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 .ANNAEUS SENECA 
 
 TREATISES 
 
 ON PEOYIDENCE 
 ON TRANQUILLITY OF MIND 
 ON SHORTNESS OF LIFE 
 ON HAPPY. LIFE 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 SELECT EPISTLES ErtGRAMMATA AN INTRODUCTION COPIOUS 
 NOTES AND SCRIPTURE PARALLELISMS 
 
 By JOHN F. HURST, LL.D. 
 
 AND 
 
 HENRY C. WHITING, Pii.D. 
 
 PROFESSOR OP LATIN AND GERMAN IN DICKINSON COLLEGE, CARLISLE, PA 
 
 REVISED EDITION 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS 
 
 FRANKLIN SQUARE 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by 
 Harper & Brothers, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
^ 7 /. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The present edition of the leading Moral Essays of 
 Lncins Annaeus Seneca is designed as a text-book for 
 use in the colleges and schools of the United States. 
 The editors were first attracted towards its preparation 
 by the fact that no edition of the Latin text of any one 
 of the essays of the great Homan moralist had ever 
 appeared in this country. Even in England the neg¬ 
 lect has been marked; for, although several good 
 translations were published during the 17th and 18th 
 centuries, there has appeared in that country onl}^ one 
 essay of Seneca in the original text for more than 
 three centuries—viz., Ad Gallionem de Remediis For- 
 tuitorum (Lond. 1547).* This disregard, in the Anglo- 
 Saxon countries, of the authentic works of the greatest 
 Homan philosopher, is in decided contrast with the 
 attention which they have received in the Continental 
 countries, particularly in Germany, Italy, Holland, 
 France, and Sweden. Graesse occupies not less than 
 fourteen of his folio pages, in double columns, with the 
 
 * Graesse, Tresor de Livres Eares, Vul. VI. pp. 34G ff. 
 
11 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 mere titles of the editions of the text or translation 
 of Seneca’s real and alleged works, from the revival 
 of classical learning, at the beginning of the 16th 
 century, down to the present time. In Holland the 
 most critical editorial care has been bestowed. Har¬ 
 wood says that the Elzevir edition, containing the notes 
 of Lipsius, Gronovins, and others (Amsterdam, 1672), 
 was printed from silver types. 
 
 The editors trust, therefore, that they are supplying 
 a real want when they offer to the American public 
 some of the best writings of the long unfamiliar Seneca. 
 The text employed is that of Fickert (Leipzig, 1842-5), 
 because, though not the most recent, it is by far the 
 most critical, as it is derived from MS. authority. The 
 readings of Haase’s edition (Leipzig, 1851-3) and of 
 other editions are referred to in the Notes as occasion 
 has seemed to require. The orthography is confoi’ined 
 to that now generally agreed upon by scholars as the 
 most correct. 
 
 The Introduction has been prepared as a special aid, 
 not only for the better understanding of the personal 
 relations of Seneca to his times, but for acquaintance 
 with the ethical and philosophical thought of Rome at 
 the time of the appearance of Christianity, and with 
 the entire border-land of classic culture and Christian 
 truth. The Notes are intended to supply every proper 
 want of the student; at the same time, care has been 
 taken not to overburden him with help, and thereby 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Ill 
 
 interfere with or discourage individual study and re¬ 
 search. It is the bane of true and thorough scholarship 
 to make the learner a mere recipient, all the work hav¬ 
 ing been done to his hand. Specially difficult or un¬ 
 usual forms of words are explained in the Notes. It 
 is hoped that the constant references to the principal 
 Latin Grammars and works on philologj^, history, and 
 philosophy, will open up the way for the student to 
 make himself master of the whole range of topics in 
 Seneca’s Moral Treatises.* 
 
 To the Moral Treatises have been added Select 
 Epistles and Epigrammata. These are not annotated, 
 since, if the student have read the preceding, he will 
 liiid no difficulty in reading and enjoying these. As 
 
 * The liberty may be taken here to recall a singular circumstance con¬ 
 nected with the publishing house from whose press the present volume 
 is issued. When the two senior brothers, James and John Harper, 
 commenced business, they confined themselves to printing books, and 
 entered into a printing partnership in Dover Street, New York, in 1817. 
 The first book which they printed was an English translation of Seneca’s 
 Morals, and their first triumph in business was in delivering to Mr. 
 Evert Duyckinck, the publisher for whom they printed, 2000 copies of 
 that work, on August 5th, 1817. In the following year, however, we 
 find the energetic brothers entering into more important relations with 
 the public; for they issued a work of like grave import with Seneca— 
 Locke’s Essay on the Human Understanding—having the modest im¬ 
 print of “ J. & J. Harper.” The little Seneca, every type of which was 
 set by the founders of the Harper publishing house, is now a very rare 
 volume. The house which thus began soon enlarged, and its rise and 
 steady growth, like that of Perthes in Germany, and of the Chambers 
 Brothers in Edinburgh, are simply an index of that growing interest in 
 literature which, during the present century, has been a distinguishing 
 feature in the development of all the aggressive and educating nations. 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 matter of curious interest, the Letters supposed to have 
 passed between St. Paul and Seneca are subjoined. 
 
