On Friendship
by Cicero · Laelius de Amicitia
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 44 BCE
- Language
- Latin
- Length
- Short · 50 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Approachable1 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendOn Old Age, On Friendship, On Divination, translated by W. A. FalconerLoeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, 1923Latin and English facing; the three short late works are usually read together.
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A short dialogue set in 129 BCE, a few days after the death of Scipio Aemilianus, in which his friend Laelius explains friendship to his sons-in-law. Laelius argues that true friendship is possible only between good men, that it arises from virtue rather than need, and that it must never be used to ask or grant anything dishonourable. He discusses how friends are chosen, how friendships end, the limits of loyalty in politics, and whether it is wise to love in order to avoid grief, and ends by ranking friendship after virtue as the best thing in life.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns On Friendship are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
