81 Cicero Quotes On Life, Philosophy, Wisdom

Best Quotes – Life – Philosophy – Wisdom – Education – Friendship – Leadership – Morality – Takeaways

Here are 81 classic Cicero quotes to boost your personal growth.

Why did I collect all those quotes?

• Cicero was one of the greatest orators of ancient Rome
• Cicero was a mix of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Aristotle, and Plato (50% stoic and 50% philosopher)
• Cicero talked about
  • virtue
  • morality
  • friendship
  • self-control
  • how to be a better person
  • etc.

All of these topics are vital if you want to live a better life.

But who was Cicero exactly?

• He lived from 106-43 BCE
• He was a Roman politician, lawyer, writer, orator
• His work influenced authors and politicians like Montesquieu, Rousseau, Edmund Burke, Winston Churchill, and more

In sum,

Cicero was a fascinating and powerful character.

I guarantee you’ll think, learn, and improve yourself by reading his quotes.

Let’s begin.

The Best Marcus Tullius Cicero Quotes

To live long, live slowly. Marcus Tullius Cicero

What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The life of the dead is placed on the memories of the living. The love you gave in life keeps people alive beyond their time. Anyone who was given love will always live on in another’s heart. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both intelligence and skill. Marcus Tullius Cicero

A happy life consists in tranquility of mind. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The life given us, by nature is short; but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse, front its blows with brave hearts. Marcus Tullius Cicero

What society does to its children, so will its children do to society. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Glory follows virtue as if it were its shadow. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Virtue is its own reward. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Life And Success Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

Man is his own worst enemy. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Life without learning is death. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Life is short, but art lives forever. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Old age: the crown of life, our play’s last act. Marcus Tullius Cicero

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body. Marcus Tullius Cicero

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Confidence is that feeling by which the mind embarks in great and honorable courses with a sure hope and trust in itself. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Probability is the very guide of life. Marcus Tullius Cicero

After victory, you have more enemies. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Whatever you do, do with all your might. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Philosophy Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words. Marcus Tullius Cicero

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter. Marcus Tullius Cicero

I remember the very thing that I do not wish to; I cannot forget the things I wish to forget. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Rightly defined philosophy is simply the love of wisdom. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Freedom is a possession of inestimable value. Marcus Tullius Cicero

More philosophers like Cicero

• 130 Buddha Quotes And Buddhist Quotes
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Wisdom Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The beginnings of all things are small. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Silence is one of the great arts of conversation. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Every one is least known to himself, and it is very difficult for a man to know himself. Marcus Tullius Cicero

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. Marcus Tullius Cicero

If a man cannot feel the power of God when he looks upon the stars, then I doubt whether he is capable of any feeling at all. Marcus Tullius Cicero

It shows a brave and resolute spirit not to be agitated in exciting circumstances. Marcus Tullius Cicero

We study history not to be clever in another time, but to be wise always. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Brevity is a great charm of eloquence. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Education Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Those who do not know history will forever remain children. Marcus Tullius Cicero

To err is human, but to persevere in error is only the act of a fool. Marcus Tullius Cicero

We learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The purpose of education is to free the student from the tyranny of the present. Marcus Tullius Cicero

What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation? Marcus Tullius Cicero

History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity. Marcus Tullius Cicero

I am not ashamed to confess that I am ignorant of what I do not know. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Friendship Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

We are not born for ourselves alone. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Life is nothing without friendship. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Loyalty is what we seek in friendship. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Man’s best support is a very dear friend. Marcus Tullius Cicero

There is no duty more indispensible than that of returning a kindness. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Love is the attempt to form a friendship inspired by beauty. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The real friend is another self. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Leadership Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

Before beginning, plan carefully. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The aim of forensic oratory is to teach, to delight, to move. Marcus Tullius Cicero

More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal you blind. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Poor is the nation that has no heroes, but poorer still is the nation that having heroes, fails to remember and honor them. Marcus Tullius Cicero

I have always been of the opinion that unpopularity earned by doing what is right is not unpopularity at all, but glory. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Read at every wait; read at all hours; read within leisure; read in times of labor; read as one goes in; read as one goest out. The task of the educated mind is simply put: read to lead. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Politicians are not born; they are excreted. Marcus Tullius Cicero

As long as I breathe, I hope. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Morality Quotes By Marcus Tullius Cicero

Sometimes I do what I want to. The rest of the time – I do what I have to. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The aim of justice is to give everyone his due. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The safety of the people shall be the highest law. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than to seem so. Marcus Tullius Cicero

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. Marcus Tullius Cicero

There are two ways to resolve conflicts, through violence or through negotiation. Violence is for wild beasts, negotiation is for human beings. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The greatest pleasures are only narrowly separated from disgust. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The closer the collapse of the Empire, the crazier its laws are. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Where is there dignity unless there is honesty? Marcus Tullius Cicero

They condemn what they do not understand. Marcus Tullius Cicero

In times of war, the law falls silent. Marcus Tullius Cicero

The more laws, the less justice. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Key Takeaways From Cicero’s Quotes

• Have more self-control: Cicero, like a stoic, believed in the power of applying reason over emotions. By being calmer, you’ll be more able to tackle life’s challenges.
• Take care of your friends: Cicero believed one of the greatest possessions was good friends. Indeed, by being well surrounded, you’ll have a support group you can rely on.
• Be virtuous: Cicero believed in living with courage, temperance, wisdom, and justice. By making those your guide, you’ll naturally make your life, and the life of others, better.
• Seek inner peace: Cicero believed a happy life was having inner calm and peace. By avoiding what’s popular and dramatic, you’ll live with more balance and less stress.
• Speak from the heart: Cicero was famous for his convincing, eloquent, and honest speeches. By practicing good verbal communication, you’ll be more able to influence and make a dent in your world.

Further Readings

• Topic: Life And Inspiration
• 100 Life Quotes To Transform Your Life Today
• More philosophers like Cicero
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  • 135 Rumi Quotes That Will Take Your Breath Away
  • 70 Alain de Botton Quotes (On life, Happiness, Success)
  • 87 Osho Quotes On Love, Life, Mind, And Happiness
  • 89 Jiddu Krishnamurti Quotes (On Freedom, Mind, Happiness)
  • 91 Alan Watts Quotes: A Treasure Trove of Insights
• Cicero in Wikipedia
• Cicero: Selected Works (Amazon book)
• More Cicero Amazon books
• 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
• 91 Of The Best Stoic Quotes (For A Better Life)

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