In 44 BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero was in his sixties—an old man by Roman standards—living on his farm outside of Rome removed from political power by the dictatorship of Julius Caesar. He turned to writing to ease the pain of exile and the recent loss of his beloved daughter.
Atticus, his best friend—a friendship that started when they were young men and remained so throughout their lives—often encouraged him to write something about friendship. So, Cicero penned a short essay on How to Be a Friend—or in Latin De Amicitia—which is arguably the best book ever written on the subject.
Cicero’s heartfelt advice is honest and moving in a way few works of ancient times are. He describes a deeper kind of friendship in which two people find another who doesn’t seek profit or advantage from the other person.
Click here for a summary of Cicero’s How to Be a Friend