Read Cicero “On Friendship”, a document is attached with the text that you may use to complete this assignment. Make a list of quotations from the reading that contains wisdom for friendship in our time.
Subject:
Religion and Theology
Sources:
–
Citation Style:
MLA
Description
MOD10 CICERO “ON FRIENDSHIP” PARAGRAPHS 1 – 35, 36-71
Cicero (106 B.C.–43 B.C.). On Friendship.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
Paras. 1–35
THE AUGUR Quintus Mucius Scævola used to recount a number of stories about his father-in-law, Gaius Lælius, accurately remembered and charmingly told; and whenever he talked about him always gave him the title of “the wise” without any hesitation. I had been introduced by my father to Scævola as soon as I had assumed the toga virilis, and I took advantage of the introduction never to quit the venerable man’s side as long as I was able to stay and he was spared to us. The consequence was that I committed to memory many disquisitions of his, as well as many short pointed apophthegms, and, in short, took as much advantage of his wisdom as I could. When he died, I attached myself to Scævola the Pontifex, whom I may venture to call quite the most distinguished of our countrymen for ability and uprightness. But of this latter I shall take other occasions to speak. To return to Scævola the augur: Among many other occasions I particularly remember one. He was sitting on a semicircular garden-bench, as was his custom, when I and a very few intimate friends were there, and he chanced to turn the conversation upon a subject which about that time was in many people’s mouths. You must remember, Atticus, for you were very intimate with Publius Sulpicius, what expressions of astonishment, or even indignation, were called forth by his mortal quarrel, as tribune, with the consul Quintus Pompeius, with whom he had formerly lived on terms of the closest intimacy and affection. Well, on this occasion, happening to mention this particular circumstance, Scævola detailed to us a discourse of Lælius on friendship delivered to himself and Lælius’s other son-in-law, Gaius Fannius, son of Marcus Fannius, a few days after the death of Africanus. The points of that discussion I committed to memory, and have arranged them in this book at my own discretion. For I have brought the speakers, as it were, personally on to my stage to prevent the constant “said I” and “said he” of a narrative, and to give the discourse the air of being orally delivered in our hearing.
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