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Cicero

On Fate Passage 45

Passage 45 of 48

Canonical reference 45

Latin

perseus-cicero-de_fato-lat

Omninoque cum haec sit distinctio, ut quibusdam in rebus vere dici possit, cum hae causae antegressae sint, non esse in nostra potestate, quin illa eveniant, quorum causae fuerint, quibusdam autem in rebus causis antegressis in nostra tamen esse potestate, ut illud aliter eveniat, hanc distinctionem utrique adprobant, sed alteri censent, quibus in rebus, cum causae antecesserint, non sit in nostra potestate, ut aliter illa eveniant, eas fato fieri; quae autem in nostra potestate sint, ab iis fatum abesse

English AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

In general, since the distinction is this, that in some matters it can truly be said that, once these causes have preceded, it is not within our power to prevent the events whose causes they were, whereas in other matters, even after causes have preceded, it is nevertheless within our power for the event to happen otherwise, both parties approve this distinction. But one party thinks that matters in which, after causes have preceded, it is not within our power for events to happen otherwise occur by fate, while fate is absent from those matters that are within our power

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

En somme, voici la distinction: dans certains cas, on peut dire avec vérité que, certaines causes ayant précédé, il n’est pas en notre pouvoir d’empêcher les événements dont elles sont les causes; dans d’autres cas, malgré l’antécédence de certaines causes, il reste en notre pouvoir que l’événement se produise autrement. Les deux partis approuvent cette distinction. Mais les uns estiment que les événements qui, une fois leurs causes antécédentes posées, ne peuvent plus dépendre de nous de manière à se produire autrement, arrivent par le destin; tandis que le destin est absent de ceux qui demeurent en notre pouvoir.

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