“ How can a man be friends with another, if he thinks it possible that he may be his enemy? ”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, On Friendship (44 BC). copy citation
| Author | Marcus Tullius Cicero |
|---|---|
| Source | On Friendship |
| Topic | enemies thought |
| Date | 44 BC |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by E. S. Shuckburgh |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2808/2808-h/2808-h.htm |
Context
“He could not be induced to believe that it was rightfully attributed to Bias, who was counted as one of the Seven Sages. It was the sentiment of some person with sinister motives or selfish ambition, or who regarded everything as it affected his own supremacy. How can a man be friends with another, if he thinks it possible that he may be his enemy? Why, it will follow that he must wish and desire his friend to commit as many mistakes as possible, that he may have all the more handles against him; and, conversely, that he must be annoyed, irritated, and jealous at the right actions or good fortune of his friends.”
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