble
The memory of past troubles is pleasant. [Lat., Jucunda memoria est praeteritorum malorum.]
vanity virtue ifs
What fervent love of herself would Virtue excite if she could be seen!
views theatre action
Every generous action loves the public view; yet no theatre for virtue is equal to a consciousness of it.
practice virtue whole
The whole of virtue consists in its practice.
offering rewards virtue
That which leads us to the performance of duty by offering pleasure as its reward, is not virtue, but a deceptive copy and imitation of virtue. [Lat., Nam quae voluptate, quasi mercede aliqua, ad officium impellitur, ea non est virtus sed fallax imitatio simulatioque virtutis.]
views feelings abuse
Scurrility has no object in view but incivility; if it is uttered from feelings of petulance, it is mere abuse; if it is spoken in a joking manner, it may be considered raillery.
war enemy victory
Wars, therefore, are to be undertaken for this end, that we may live in peace, without being injured; but when we obtain the victory, we must preserve those enemies who behaved without cruelty or inhumanity during the war.
war home army
An army abroad is of little use unless there are prudent counsels at home. [Lat., Parvi enim sunt foris arma, nisi est consilium domi.]
war may acquisition
Let war be so carried on that no other object may seem to be sought but the acquisition of peace. [Lat., Bellum autem ita suscipiatur, ut nihil aliud, nisi pax, quaesita videatur.]
war law silent
The law is silent during war. [Lat., Silent leges inter arma.]
war endless form
Endless money forms the sinews of war. [Lat., Nervi belli pecunia infinita.]
punishment limits retribution
There are some duties we owe even to those who have wronged us. There is, after all, a limit to retribution and punishment.