Cicero's Tusculan Disputations

Cicero's Tusculan Disputations

Treatises on the Nature of the Gods, and on the Commonwealth

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Literally Translated, Chiefly by C. D. Yonge.

The Tusculanae Disputationes is a series of books written by Cicero, around 45 BC, attempting to popularise Stoic philosophy in Ancient Rome. It is so called as it was reportedly written at his villa in Tusculum.

At a time when I had entirely, or to a great degree, released myself from my labors as an advocate, and from my duties as a senator, I had recourse again, Brutus, principally by your advice, to those studies which never had been out of my mind, although neglected at times, and which after a long interval I resumed; and now, since the principles and rules of all arts which relate to living well depend on the study of wisdom, which is called philosophy, I have thought it an employment worthy of me to illustrate them in the Latin tongue, not because philosophy could not be understood in the Greek language, or by the teaching of Greek masters; but it has always been my opinion that our countrymen have, in some instances, made wiser discoveries than the Greeks, with reference to those subjects which they have considered worthy of devoting their attention to, and in others have improved upon their discoveries, so that in one way or other we surpass them on every point; for, with regard to the manners and habits of private life, and family and domestic affairs, we certainly manage them with more elegance, and better than they did; and as to our republic, that our ancestors have, beyond all dispute, formed on better customs and laws.