Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 2.30 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.30
But we do not all feel this need to the same extent; for it must be determined in conformity with each individual's vocation in life whether it is essential for him to have the affection of many or whether the love of a few will suffice. Let this then be settled as the first and absolute essential—that we have the devotion of friends, affectionate and loving, who value our worth. For in just this one point there is but little difference between the greatest and the ordinary man; and friendship is to be cultivated almost equally by both.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 2.30, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/2.30
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 notesHow much public affection you need depends on your calling, but everyone needs a few devoted friends who value them for who they are. In this respect the powerful and the ordinary differ little, and both should cultivate friendship.
Older wording
- “vocation”
- — a calling or line of work
Themes and situations
- Friendship
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Community and our duty to others
- Loneliness
- Trouble with a friend
Quote cards
The opening line of this passage as an image, with its citation — for sharing or keeping.