Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
A nation can survive its fools, even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within....for the traitor appears not to be a traitor...he rots the soul of a nation...he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A nation can endure foolishness and ambition, but treachery from within is deadly.
This quote by Cicero emphasizes the profound danger that internal betrayal poses to a nation. While foolishness and ambition can be tolerated, betrayal undermines the very foundation of society, eroding its unity and strength from the inside, ultimately leading to its downfall.
Themes
NationTreasonInternal BetrayalPoliticsUnity
In practice
Example use cases
In a political speech discussing the importance of unity, this quote could underline the dangers of betrayal among leaders.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes →Those 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.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
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