 In addition to the list of works referred to in the 
 two following pages as having been consulted in the 
 preparation of the present volume, ample use has been 
 made of many editions and monographs on the subject 
 in Continental libraries. The University libraries of 
 Halle and Heidelberg, which are especially rich in the 
 older editions of Seneca, were consulted when making 
 the first preparations for the present edition of the 
 chief essays of the Homan Moralist. 
 
 The editors, in this revised edition, have made im¬ 
 portant changes in the whole body of the annotations. 
 The references are more numerous, and are made to 
 correspond with the latest editions of Madvig, Zumpt, 
 and other grammarians. The student is thus furnished 
 with the newest aids in interpreting the text. Addi¬ 
 tional attention has been given to the grammatical and 
 rhetorical figures, which are abundant in Seneca’s writ¬ 
 ings, and which make him an attractive and profitable 
 author to the student in language. The editors have 
 received important suggestions from the best of all 
 judges—the professors in our colleges and universities 
 —whose kindly and valuable aid has grown out of their 
 use of the volume in the class-room. It is hoped that 
 the work, in, its present form, will be found more 
 worthy of the generous favor whicli it received at tlie 
 liands of practical classical instructors and of students 
 throughout the country. 
 
 April, 1884. 
 
WORKS USED AND REFERRED TO IN PREPARING 
 THE PRESENT EDITION. 
 
 L. Annaei Senecae Philosopki: et M, Annaei Senecae Rhetoris: quae 
 extant opera. Two vols. folio. Parisiis. 1607. 
 
 Justi Lipsii^ Manuduetionis ad Stoicam Philosophiam^ libri tres ; Physi- 
 ologiae Stoicorum, libri tres : folio. Antverpiae. 1605. 
 
 T/ie Workes of Lucius Annaeus Seneca,, both Morall and Naturall. By 
 Thos. Lodge, M.D. One vol. folio. London. 1614. 
 
 L. A. Senecae Opera. Cum Notis. Elsevir’s ed. Two vols. 8vo. 
 Amstelodami. 1673. 
 
 The Epistles of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, with large Annotations. By T. 
 
 Morell, D.D. Two vols. folio. London. 1786. 
 
 Abrege Analytique de laVie et des Oeuvres de Seneque. Par A. Vernier. 
 One vol. 8VO. Paris. 1812. 
 
 De L. Annaei Senecae Vita atque Scriptis. C. G.Vaight edidit. One 
 vol. 8vo. Jenae. 1816. 
 
 Seneca’s Morals: by Way of Abstract. One vol. 8vo. London. 1818. 
 Specimen Literarium Inaugurale exhibens Senecae Librum de Provi- 
 dentia. B. A. Nauta edidit. One vol. 8vo. Lugd. Batav. 1825. 
 L. Annaei Senecae Opera, (Lemaire’s Bibliotheca Classica Latina^. Ed¬ 
 ited, with Notes, etc., by M. N. Bodillet. Nine vols. 8vo. Parisiis. 
 1827. 
 
 History of Roman Literature. By John Dunlop. Two vols. 8vo. 
 Phiiadelphia. 1827. 
 
 L. A. Senecae Opera. C. R. Fickert recensuit. Three vols. 8vo. 
 Lipsiae. 1842-45. 
 
 Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. By W. Smith, LL.D. 
 
 Revised by Prof. Chas/Anthon. 8vo. New York. 1843. 
 
 Gallus. By W. A. Becker. 8vo. London. 1849. 
 
 L. Annaei Senecae Opera, quae supersunt. {Bibliotheca Teubneriana.) 
 
 Recognovit F. Haase. Three vols. 12mo. Lipsiae. 1851-53. 
 Philologus: Zeitschrift fur das klassische Alterthmi. Gottingen. 1852, 
 1853. 
 
 Saint Paul et Seneque. Recherches sur les Rapports du Philosophe avec 
 VApotre. Par Amedee Fleury. Two vols. 8vo. Paris. 1853. 
 
 On the Study of Words. By Abp. Trench. New York. 1854 ; 15th 
 ed, 1874. 
 
vi , LIST OF WORKS USED, ETC. 
 
