Lessons from Cicero
What a man of Roman statehood can teach us through Philosophy
If you pursue good with labor, the labor passes away but the good remains; if you pursue evil with pleasure, the pleasure passes away and the evil remains.
— Cicero
Who was Cicero?
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in Arpino, Italy c. 106 BC into a wealthy Equestrian family. His social standing afforded Cicero to move to Rome and receive a good education, where he studied Roman Law under Quintis Mucius Scaevola, and would later be known for being a lawyer, an orator, politician and philosopher.
Cicero was a very studious person and knew the importance of literature and philosophy as the key to get ahead in any career. Cicero left Rome for Greece on a two-year quest of studying under every philosophical school possible, which eventually led to his meeting of the famed Stoic, Posidonius in Rhodes.
After his studies Cicero returned to Rome, where he built up a career in the law and eventually become involved in politics. Due to changes within the Roman government Cicero made enemies for himself, and in around 58 BC Cicero was exiled from Italy for approximately 18 months, in this time he was not able actively engage in politics, therefore he began to write and study philosophy once more.
In this article, I am going to explore Cicero’s writings and see what we can learn from his understanding of philosophy and in particular, the influence that Stoicism played in his works.
Cicero and Stoicism
Cicero himself could not be considered to be Stoic, however, a lot of what we know about Ancient Stoicism is because of his surviving works. Cicero was somewhat Stoic-adjacent.
He wrote about and articulated the practices associated with Stoicism but he did not live in accordance with said practices due to his inability to give up his wealth, his multiple properties and other luxuries his lifestyle afforded him.
Whilst he did not dedicate himself to Stoic teachings wholeheartedly, he did believe that Stoicism was the best set of beliefs he had encountered so far, and the influence his early Stoic teachers played (namely Posidonus and Panaetius) is littered throughout his approximately 900 surviving writings and correspondence.
On Politics
The Stoics saw that humans followed reason and natural laws, because of this, all of humankind was seen as a community, in order to uphold and maintain the community, humans must be actively engaged in Politics, but only to enhance and support the natural laws and reason (logos).
However, Stoics did not engage in politics for power, wealth and public approval. Their engagement was only improve the communities in which they belonged. Cicero understood the Stoic stance on this and did feel he had a moral obligation to his community, however, it is abundantly clear that he accumulated wealth and power from his own political career-which ultimately led to his demise.
For there is but one essential justice which cements society, and one law which establishes this justice. This law is right reason, which is the true rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Whoever neglects this law, whether written or unwritten, is necessarily unjust and wicked.
— Cicero, On the Laws
On Pleasure
Cicero understood that Stoicism taught, “that the best, most virtuous, and most divine life was one lived according to reason, not according to the search for pleasure”. Cicero knew that it did not mean that humans had to avoid pleasure, but go about seeking pleasure in a correct and virtuous way.
In his writings, he explained this teaching and included examples such as, it is okay to enjoy sex, so long that it is not with your neighbour’s wife, and that it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy a good glass of wine, but by doing so avoiding drunkenness and overindulgence.
The Six Stoic Paradoxes (Paradoxia Stoicorum)
Due to the convoluted nature of the original Stoic writings, Cicero devised The Six Stoic Paradoxes, which were comprised of translating and explaining six Stoic sayings into his contemporary Latin vernacular. His ability to orate in such an eloquent way could be a major factor in why his works survived antiquity.
He wrote this to see if he could apply real-world and contemporary examples of these teachings in order to see if these principles held up in everyday life.
Virtue being the only good
That virtue is all thats needed to live happily
That all virtues and vices are equal
Foolishness in a person is a sign of madness
Wisdom is the key to freedom, meaning every fool is a slave
Only those who are wise are rich
He does not directly oppose these teachings, but rather his interpretation of these, ostensibly strict rules help readers digest the teachings and make them more palatable for everyday practice and use. It is unclear how his contemporary Romans received these teachings, however, this work is known today as one of the best showcases of his orating skills and rhetoric.
Old Age
One of the most recognisable Stoic teachings is that of accepting your own mortality. Cicero’s views on old age and death are directly indicative of this, the notion of Memento Mori. In his dialogue, On Old Age he alludes to the importance of character.
If you are of good character, you will continue to live a happy and fulfilling life in old age. He also shares the Stoic opinion of living in accordance with nature- because death is a natural occurrence it should be welcomed and not feared.
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.
— Cicero, On Old Age
Cicero’s Legacy
Due to the turbulent times in Roman leadership and his political allegiance, Cicero met a violent death in 43 BC, however, his legacy as an exceptional orator runs true to this day. Over 900 examples of his writings and correspondence survived antiquity, therefore most of what we know about the politics and society at that time is because of him.
Although he did not necessarily write a lot of original philosophy, he played an integral role in ensuring that the Hellenistic philosophies stood the test of time.
