“A true friend is, as it were, another self.”
- Source
- De Amicitia
- Date
- 44 BCE
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Dialogue speaker · Gaius Laelius
What does this quote mean?
The phrase captures the intimacy of friendship: another person becomes close enough that concern for them resembles concern for oneself.
Where does it come from?
Cicero’s De Amicitia describes true friendship as transferring natural self-love into a bond with another person.
Who voices the line?
Dialogue speaker · Gaius Laelius. De Amicitia. The represented maxim occurs within Laelius’ friendship discourse; Cicero is retained as work author while Laelius is the local speaker.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.