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'They might as well take the sun from the heavens when they take friendship from life! The immortal gods have given us nothing better or more enjoyable than friendship' In the first century BC, Marcus Tullius Cicero, orator, statesman, and defender of republican values, created these essays on such diverse topics as friendship, religion, death, fate and scientific inquiry. A pragmatist at heart, Cicero frequently wrote with a personal and ethical approach, drawing not from abstract reasoning but through careful observation of the world. The resulting works remind us of the importance of social ties, the questions of free will, and the justification of any creative endeavour. In Thomas Habinek's introduction to his witty, lively new translation, he explores the context in which Cicero was writing, and discusses the continued relevance of his no-nonsense essays to citizens, artists and writers today. This edition also contains a chronology, notes, maps and suggested further reading. Translated, introduced and with notes by Thomas Habinek