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
science perfection might
Mathematics is an obscure field, an abstruse science, complicated and exact; yet so many have attained perfection in it that we might conclude almost anyone who seriously applied himself would achieve a measure of success.
mother art philosophy
Philosophy is true mother of the arts [of science].
children knowledge past
Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to be always a child. If no use is made of the labors of past ages, the world must remain always in the infancy of knowledge.
men dishonor halt
If a man aspires to the highest place, it is no dishonor to him to halt at the second.
character adversity men
It is the character of a brave and resolute man not to be ruffled by adversity and not to desert his post.
respect promise made
Promises are not to be kept, if the keeping of them would prove harmful to those to whom you have made them.
peace war humanity
I prefer the most unfair peace to the most righteous war.
strong castles security
There is no castle so strong that it cannot be overthrown by money.
art born investigation
Art is born of the observation and investigation of nature.
military war law
Laws are inoperative in war
life self spirit
The spirit is the true self.
war believe action
The mere act of believing that some wrongful course of action constitutes an advantage is pernicious.
wise clever carpe-diem
We study history not to be clever in another time, but to be wise always.
procrastination hateful affair
In the conduct of almost every affair slowness and procrastination are hateful