Cicero: On Duties (De Officiis)

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Cicero wrote On Duties in 44 BCE, during a tumultuous period in Roman history when the Republic was under threat by the ambitious Julius Caesar. What do you know about this historical period and its key players, including figures such as Julius Caesar, Pompey, Mark Antony, Octavian, and Cicero himself?

Teaching Suggestion: This question connects to the theme of Indictment of Julius Caesar. When Cicero wrote On Duties in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was the king of Rome in all but name, having had himself elected “Dictator for Life” (dictator perpetuo) after defeating his rival Pompey in a Civil War that raged from 49 to 45 BCE. Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BCE, by several leading Roman senators. Cicero, one of the leading political figures of the time, was a staunch critic of Caesar, though he was not involved in the conspiracy to assassinate him. Caesar’s assassination spurred another civil war that pitted Caesar’s supporters—led by Mark Antony and Octavian—against the conspirators. Cicero, considered a political threat by Antony and Octavian, was assassinated at the end of 43 BCE. Understanding this complex and rapidly changing historical context for Cicero’s On Duties can help students better understand Cicero’s ideology, especially since Cicero’s criticism of Caesar plays a prominent role throughout the text.

• In this letter to his friend Trebonius, Cicero expresses regret that he was not asked to join the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar.
• This article from History Today discusses the assassination of Julius Caesar and its aftermath.

2. Consider what you know about classical philosophy. Which philosophers from antiquity are you familiar with? What do you associate with them?

Teaching Suggestion: On Duties is one of Cicero’s philosophical works and engages with issues surrounding honor, goodness, justice, and human nature. Cicero makes many references to major earlier philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, all of whom spent most of their careers in the Greek city-state of Athens. Presenting the class with a brief synopsis of the philosophical ideas put forward by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and their relationship to other philosophical schools (especially the schools of Stoicism and Epicureanism) can help students better contextualize Cicero’s ideas in the text.

• This podcast provides a well-informed history of world philosophy. Episodes 16, 18, and 34 especially serve as useful introductions to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
• This companion text from Cambridge University Press discusses Greek and Roman philosophy.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

How do you define duty? What are your most important duties and responsibilities? Think about communities and/or institutions (such as your school, family, and faith) that have shaped your view of duty. What do you associate with this sense of obligation?

Teaching Suggestion: It may help to create a list of synonyms for the word “duty” with the class on the board. You could lead a discussion on the positive and negative connotations associated with those related terms, and students could consider the nuances of language in their verbal and/or written contributions. This may help students refine their definitions. This could also be a good time to discuss the differences between modern ideas about duty and Cicero’s concept of duty as “moral responsibility” or “appropriate reaction” (Latin: officium).