In the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman orator, statesman, and defender of republican values, created these philosophical treatises on such diverse and trenchant topics as friendship, religion, death, fate, and scientific inquiry. This lucid and lively new translation renders the great Roman’s writings accessible to modern readers as never before. Cicero was a pragmatist at heart, but his philosophies were frequently personal and ethical, drawn not from abstract reasoning but from careful observation of the world. The resulting work reminds us of the importance of social ties, the question of free will, and the justification of creative endeavor.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.