--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is virtue, virtue, which both creates…" description: "\"It is virtue, virtue, which both creates and preserves friendship. On it depends harmony of interest, permanence, fidelity.\" — Marcus Tullius Cicero" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_character_it-is-virtue-virtue-which-both-creates-a_1971137.jpg" --- # It is virtue, virtue, which both creates and preserves… ![“It is virtue, virtue, which both creates and preserves friendship. On it depends harmony of interest, permanence, fidelity.” quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_character_it-is-virtue-virtue-which-both-creates-a_1971137.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_character_it-is-virtue-virtue-which-both-creates-a_1971137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/marcus-tullius-cicero-157_character_it-is-virtue-virtue-which-both-creates-a_1971137.jpg) > “It is virtue, virtue, which both creates and preserves friendship. On it depends harmony of interest, permanence, fidelity.” [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Friendship thrives on virtue, which creates and sustains mutual trust and lasting bonds. **In simple terms:** Virtue sustains friendship. Key Takeaway Cultivate virtue together. Themes friendship virtue trust Mood thoughtful philosophical Type advice literary When to use this quote - teamwork - long‑term relationships - community building Key Concepts ethical behavior mutual respect Questions to Reflect On - How does virtue affect your friendships? - Can friendships survive without shared values? A Different Perspective Virtue alone may not guarantee compatibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friend/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-depends-2433621/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Permanence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanence/) [Preserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserves/) [Preserves Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preserves-friendship-3311138/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-friends/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-virtue-654187/) ## Related quotes > [If our friendship depends on things like space and time, then when we finally overcome space and time, we've destroyed our own brotherhood! But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/if-our-friendship-depends-on-things-like-space-and-time-then-when-we/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nothing-is-more-noble-nothing-more-venerable-than-fidelity-2/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nothing-is-more-noble-nothing-more-venerable-than-fidelity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [We are not born, we do not live for ourselves alone; our country, our friends, have a share in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/we-are-not-born-we-do-not-live-for-ourselves-alone-our-country-our/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [It is like taking the sun out of the world, to bereave human life of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/it-is-like-taking-the-sun-out-of-the-world-to-bereave-human-life-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship is not to be sought for its wages, but because its revenue consists entirely in the love which it implies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-is-not-to-be-sought-for-its-wages-but-because-its-revenue/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship is nothing else than entire fellow feeling as to all things human and divine with mutual good-will and affection; and I doubt whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-is-nothing-else-than-entire-fellow-feeling-as-to-all/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [You must therefore love me, myself, and not my circumstances, if we are to be real friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/you-must-therefore-love-me-myself-and-not-my-circumstances-if-we-are/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The real friend is another self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-real-friend-is-another-self/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [It is not easy to distinguish between true and false affection, unless there occur one of those crises in which, as gold is tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/it-is-not-easy-to-distinguish-between-true-and-false-affection-unless/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Virtue could see to do what virtue would By her own radiant light, though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/virtue-could-see-to-do-what-virtue-would-by-her-own-radiant-light/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Happiness is not the reward of virtue, but is virtue itself; nor do we delight in happiness because we restrain from our lusts; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-not-the-reward-of-virtue-but-is-virtue-itself-nor-do-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtue is virtue only when it is spontaneous; virtue is virtue only when it is natural, unpractised - when it comes out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/virtue-is-virtue-only-when-it-is-spontaneous-virtue-is-virtue-only/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Which is more misshapen,--religion without virtue, or virtue without religion?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/which-is-more-misshapen-religion-without-virtue-or-virtue-without/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) ## More by Marcus Tullius Cicero > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. For in invention nature is never last, education never first;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-art-then-imitate-nature-find-what-she-desires-and-follow-as-she/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/gratitude-is-not-only-the-greatest-of-virtues-but-the-parent-of-all/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Things sacred should not only be touched with the hands, but unviolated in thought. \[Lat., Res sacros non modo manibus attingi, sed ne cogitatione…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/things-sacred-should-not-only-be-touched-with-the-hands-but/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Grief is not in the nature of things, but in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/grief-is-not-in-the-nature-of-things-but-in-opinion/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Physicians, when the cause of disease is discovered, consider that the cure is discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/physicians-when-the-cause-of-disease-is-discovered-consider-that-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum. (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nihil-est-incertius-vulgo-nihil-obscurius-voluntate-hominum-nihil/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The foundations of justice are that on one shall suffer wrong; then, that the public good be promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-foundations-of-justice-are-that-on-one-shall-suffer-wrong-then/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“The life of the dead is set in the memory of the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-life-of-the-dead-is-set-in-the-memory-of-the-living/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Pardon is granted to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/pardon-is-granted-to-necessity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [History is the witness of the times, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/history-is-the-witness-of-the-times-the-light-of-truth-the-life-of/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The Jews belong to a dark and repulsive force. One knows how numerous this clique is, how they stick together and what power they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-jews-belong-to-a-dark-and-repulsive-force-one-knows-how-numerous/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nature-has-planted-in-our-minds-an-insatiable-longing-to-see-the-truth/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) [Explore all 1,068 Marcus Tullius Cicero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. 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