Philosophers, he said, spin theories about justice, decency, restraint, and fortitude, but statesmen are the ones who must actually set the conditions to foster the virtues that are necessary to a well-functioning polity.
[I recommend that anyone interested in such ancient history watch the HBO series "Rome" from beginning to end. It is very well done and highly entertaining! But rated: R]
This article provides a succinct summary of his life and ambitions. This article addresses some of the topics that still apply in modern times - among them:
How should I “package” myself for a career?
Many of his friends urged him to change his surname, which they regarded as insufficiently dignified for a rising politician. Apparently, the name derived from an ancestor who had a protuberance like a chickpea (cicer) on the end of his nose. He declined. But what he did do was change was his speaking style. He devoted two full years to refining his oratorical techniques and sharpening his intellect.
Politics is a dirty business.
In late Republican Rome, as in present-day America, many of the most capable citizens declined to enter public life. Some did so out of disgust with the state of politics; others wished to take advantage of opportunities to live a private life in comfort and luxury. Epicurean philosophy, with its teaching that a wise man best preserves his freedom by avoiding involvement in public affairs, was much in vogue among members of Rome’s traditional ruling class. Cicero did not - indeed could not disagree. However he said “What stronger reason could brave and high-minded men have for entering politics than the determination not to give in to the wicked, and not to allow the state to be torn apart by such people?”.
Is the life of a politician compatible with a satisfying private life?
For Cicero’s the answer was apparently no. In his letter to Atticus on an occasion when both confidants were away from Rome reminds one of Harry Truman’s famous saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog”.
Will I lose sight of my highest aims, betray my principles, even lose my soul as I strive to get and keep public office?
In his essay De Officiis (“On Duties”) he pondered the difficulty of deciding what to do when apparent right clashes with apparent advantage. Some situations, he said, are perplexingly difficult to assess. Sometimes a course of action generally regarded as wrong turns out right. Sometimes a step that looks natural and right may turn out not to be right after all.
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