Off. 1.20.1Omnīnō fortis animus et magnus duābus rēbus maximē cernitur, quārum ūna in rērum externārum dēspicientiā pōnitur, cum persuāsum est nihil hominem, nisi quod honestum decōrumque sit, aut admīrārī aut optāre aut expetere oportēre nūllīque neque hominī neque perturbātiōnī animī nec fortūnae succumbere.In general, a brave and great spirit is seen above all in two things, one of which consists in disdain for external things, when one is convinced that a man ought not to admire or wish for or seek anything except what is honourable and seemly, and that he should yield to no man, no disturbance of the mind, and no fortune. Off. 1.20.1Altera est rēs, ut, cum ita sīs affectus animō, ut suprā dīxī, rēs gerās magnās illās quidem et maximē ūtilēs, sed vehementer arduās plēnāsque labōrum et perīculōrum cum vītae, tum multārum rērum, quae ad vītam pertinent.The second thing is that, when you are disposed in spirit as I said above, you should perform deeds which are great indeed and most useful, but extremely hard and full of toils and dangers both to life and to many things which pertain to life. Off. 1.20.67Hārum rērum duārum splendor omnis, amplitūdō, addō etiam ūtilitātem, in posteriōre est, causa autem et ratiō efficiēns magnōs virōs in priōre;Of these two things all the splendour, the grandeur, and, I add, the usefulness too lies in the latter, but the cause and the principle that makes men great lies in the former; Off. 1.20.67in eō est enim illud, quod excellentēs animōs et hūmāna contemnentēs facit.for in it is that which makes spirits outstanding and disdainful of human things.
Off. 1.20.67Id autem ipsum cernitur in duōbus, sī et sōlum id, quod honestum sit, bonum iūdicēs et ab omnī animī perturbātiōne līber sīs.And this itself is seen in two things: if you judge that only what is honourable is good, and if you are free from every disturbance of the mind. Off. 1.20.67Nam et ea.For both those things. Off. 1.20.67quae eximia plērīsque et praeclāra videntur, parva dūcere eaque ratiōne stabilī firmāque contemnere fortis animī magnīque dūcendum est, et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vītā fortūnāque versantur, ita ferre, ut nihil ā statū nātūrae discēdās, nihil ā dignitāte sapientis, rōbustī animī est magnaeque cōnstantiae.which seem to most people exceptional and splendid, to regard them as small and to despise them on firm and steady principle must be held the mark of a brave and great spirit; and to bear those things which seem bitter, which are many and various in the life and fortune of men, in such a way that you depart in nothing from your natural state, nothing from the dignity of the wise man, is the mark of a robust spirit and of great constancy.
Off. 1.20.68Nōn est autem cōnsentāneum, quī metū nōn frangātur, eum frangī cupiditāte nec, quī invictum sē ā labōre praestiterit, vincī ā voluptāte.It is not consistent, moreover, that one who is not broken by fear should be broken by desire, nor that one who has shown himself unconquered by toil should be conquered by pleasure. Off. 1.20.68Quam ob rem et haec vītanda et pecūniae fugienda cupiditās;Therefore we must both avoid these things and flee the desire for money; Off. 1.20.68nihil enim est tam angustī animī tamque parvī quam amāre dīvitiās, nihil honestius magnificentiusque quam pecūniam contemnere, sī nōn habeās, sī habeās, ad beneficentiam līberālitātemque cōnferre.for nothing is so characteristic of a narrow and small spirit as to love riches, nothing more honourable and magnificent than to despise money if you do not have it, and, if you do, to devote it to beneficence and liberality. Off. 1.20.68Cavenda etiam est glōriae cupiditās, ut suprā dīxī;We must also beware of the desire for glory, as I said above; Off. 1.20.68ēripit enim lībertātem, prō quā magnanimīs virīs omnis dēbet esse contentiō.for it snatches away liberty, for which great-souled men ought to make every effort.
Off. 1.20.68Nec vērō imperia expetenda ac potius aut nōn accipienda interdum aut dēpōnenda nōn numquam.Nor indeed should commands be sought; rather they should sometimes not be accepted, or sometimes be laid down. Off. 1.20.69Vacandum autem omnī est animī perturbātiōne, cum cupiditāte et metū, tum etiam aegritūdine et voluptāte nimiā et īrācundiā, ut tranquillitās animī et sēcūritās adsit, quae affert cum cōnstantiam, tum etiam dignitātem.We must be free, moreover, from every disturbance of the mind, both from desire and fear and also from distress and excessive pleasure and anger, so that there may be tranquillity of mind and freedom from care, which bring both constancy and dignity. Off. 1.20.69Multī autem et sunt et fuērunt, quī eam, quam dīcō, tranquillitātem expetentēs ā negōtiīs pūblicīs sē remōverint ad ōtiumque perfūgerint;But there are and have been many who, seeking that tranquillity of which I speak, have withdrawn from public business and taken refuge in leisure; Off. 1.20.69in hīs et nōbilissimī philosophī longēque prīncipēs et quīdam hominēs sevērī et gravēs nec populī nec prīncipum mōrēs ferre potuērunt, vīxēruntque nōn nūllī in agrīs dēlectātī rē suā familiārī.among these, both the noblest philosophers, far the foremost, and certain stern and serious men could not bear the ways either of the people or of its leaders, and some lived in the country, delighting in their private estate.
Off. 1.20.70Hīs idem prōpositum fuit, quod rēgibus, ut nē qua rē egērent, nē cui pārērent, lībertāte ūterentur, cuius proprium est sīc vīvere, ut velīs.These men had the same aim as kings: to lack nothing, to obey no one, to enjoy liberty, whose essence is to live as you please.