pickHis various letters are illuminating, his Philippic against Antony is furious & damning, and his expositions on Duties & Old Age are still relevant today. The style in his written letters & essays may be more accessible to modern readers than his speeches, which can get long in the tooth. But stick with it. As a window into Ancient Rome & into the mind of the most celebrated orator of his time, his insight is still penetrating & meaningful.
"Life's course is invariable - nature has one path only, and you cannot travel along it more than once. Every stage of life has its own characteristics: boys are feeble, youths in their prime are aggressive, middle-aged men are dignified, old people are mature. Each one of these qualities is ordained by nature for harvesting in due season." - from On Old Age
"Consider the paradox of a person who admits the wickedness of tyrannizing a country....but who nevertheless sees advantage in himself becoming its tyrant if he can....Who, in God's name, could possibly derive advantage from murdering his country? Of all murders that is the most hideous...even when its perpetrator is hailed, by the citizens he has trodden underfoot, as 'Father of his Country'."
"So everyone ought to have the same purpose: to identify the interest of each with the interest of all. Once men grab for themselves, human society will completely collapse."
"...neglect of the common interest is unnatural, because it is unjust... nature's law promotes and coincides with the common interest."
So even in Cicero's day, "competition [was] the law of the jungle, but cooperation [was] the law of civilization." (Pyotr Kropotkin)
"For honesty is not particularly virtuous when there is no one with the ability or ambition to corrupt it."
Starting this for #ClassicsClub #CCspin due end of April2023. Rec‘d in the #ToB23 commentary #ClassicsClub50_list2
(Perfect size before I begin the #OaFkingalong.)
Starting the actual novel this time. 🤣
Maybe I should have brushed Esther before having her model with book… #WW1lit #Classic #CC50_part2 #ClassicsClub #DogsofLitsy #EstherFest #WiaN2023 QXZ category
pickThis was just gosh darn adorable!! The audio (Nadia May) is something special. HIGHLY recommended! It‘s got books, it‘s got love, it‘s got lots of book love ❤️ #Classic #CC50_part2 #ClassicsClub #audiobook
Other pics from the wild weather we have had the past few days: 80 degrees + thunderstorms to snow this morning.
I have to honest, I seriously had a moment of cold emptiness in my gut when I realized that I wasn‘t sure what my next book was to be. 😱 Then I remembered I have my Bingo card to guide me. I am choosing the novella* by Welty and not just because it sits ready nor because it is short, and a classic, and it won the Pulitzer AND fave author A.Patchett cites her as an influence. But because ALL of this together. #CC50_part2 #ClassicsClub
