Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.65 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.65
So then, not those who do injury but those who prevent it are to be considered brave and courageous. Moreover, true and philosophic greatness of spirit regards the moral goodness to which Nature most aspires as consisting in deeds, not in fame, and prefers to be first in reality rather than in name. And we must approve this view; for he who depends upon the caprice of the ignorant rabble cannot be numbered among the great. Then, too, the higher a man's ambition, the more easily he is tempted to acts of injustice by his desire for fame. We are now, to be sure, on very slippery ground; for scarcely can the man be found who has passed through trials and encountered dangers and does not then wish for glory as a reward for his achievements.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.65, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.65
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 notesTrue bravery lies in preventing harm, not causing it, and real greatness of spirit looks for good deeds, not fame, preferring to be first in substance rather than in name. Someone who depends on the whims of the crowd is not truly great, and the more ambitious a person is, the more their hunger for glory tempts them to injustice.
Older wording
- “caprice”
- — sudden whim
- “rabble”
- — the common crowd, said with contempt
Themes and situations
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Ambition and success
- Courage
- Virtue and character
- Justice and fairness
- Handling success
- An ethical dilemma
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