古羅馬最優(yōu)秀的演說家西塞羅一向以雄辯滔滔、含蓄雋永著稱。他的三論——論責(zé)任、論老年、論友誼——發(fā)表于公元前44年，時(shí)年62歲的西塞羅總結(jié)自已一生從政、交友、問學(xué)的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，對(duì)友誼、責(zé)任、道德準(zhǔn)則、老年乃至個(gè)人與國(guó)家利益等人生重大問題進(jìn)行了全面、深刻的闡述，說理透辟，詞采豐贍，正所謂“人之將死，其言也善”，是古典時(shí)代哲理散文的典范之作，兩千年來一直廣為誦讀。
睿智、正義、勇氣、節(jié)制，這是貫穿于“三淪”始終的一個(gè)基調(diào)。的確，正如評(píng)論家所言：《西塞羅三論（英文版）》給予了現(xiàn)代人許多安身、立命的啟迪，一卷在于，亦復(fù)何求？
西塞羅（Marcus Tullius Cicero，公元前106-前43年），古代羅馬著名的政治家、演說家、古典共和思想的重要代表，羅馬共和國(guó)后期杰出的散文大家，其典雅的拉丁文體促進(jìn)了拉丁文學(xué)的發(fā)展，影響了后來歐洲的教育。主要著作有《論共和國(guó)》、《論法律》、《論演說家》、《論老年》、《論神性》、《圖斯庫羅姆談話錄》等。
西塞羅出身于騎士階層，家道富有，心性聰慧，先后在著名的修辭學(xué)家、法學(xué)家和哲學(xué)家門下接受教育，熱愛羅馬國(guó)家，通曉希臘文化。他起初從事律師工作，不久后從政，在政壇發(fā)跡順利，成功競(jìng)選各種職務(wù)，不斷升遷，公元前63年擔(dān)任羅馬最高官職執(zhí)政官。后來，他在羅馬共和國(guó)末期的政治權(quán)力角逐中幾度沉浮，最終遭政敵殺害。
ON MORAL DUTIES (DE OFFICIIS)
INTRODUCTION
BOOK Ⅰ
BOOK Ⅱ
BOOK Ⅲ
NOTES
ON OLD AGE (DE SENECTUTE)
INTRODUCTION
CICERO DE SENECTUTE
NOTES
ON FRIENDSHIP (DE AMICITIA)
INTRODUCTION
SCIPIO'S DREAM
NOTES
Complete conformity,or perfect virtue,is,according to this school,attainable onlyby the truly wise,and its earlier disciples,while by no meanscertain that this ideal perfectness had ever been realized inhuman form even by Zeno,the great master,yet admitted nomoral distinction between those who fell but little short ofperfection and those who had made no progress toward it.Thelater Stoics,however,recognized degrees of goodness,and werediligent expositors and teachers of the duties within the scopeof those not truly wise,by the practice of which there might bean ever nearer approach to perfection.This philosophy was,from Cicero's time till Christianity gained ascendency,theonly antiseptic that preserved Roman society from utter andremediless corruption.
The Peripatetic philosophy makes virtue to consist inmoderation,or the avoidance of extremes,and places eachof the individual virtues midway between opposite vices,astemperance between excess and asceticism;generosity betweenprodigality and avarice;meekness between irascibility andpusillanimity.It admits the reality of the intrinsically rightas distinguished from the merely expedient or useful;but itmaintains that happiness is the supreme object and end of life,and that for this end,virtue,though essential,is not sufficientwithout external goods,——so that the wisely virtuous man,whilehe will never violate the right,will pursue by all legitimatemeans such outward advantages as may be within his reach.
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