A room without books is like a body without a soul – a statement Cicero never said. This quotation is a rough translation of a statement Cicero wrote in his letter to Atticus. After his return from his exile in 58 B.C., Cicero wrote a letter to his friend requesting assistance in arranging his library. As a result, he got the services of Tyrannio, a mutual acquaintance of his and Atticus. Upon the completion of work , he personally wrote a letter to Atticus appreciating the services of Tyrannio.
He wrote;
“postea vero quam Tyrannio mihi libros disposuit, mens addita videtur meis aedibus.”
Translation:
“Now that Tyrannio has put my books in order, a mind seem to have been added to my house.”
Though not originally Cicero’s words, the quotation has a beautiful meaning to it. As the soul of a body brings it to life, similar is the case with the books. Books bring out meaning and purpose to any room they are found in. The room need not be a physical place but it can be taken in the meaning of the heart or mind of a person. Books enlighten the heart and mind of a reader in a way that nothing else can.
Who was Cicero?
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, lawyer, writer, and philosopher. Through his literary works, he tried to endorse republican principles that eventually led to the establishment of the Roman Empire. Among his writings are books of rhetoric, orations, and treatises. He is well known till now as the best Roman orator and the father of the Ciceronian Rhetoric.
Besides that, he had an immense influence on the Latin language. He wrote the major portion of the extant Latin literature that existed during his lifetime. Despite being an exceptional orator and lawyer, Cicero valued his political career the most. He is honored with the role of re-establishing the traditional Republican Government after the chaotic period of civil wars.
Cicero is also often accredited with the initiation of the 14th-century Renaissance in public affairs and classical Roman culture. His works till today remain as one of the most important and primary materials for writing as well as revising Roman history
What is The Meaning of The Quote?
Literal Meaning
If we take the quote in its literal sense the room can be taken as a physical place. There is a kind of serenity in a room that is filled with books. Many people have admitted that being surrounded by books brings them peace and calms their spirit. Surrounded by books is like being around your favorite people. Anyone’s personal book collection speaks volumes about the character and personality. This could be an explanation as to why people refer to their books as their most prized possessions.
Metaphorical Meaning
Another way to look at this quote is to take the meaning of room in a metaphorical sense. Just as our souls bring life to our physical bodies, similarly the books bring our hearts to life. We are our best and most beautiful selves when we are embellished with the adornment of knowledge. When the soul leaves a body, it is no longer alive as is the case with our hearts. If we don’t feed our hearts with the right kind of books, our hearts can become hard and heedless .
The importance of reading
When it comes to book reading, it is not just a mere habit that most people pursue. The books we read shape us and define our true selves. The kind of books we indulge in change the ways we think, behave and connect with people around us.
- When we read a book, we get to experience different things and take the lesson without actually going through that thing.
- Reading is to our souls what eating is to our bodies. The knowledge we gain from reading becomes a permanent part of ourselves. This is something that impacts every aspect of our lives.
- Besides, it has been scientifically proven that reading helps reduce stress by keeping the mind focused on one thing. Reading also helps us widen our imagination and it modifies our entire perspective of life.
- It has been observed that individuals who are into reading are more empathetic and there’s nothing that the current world needs more than such people.
For more benefits on reading checkout the quote by Margaret Fuller – “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader”
Supercharge reading with technology
As our lives become busier day by day, it has become hard to take time out to sit and read a book. For this reason, people nowadays are relying on audiobooks to quench their thirst for reading. This allows a person to lose oneself in the world of books while being busy with his/her daily chores.
For people who find it hard to sit and read a book, audiobooks are a perfect way out. Audiobooks provide a faster way of reading. If you’re someone who gets distracted easily, one way to deal with that is to read following along a written book while listening to the audiobook.
Keeping up with a fast-paced society
With the development of technology, it has become easier for us to access all kinds of information just by a tap of our fingers. This is something we should not be taking for granted and try our best to benefit from it as much as possible. As more facilities are being made available for people, there is an increase in competition in all the spheres of life. Thus, it necessitates that we take all the steps to be knowledgeable of all that is happening around us. This is important for us to keep up with our fast-paced society.