 Athens and Attica. By CHRiSTOPHEii Wordsworth. One vol. 8vo. 
 London. 1854. 
 
 History of Greece. By Connop Thirlwall, D.D. 8 vols. 8vo. Lon¬ 
 don. 1855. 
 
 New Brunswick Review. New York. 1855. 
 
 L. Annaei Senecae Bisciplinae Moralis cum Antoniniana Contentio et 
 Comparatio. A. Doergens edidit. One vol. 8 yo. Lipsiae. 1857. 
 Biographical History of Philosophy. By G. H. Lewes. 2 vols. 8vo. 
 New York. 1857. 
 
 Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Theologie. By Rev, A. Hilgenfeld. 
 Vol, 1. 8vo. Jena. 1858. 
 
 History of the Romans under the Empire. By Charles Merivale. 
 
 Seven vols, 8vo. New York. 18G3-65. 
 
 Saint Paul in Rome. By Rev. C. M. Butler, D.D. 12mo. Phila¬ 
 delphia. 18G5. 
 
 Essay on the Ancient Stoics, in Ethics of Aristotle. By Sir A. Grant, 
 Two vols. 8VO. London. 18GG. 
 
 Westminster Review. New York (reprint). 18G7. 
 
 History of Greece. By George Grote. Twelve vols. New edition. 
 London. 18G9. 
 
 History of Rome. By Theodor Mommsen. Four vols. 8vo. New 
 York. 18G9, 1870. 
 
 S^neque et Saint Paul. Etude sur les Rapports supposes entre le Pliilo- 
 sophe et VApotre. Par C. Aubertin. One vol. 8vo. Paris. 18G9. 
 Life of M. T. Cicero. By W. Forsyth. Two vols. New York. 
 1871. 
 
 The Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics. By E. Zeller. Translated from 
 the German by O. T. Reichel. London. 1870. 
 
 Socrates and the Socratic Schools. By the same author. London. 
 18G8. 
 
 Historical Essays. Second series. By E. A. Freeman. 8vo. Lon¬ 
 don. 1873. 
 
 The Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians. With Dissertations, etc. 
 
 By J. B. Lightfoot, D.D. 8vo, Loudon, 1873. 
 
 Seekers after God. By W. A. Farrar, D.D, London. 1874. 
 
 God in Human Thought. By E. H, Gillett. Two vols. 8vo. New 
 York. 1874. 
 
 . History' of Philosophy. By F. Ueberweg. Two vols, 8vo. New 
 York. 1874. 
 
 The Life of the Greeks and Romans. Described from Antique Monu¬ 
 ments. By E'. Guhl and W. Koner. Translated from the German, 
 With 543 Woodcuts, 8vo. New York. 1875. 
 
 Life and Epistles of St. Paul. By Thomas Lewin. Two vols. folio. 
 Second edition, London and New York. 1875. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ' . ’ ' ■ ’ ■ ■' Page 
 
 Introduction. 9 
 
 Scripture Paraulels. 40 
 
 Ad Lucilium de Providentia. 47 
 
 Ad Serenum de Tranquillitate Animi. 67 
 
 Ad Paulinum de Brevitate Vitae. 103 
 
 Ad Gallionem de Vita Beata. 133 
 
 Epistulae Selectae. 167 
 
 Epigrammata. .. 187 
 
 Notes 
 
 197 
 
ISast of Seneca. From the Museum at Naples. 
 
 4 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA. 
 
 I. His Relation to Ecclesiastical History. 
 
 Lucius Annaeus Seneca was the last great represent¬ 
 ative of the Stoic philosophy. To the student of the 
 philosophical and religious relations of paganism to 
 Christianity, his writings — although they reflect in a 
 measure the decadence of the post-Augustan period— 
 are of more importance than those of any Greek or 
 Roman author. For this there are two reasons: First, 
 because his philosophy is the flnal and hopeless exhibi¬ 
 tion of the inability of the pagan mind, after its long but 
 futile attempt, both to solve the mysteries of our being 
 and to establish safe rules of conduct; and, second, 
 Seneca’s moral philosophy embodies the unconscious and 
 mysterious approach of pagan wisdom to Christianity. 
 It was, to the Roman world of thought, the Baptist pre¬ 
 paring the way for a system mightier than any it had 
 known. Here, too, we find some explanation of the fact 
 that no man has ever received from his fellows, both of 
 his owa and later times, a more diverse judgment than 
 Seneca. The Roman authors who describe him, taking 
 Tacitus and Quintilian as examples, were generally un¬ 
 favorable, though Juvenal dared to express a preference 
 of him to Nero, the Roman emperor : 
 
 “ Libera si dentur populo sufFragia, quis tam 
 Perditus, ut dubitet Senecam praeferre Neroni.” 
 
