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
bad evil good hard suspect
It is hard for the good to suspect evil as it is hard for the bad to suspect good.
behind certain quite
We're quite certain that is all behind them.
delightful
There is no place more delightful than one's own fireplace.
absurd express opinion
There is no opinion so absurd that some philosopher will not express it
desire glory inspired keen man motivated
We are all motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is, the more he is inspired by glory
command conduct forbid function law natural whose
Law is intelligence, whose natural function it is to command right conduct and forbid wrongdoing
consists decency giving justice
Justice consists of doing no one injury, decency in giving no one offense.
foolish hair less sorrow tear though
It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less with baldness.
build house ornament owner precept
My precept to all who build is, that the owner should be an ornament to the house, and not the house to the owner
err plato rather rightly
I would rather err with Plato than think rightly with these (Pythagoreans)
attack basis personal speech
We must make a personal attack when there is no argumentative basis for our speech
learn minds pours quickly retain side wish word
When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men's minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.
laws time war
In time of war the laws are silent.
ability add education glory man natural raised rational
I add this, that rational ability without education has oftener raised man to glory and virtue, than education without natural ability.