Marcus Tullius Cicero Quotes

Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing more obscure than human intentions, nothing more deceptive than the whole electoral system.

We all are imbued with the love of praise.

Memory is the receptacle and sheath of all knowledge

No one dances sober, unless he is insane.

If only every man would make proper use of his strength and do his utmost, he need never regret his limited ability.

If wisdom be attainable, let us not only win but enjoy it.

The study and knowledge of the universe would somehow be lame and defective were no practical results to follow.

A life of peace, purity and refinement leads to a calm and untroubled old age.

To be endowed with strength by nature, to be actuated by the powers of the mind, and to have a certain spirit almost divine infused into you.

In a promise, what you thought, and not what you said, is always to be considered.

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

Morals today are corrupted by our worship of riches.

Any man can make a mistake; only a fool keeps making the same one.

You might as well take the sun out of the sky as friendship from life: for the immortal gods have given us nothing better or more delightful.

Nature has lent us life at interest, like money, and has fixed no day for its payment.

To freemen, threats are impotent.

What sweetness is left in life, if you take away friendship? Robbing life of friendship is like robbing the world of the sun. A true friend is more to be esteemed than kinsfolk.

He he he... Crazy? Cicero? He he he he! That's... madness.

It is difficult to remember all, and ungracious to omit any.

The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory.

We should be as careful of our words as of our actions.

Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that very liberty. Our Constitution speaks of the "general welfare of the people." Under that phrase all sorts of excesses can be employed by lusting tyrants to make us bondsmen.

The Intellect engages us in the pursuit of Truth. The Passions impel us to Action.

Those who do not know history will forever remain children

Man's life is ruled by fortune, not by wisdom.

In a republic this rule ought to be observed: that the majority should not have the predominant power.

Whatever befalls in accordance with nature should be accounted good.

History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquities. 


Things perfected by nature are better than those finished by art.

Brevity is a great charm of eloquence.

We are motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is the more he is inspired by glory. The very philosophers themselves, even in those books which they write in contempt of glory, inscribe their names.

What an ugly beast the ape, and how like us.

Civilized people are taught by logic, barbarians, by necessity, communities by tradition; and the lesson inculcated even in wild beasts by nature itself. They learn that they have to defend their own bodies and persons lives from violence of any and every kind by all means within their power.

The nearer I approach death the more I feel like one who is in sight of land at last and is about to anchor in one's home port after a long voyage.

To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul.

What is thine is mine, and all mine is thine.

We are obliged to respect, defend and maintain the common bonds of union and fellowship that exist among all members of the human race.

The Jews belong to a dark and repulsive force. One knows how numerous this clique is, how they stick together and what power they exercise through their unions. They are a nation of rascals and deceivers.

A good orator is pointed and impassioned.

The celestial order and the beauty of the universe compel me to admit that there is some excellent and eternal Being, who deserves the respect and homage of men

What fervent love of herself would Virtue excite if she could be seen!

All literature, all philosophical treatises, all the voices of antiquity are full of examples for imitation, which would all lie unseen in darkness without the light of literature.

No power is strong enough to be lasting, if it labours under the weight of fear.

It is foolish to pluck out one's hair for sorrow, as if grief could be assuaged by baldness.

Grief is not in the nature of things, but in opinion.

For a tear is quickly dried, especially when shed for the misfortunes of others.

Trust no one unless you have eaten much salt with him.

The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust.