Cicero Quotes on Life
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman statesman, orator, lawyer, and philosopher of the late Roman Republic, who served as consul in 63 BC and was murdered in 43 BC during the proscriptions of the Second Triumvirate. This page collects quotes attributed to Cicero on the topic of life, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.”
Reddite igitur, patres conscripti, ei vitam, cui ademistis. Vita enim mortuorum in memoria est posita vivorum. -
Attributed to Cicero:
“While there's life, there's hope.”
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“Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it.”
Nam et secundas res splendidiores facit amicitia et adversas partiens communicansque leviores. -
“History is truly the witness of times past, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity; whose voice, but the orator's, can entrust her to immortality?”
De Oratore–On the Orator(55 BC) | Book II, Chapter 9, section 36 -
“Restore life then, Conscript Fathers, to him, from whom you have taken it away. The life of the dead is in the memory of the living.”
Philippicae–Philippics(44 BC) | Philippica IX, 10; translation of William Duncan -
“Shortened Version: We think a happy life consists in tranquility of mind.”
De Natura Deorum–On the Nature of the Gods(45 BC) | Book I, section 6 -
“We, on the contrary, make blessedness of life depend upon an untroubled mind, and exemption from all duties.”
De Natura Deorum–On the Nature of the Gods(45 BC) -
“Does not, as fire dropped upon water is immediately extinguished and cooled, so, does not, I say, a false accusation, when brought in contact with a most pure and holy life, instantly fall and become extinguished?”
Cicero , Pro Roscio Comodeo Oratio , 17; C.D. Yonge translation