On Duties

work by Cicero

Also known as: “De officiis”, “On Moral Duties”

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July 1, 2026

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Cicero's work, On Duties (De officiis), is a philosophical treatise exploring moral obligations. Written in 44 BCE, it delves into what is morally right and honorable, and how to balance these duties with what is expedient or advantageous.1

Cicero argues that true duty aligns with what is morally right, and that what appears expedient is only so when it is also morally right. He discusses three types of wrongs: those that harm others, those that violate trust, and those that are characterized by greed or avarice.1

The work is structured as a dialogue and draws heavily on Greek philosophical traditions, particularly Stoicism, though Cicero synthesized ideas from various schools. On Duties was influential in shaping ethical thought for centuries, serving as a guide to moral conduct.12

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Athenodorus Cananites
…in the composition of the De Officiis) provide the main sources of information about him.
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…in the composition of the De Officiis) provide the main sources of information about him.
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Damon and Pythias
…that told by Cicero in De Officiis (“On Moral Duties”). When one of the two friends is condemned to death by Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse, he asks to be granted time to put his affairs in order. Dionysius refuses until the other of the two offers to die in…
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…that told by Cicero in De Officiis (“On Moral Duties”). When one of the two friends is condemned to death by Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse, he asks to be granted time to put his affairs in order. Dionysius refuses until the other of the two offers to die in…
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St. Ambrose
Literary and musical accomplishments
…is skillfully modeled on Cicero’s De officiis. He sought to replace the heroes of Rome with Old Testament saints as models of behavior for a Christianized aristocracy. By letters, visitations, and nominations, he strengthened this aristocratic Christianity in the northern Italian towns that he had once ruled as a Roman…
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…is skillfully modeled on Cicero’s De officiis. He sought to replace the heroes of Rome with Old Testament saints as models of behavior for a Christianized aristocracy. By letters, visitations, and nominations, he strengthened this aristocratic Christianity in the northern Italian towns that he had once ruled as a Roman…
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Stoicism
Later Roman Stoicism
…the De officiis (44 bce; On Duties) of Cicero. Hecaton, another of Panaetius’s students and an active Stoic philosopher, also stressed similar ethical themes.
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…the De officiis (44 bce; On Duties) of Cicero. Hecaton, another of Panaetius’s students and an active Stoic philosopher, also stressed similar ethical themes.
Read More