Cicero, On the Nature of the Gods, LCL 268: Cicero XIX
Translated by H. Rackham
Number of quotes: 8
Book ID: 354 Page: 5
Section: 4A
…Protagoras declared himself uncertain, and Diagoras of Melos and Theodorus of Cyrene held that there are no gods at all.
Quote ID: 8132
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 5
Section: 4A
And until this issue is decided, mankind must continue to labour under the profoundest uncertainty, and to be in ignorance about matters of the highest moment.Pastor John’s note: both footnotes are in the i section! Ref. From Nature of the Gods, I.i. (Book I, section i)
Quote ID: 8133
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 21
Section: 2D
VIII. Hereupon Velleius began, in the confident manner (I need not say) that is customary with Epicureans, afraid of nothing so much as lest he should appear to have doubts about anything.Pastor John’s note: Nature of the Gods II, viii(1)
Quote ID: 8134
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 354 Page: 27
Section: 4B
…there are so many troubles in life that, though wise men can assuage them by balancing against them life’s advantages, fools can neither avoid their approach nor endure their presence.Pastor John’s note: wise = rich, fools = poor
Quote ID: 8135
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 61/63
Section: 3A2A
Since as for Protagoras of Abdera (PJ: 490–420 BC), the greatest sophist of that age, to whom you just now alluded, for beginning a book with the words ‘About the gods I am unable to affirm either how{a} they exist or how they do not exist,’ he was sentenced by a decree of the Athenian assembly to be banished from the city and from the country, and to have his books burnt in the market-place: an example that I can well believe has discouraged many people since from professing atheism, since the mere expression of doubt did not succeed in escaping punishment.
Quote ID: 8136
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 131
Section: 1B
The fate of these men may serve to indicate that our empire was won by those commanders who obeyed the dictates of religion. Moreover if we care to compare our national characteristics with those of foreign peoples, we shall find that, while in all other respects we are only the equals or even the inferiors of others, yet in the sense of religion, that is, in reverence for the gods, we are far superior.
Quote ID: 8137
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 135
Section: 4B
…it had come to his mind that there had been an irregularity when he took Scipio’s park as the site for his augural tent, for he had subsequently entered the city bounds to hold a meeting of the Senate and when crossing the bounds again on his return had forgotten to take the auspices{a}; and that therefore the consuls had not been duly elected. The College of Augurs referred the matter to the Senate; the Senate decided that the consuls must resign; they did so. What more striking instances can we demand? A man of the greatest wisdom, and I may say unrivaled distinction of character, preferred to make public confession of an offense that he might have concealed rather than that the stain of impiety should cling to the commonwealth; the consuls preferred to retire on the spot from the highest office of the state rather than hold it for one moment of time in violation of religion. The augur’s office is one of high dignity; surely the soothsayer’s art also is divinely inspired.
Quote ID: 8569
Time Periods: 0
Book ID: 354 Page: 471/473
Section: 4A
In fact, if there is truth in the praise of philosophy that occupies a certain volume{b} of mine, it is obvious that its pursuit is supremely worthy of all persons of the highest character and eminence, and only precaution that need be observed by us whom the Roman nation has placed in this rank is to prevent our private studies from encroaching at all upon our public interest.
Quote ID: 8138
Time Periods: 0
End of quotes