Such service calls for great men; it was commonly rendered in the days of our ancestors; if men will perform duties such as these, they will win popularity and glory for themselves and at the same time render eminent service to the state.
From a treatise on moral duties, Cicero reflects on the importance of public service and its benefits for both individuals and the state.
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I don't wish to depreciate life, as many men and good philosophers have often done; nor do I regret having lived, for I have done so in a way that lets me think that I was not born in vain.
Again, is there not the fact that the wisest man ever dies with the greatest cheerfulness, the most unwise with the least?
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