“ In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self. ”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, On Friendship (44 BC). copy citation
| Author | Marcus Tullius Cicero |
|---|---|
| Source | On Friendship |
| Topic | friendship face friend self |
| 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
“Such friendship enhances prosperity, and relieves adversity of its burden by halving and sharing it.
7. And great and numerous as are the blessings of friendship, this certainly is the sovereign one, that it gives us bright hopes for the future and forbids weakness and despair. In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self. So that where his friend is he is; if his friend be rich, he is not poor; though he be weak, his friend's strength is his; and in his friend's life he enjoys a second life after his own is finished. This last is perhaps the most difficult to conceive.” source
7. And great and numerous as are the blessings of friendship, this certainly is the sovereign one, that it gives us bright hopes for the future and forbids weakness and despair. In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self. So that where his friend is he is; if his friend be rich, he is not poor; though he be weak, his friend's strength is his; and in his friend's life he enjoys a second life after his own is finished. This last is perhaps the most difficult to conceive.” source
Meaning and analysis
