Explore Quotes by Marcus Tullius Cicero

For hardly any man dances when sober, unless he is insane. Nor does he dance while alone, nor at a respectable and moderate party. Dancing is the final phase of a wild party with fancy decorations and a multitude of delights.

Persistence in a single view has never been regarded as a merit in political leaders.

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.

Our minds possess by nature an insatiable desire to know the truth.

Learning is a kind of natural food for the mind.

There is no statement so absurd that no philosopher will make it.

It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good.

All I can do is to urge on you to regard friendship as the greatest thing in the world; for there is nothing which so fits in with our nature, or is so exactly what we want in prosperity or adversity.

Freedom suppressed and again regained bites with keener fangs than freedom never endangered.

"I believe that no characteristic is so distinctively human as the sense of indebtedness we feel, not necessarily for a favor received, but even for the slightest evidence of kindness; and there is nothing so boorish, savage, inhuman as to appear to be overwhelmed by a favor, let alone unworthy of it."

Old age, especially an honored old age, has so great authority, that this is of more value than all the pleasures of youth.

There is no one so old as to not think they may live a day longer.

The foolishness of old age does not characterize all who are old, but only the foolish.

Every stage of human life, except the last, is marked out by certain and defined limits; old age alone has no precise and determinate boundary.

The proof of a well-trained mind is that it rejoices in which is good and grieves at the opposite.

Justice is the crowning glory of the virtues.

The contemplation of celestial things will make a man both speak and think more sublimely and magnificently when he descends to human affairs.

He removes the greatest ornament of friendship who takes away from it respect.

It is not only arrogant, but it is profligate, for a man to disregard the world's opinion of himself.

The name of peace is sweet and the thing itself good, but between peace and slavery there is the greatest difference.

No phase of life, whether public or private, can be free from duty.