Cicero: On DutiesDe Officiis (On Duties) was Cicero's last philosophical work. In it he made use of Greek thought to formulate the political and ethical values of Roman Republican society as he saw them, revealing incidentally a great deal about actual practice. Writing at a time of political crisis after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC, when it was not clear how much of the old Republican order would survive, Cicero here handed on the insights of an elder statesman, adept at political theory and practice, to his son, and through him, to the younger generation in general. De Officiis has often been treated merely as a key to the lost Greek works that Cicero used. This volume aims to render De Officiis, which was such an important influence on later masterpieces of Western political thought, more intelligible by explaining its relation to its own time and place. A wholly new translation is accompanied by a lucid introduction and all the standard features of Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, including a chronology, select bibliography, and notes on the vocabulary and significant individuals mentioned in the text. |
Contents
Editors note page | v |
Principal Dates | xxix |
Notes on Translation | xliv |
Book II | 63 |
ΙΟΙ | 101 |
Biographical Notes | 148 |
| 179 | |
Common terms and phrases
achieved action advice aedile AEMILIUS Africanus Antipater Antony Athenian Athens Atticus benefit Biographical Notes Book Brutus Caesar called Carthage century BC Cicero citizens civil law command consul consulship CORNELIUS SCIPIO Cratippus death deeds defeated defended discuss dishonourable duty enemy Ennius Epicurean everything faith father fear fellowship Gaius give glory goodwill Gracchus Greek harm honourable human injustice Introduction Italy judge judgement Julius Caesar justice killed kind services king Laelius Laelius de amicitia later Latin learning liberality Licinius Crassus live Lucius Marcus Marius military Mucius nature oath Officiis one's orator oratory Panaetius paperback Peripatetic philosophical Plato pleasure Political Writings edited Pompey Posidonius praetor praise Quintus reason Regulus republic Roman Roman Republic Rome Samnites Scaevola Scipio Aemilianus Second Punic War seemly seems beneficial Senate sense social someone Spartan speech spirit Stoic Themistocles things thought Tiberius Gracchus translation tribune Viriathus virtue wise