 While Cicero adhered to a moderate skepticism in general philosophical matters, he would draw on a number of Stoic ideas in formulating his own ethical and political teachings: these were shaped by the lectures he had attended by the Stoic Posidonius in Rhodes, the writings of Posidonius’ teacher Panaetius and other earlier and contemporary Stoic texts, as well as (we may speculate) conversation with the Stoic Diodotus whom he accommodated in his household in Rome for many years. In particular, Cicero emphasized the Stoic themes of the natural affinity for society and the existence of natural law. At the same time, Platonic themes and models were also important in his political writings. The discussion below is limited to the two dialogues which are explicitly modeled on Plato’s Republic and Laws, titled by Cicero in Latin De re publica and De legibus ( On the Commonwealth and On the Laws), together with his most important work on political ethics, the De officiis (On Duties), which exercised particular influence on subsequent Western moral and political thought.