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Cicero on fatherhood, character, and how to live

5 sourced quotes from Cicero, each with the original work, the year, and links to a primary or scholarly source you can check yourself. Selected for what they say to a man raising children.

“In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self.”
Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 23, c. 44 BC
“You must satisfy your judgment before engaging your affections: not love first and judge afterwards.”
Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 62, c. 44 BC
“Nature has given us friendship as the handmaid of virtue, not as a partner in guilt.”
Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 83, c. 44 BC
“Nature has inclined us to love our children, and this is the source and origin of civil society.”
On Duties (De Officiis), Book I, c. 44 BC
“Of all the bonds of fellowship, there is none more noble, none more powerful, than when good men of congenial character are joined in intimate…”
On Duties (De Officiis), Book I, c. 44 BC

The right words for exactly where you are right now.

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Works quoted here: Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 23, Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 62, Laelius de Amicitia (On Friendship), section 83, On Duties (De Officiis), Book I.