Why read Cicero De Amicitia, On Friendship?

Book cover of Cicero De Amicitia, On Friendship: And Scipio's Dream (1884)

Book description

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Cicero De Amicitia, On Friendship as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Paul Allen Miller

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Dramatically placed by Cicero as a follow-up to De Republica, Laelius in the De Amicitia is asked to reflect on his friendship with the recently deceased Scipio. Laelius speaks of his loss but also of the extraordinary gift that is friendship as a continuing desire for a form of fulfillment that only the other can provide. That ideal other, who is also a reflection of the self, becomes exalted as a sublime object who embodies a confluence of the personal and the political within the dimension of friendship as enjoyment. The art of friendship is, in fact,…

From Paul's list on The best books on the art of living.