Essay Sample on Cicero on Friendship: Definitions, Rules, and Value

In "Cicero on Friendship," it is Cicero Laelius who is talking. He is explaining his understanding of the dialogue between him and Atticus. Laelius also goes ahead to compare this dialogue to his previous work, known as "De Senectute." The main ideas being expressed include the definition of friendship; friendship is only possible between good men and the rules of friendship.

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The ideas by Cicero about the friendship of value did not only apply to the Romans of his era but are also crucial to everybody through its principles that may apply to people at any time in any place. Looking at the ideas by Cicero, they fit into every context regardless of the age, era, or location, and everyone must at least find something that relates to their current or past experiences in friendship relationships. For example, the fact by Cicero that friendship can only exist between good men is something that outstands for all men of all races, ages, and places. According to Cicero, a good man is a man whose actions leave no marks or questions about their honor, liberty, equity, and purity. The reason as to why such a principle would apply to all men and not only those from Rome and who lived during his era is that the qualities of a good man are universal and do not depend on other factors such as geography or age. Another example to prove that the principles by Cicero are universal to all the ages, places, and era is when he states that life without friends is not worth living. As he asserts, it is very delightful having someone to whom you can discuss your issues with the same level of confidence you would with yourself. That is what friendship is all about, even in the current era.

Everyone needs someone they can discuss their fears and issues with, without any threat of objection. We all need someone to get back to when things get tough, and someone to share with during moments of happiness, and that is exactly what friendship is all about. Another principle as to why I ascertain that Cicero's ideas contain beliefs that can benefit people at any place and at any time is when he stated that love is the prime mover of all attractions, and friendship is the root of love. He further makes this justification interesting when he says that friendship results from an inclination of the heart with a blend of a certain feeling of love, and not from an intentional material benefit. True friendship does not rely on the material benefits that one accrue from the relationships. Still, it comes naturally put of love and the inclination of the heart that involuntarily pushes one to become friends with another. This is an idea that may benefit people of the current generation who have generally materialized friendship and made it into a business whereby when there is no gain, then there is no friendship. People need to understand the idea that friendship is for the heart, and that the feeling should be mutual for it to exist if not to last. The concept may benefit people from any place and at any time, especially in the 21st century, where people have based most of their relationships on materiality, making friendship to lose meaning.

The Greeks have contradicting ideas on friendship to those portrayed by Cicero. According to the Greek philosophers, they believe that friendship is something that should be avoided. Greek thinkers like Epicurean philosophers believe that friendship is desirable for the sake of protection and assistance. These philosophers believe that avoiding friendship is the best thing for one to do as it enables freedom from care, and that friendship may cause pain to those involved. However, according to t Cicero, such thoughts by the Greek thinkers are utterly flawed, and he believes that pain does not touch the heart of a wise man. Cicero further claims that the pains caused by friendship are not reason enough for one to avoid friendship. The ideals of friendship, which are purely Greek ideas, are unattainable, according to Cicero, and as a practical Roman, Cicero does not want any of them. Cicero samples the names of Greek men who are claimed to be good people such as Gallus, Paulus, Scipio, Cato, and Philus, and goes ahead to justify the impossibility of meeting such "ideal characters" in life. Cicero has a negative attitude towards the Greeks, and he always tends to express a sense of superiority by the Romans over the Greeks. From what Cicero talks about Greek ideas, it is a clear show that Romans feel a sense of superiority to the Greeks, and they want to believe that their ideas and school of thought are the best. There are basic prejudices held by the Romans about Greek intellectuals and those at Rome, and this is evident from the way Cicero has used Greek philosophy in attacking his opponents in public speeches.