Cicero

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

1. We are not born for ourselves alone.

   Cicero borrows the idea from Plato: part of us belongs to our country and part to our friends. A life spent only on yourself misses its purpose. Put some of your strength to work for others.

   On Duties 1.22, our translation from the Latin

2. Gratitude is the mother of every other virtue.

   Cicero says he wants to be grateful above all else. Loyalty to parents, service to country and friendship all grow out of gratitude. Notice what you have been given and act on it.

   For Plancius 80, our translation from the Latin

3. Plant trees for the next generation.

   Cicero quotes the poet Caecilius: the farmer plants trees he will never see fruit from. Old men still work for those who come after them. Do something now whose benefit you will not be around to collect.

   On Old Age 24, our translation from the Latin

4. A true friend is a second self.

   We love ourselves without needing a reward, Cicero says, and real friendship works the same way. A true friend is another you. Choose friends you would trust as you trust yourself.

   On Friendship 80, our translation from the Latin

5. A sure friend shows up in unsure times.

   Cicero quotes the poet Ennius. Anyone can be around when life is good; trouble shows who stays. Be the friend who shows up when it counts.

   On Friendship 64, our translation from the Latin

6. A garden and a library. You need nothing more.

   Cicero wrote this to his friend Varro, a great scholar with a fine library. Books for the mind and a garden for the body make a full life. Most of what else we chase is extra.

   Letters to Friends 9.4, our translation from the Latin

7. Philosophy is medicine for the mind.

   Bodies have doctors, Cicero argues, and minds have philosophy. Unlike bodily cures, this one we can work on ourselves. Read and think the way you would exercise or eat well.

   Tusculan Disputations 3.6, our translation from the Latin

8. Anyone can make a mistake. Only a fool stays in it.

   Cicero said this in the Senate while reversing a position he had supported. Changing your mind when the facts change is a strength. Admit the error and correct course.

   Philippics 12.5, our translation from the Latin

9. Not knowing history is staying a child forever.

   Cicero tells orators they must know the past. What happened before you were born is the context for everything you face. Learn the history of whatever you care about.

   Orator 120, our translation from the Latin

10. Habit has great power.

    Cicero points to hunters who sleep in snow and boxers who take blows without a groan. Practice makes hard things bearable. Build the habit and the pain shrinks.

    Tusculan Disputations 2.40, our translation from the Latin

11. In war, the laws fall silent.

    Cicero argued that a man ambushed may defend himself without waiting for a court. It is also a warning: violence pushes law aside. Protect the rules most when tempers run highest.

    For Milo 11, our translation from the Latin