Marcus Tullius Cicero

Roman statesman, lawyer and philosopher, 106 BC–43 BC. 1 explained quote.

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“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero · 54 BC

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“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero · Pro Plancio (In Defense of Plancius), section 80 · 54 BC · Philosopher

Cicero says that being grateful is the most important virtue and the source of the others, because people who remember what they owe are loyal, dutiful and kind.

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About Marcus Tullius Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero was Rome’s most famous orator and lawyer, a consul in 63 BC, and a prolific writer on philosophy, friendship and old age. His speeches and letters shaped Latin prose for centuries. He was killed in 43 BC on the orders of Mark Antony, whom he had attacked in a series of speeches.