Marcus Tullius Cicero
Published: 2018-03-13
Total Pages: 224
Get eBook
Excerpt from M. Tullii Ciceronis De Officiis Libri Tres: With English Notes He had sent him to Athens to pursue the study of philosophy under Cratippus; but moved by some unfavorable reports respecting his con duct there, he had determined to visit him. A storm interrupted his voyage soon after he had weighed anchor, and drove him back to the shore of Italy, and news from Rome prevented his setting sail again. He wrote this treatise, therefore, as a substitute for the oral counsel which he had intended to give. This fact - the fact that the work is addressed by Cicero to his son - gives direction to the course of thought contained in it. It is not a code of morals for mankind in general, but it is particularly adapted to the circumstances of the son of a distin guished Roman statesman, who might be expected to seek distinction in public life as his father had done. The book, therefore, does not address itself to the middle and lower classes, except as the general principles embodied and discussed in it are applicable to their condi tion. The examples and illustrations are all drawn from the highest offices in the state and from the highest walks of life. Thus the value of the treatise as a philosophical work is perhaps diminished by the contraction of its scope, while the interest in it is increased by the frs quent display of parental regard. This single remark respecting the design of the work is all that is necessary here by way of introduction. What has been deemed requi site for aid to the learner in understanding its basis and plan, as well as its terms, will be found in the notes.' About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.