Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
The name of peace is sweet and the thing itself good, but between peace and slavery there is the greatest difference.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Peace is valuable, but it must not come at the cost of freedom or autonomy.
Cicero highlights the importance of peace as a desirable condition but emphasizes that true peace cannot exist if it is achieved through subjugation or oppression. This quote invites reflection on the nature of true freedom and the consequences of sacrificing personal liberties for a superficial sense of tranquility.
Themes
PeaceFreedomSlaveryOppressionAutonomy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one could use this quote to emphasize the distinction between genuine peace and oppressive control.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes βThose wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
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Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
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Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
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No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
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