10 
 
 INTKODUCTION. 
 
 Early Christian writers, as Jerome, Lactantius, Augus¬ 
 tine, and Tertullian, referAo him in terms of high com¬ 
 mendation. Augustine speaks of his being conversant 
 with the apostles, and Jerome says he deserves to be 
 ranked among the saints. Lactantius, wbo elsewhere 
 calls him a “ divine pagan,” thus gives him a rank above 
 all the Stoics: “ Seneca, who was the sharpest of all 
 the Stoics—how great a veneration has he for the Al¬ 
 mighty !” Indeed, so warm was the admiration of him 
 by the primitive Church that the tests of historical criti¬ 
 cism were forgotten, and he was regarded as practically 
 a Christian, if not an intimate friend and an admirer of 
 Paul himself, during the closing period of his life. The 
 Roman Catholic Church has always held him in high 
 veneration, and at the Council of Trent he is referred to 
 as one of the Fathers of the Church. The French critics, 
 as a rule, have been extremely favorable to him. Mon¬ 
 taigne prefers him to Cicero, and, in his “Defense of 
 Seneca and Plutarch,” thus acknowledges his great ob¬ 
 ligation to the two : “ The familiarity I have had with 
 these two authors, and the assistance they have lent to 
 my age and to my book, which is wholly compiled from 
 what I have borrowed from them, oblige me to stand up 
 for their honor.” Diderot reverses his previously un¬ 
 favorable judgment, and passes a high eulogy upon him. 
 Rollin, often called the French Quintilian, commends the 
 variety of his attainments, the depth and exactness of 
 his philosophy, the wealth of his imagination, and the 
 general purity of his style. The most recent criticism, 
 such as that of Zeller in Germany, and of Martha and 
 Aubertin in France, partakes more of the judicial spirit, 
 and praises and blames according to the requirements of 
 justice.* 
 
 * Cf. Westminster iieyiew, 1867, pp. 43, 44. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 11 
 
 II. Personal History. 
 
 Marcus Aurelius Seneca, the father of Lucius Annaeus, 
 was a native of Spain, and belonged to the strong and 
 rich Roman colony of Corduba (Cordova), which was 
 planted on the banks of the Baetis (the modern Guadal¬ 
 quivir) by Marcus Marcellus when praetor in Spain. It 
 was afterwards elevated to the dignity of Colonia Patri¬ 
 cia, by which it had the privilege of sending senators to 
 Rome. The family were of the equestrian order, and 
 possessed considerable wealth. Helvia, the wife of Mar¬ 
 cus Aurelius Seneca, was a woman of many endowments 
 of mind, and is frequently alluded to in the writings of 
 her son. Lucius Annaeus was born at Corduba about 
 B.C. 7. He had two brothers, the older being Marcus 
 Annaeus Novatus (afterward changed by adoption to 
 Junius Gallio), and the younger, Lucius Annaeus Mela, 
 who became the father of the celebrated poet Lucan. 
 Martial thus speaks of this triple character of the 
 family : “ Et docti Senecae tres memoranda domus.'^'* 
 The family removed to Rome when Lucius Annaeus was 
 about two years of age. His youth was passed during 
 the reign of Tiberius, and he enjoyed all the literary and 
 social advantages which the station, wealth, and person¬ 
 al care of his father, himself an orator of great culture, 
 could afford. He made a visit to Egypt, probably of 
 considerable length, while his uncle was prefect of that 
 province. To this fruitful episode in Seneca’s life are 
 due the frequent references in his writings to that coun¬ 
 try, particularly in his “Natural Questions;” and very 
 likely he was the real author of Nero’s organization of 
 an expedition for the discovery of the sources of the 
 Nile—the first attempt in history to solve the mysteries 
 of that wonderful river. Livingstone, Barth, Baker, 
 
12 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Rohlfs, Speke, and Schweinfurth have only followed in 
 Roman footsteps. 
 
 The studies of Seneca were first in the department of 
 eloquence and the affiliated sciences. But he exhibited 
 gradually a taste for philosophy, from which the per¬ 
 suasions of his own wife were not strong enough to 
 alienate him. His father, likewise, was loath to see his 
 talented son devote himself to a class of studies then in 
 decline, and not promising either political or social ad¬ 
 vancement, and used his influence to have his son be¬ 
 come an advocate. Seneca, however, seems to have had 
 a large measure of liberty, for he enjoyed the instruc¬ 
 tions of the best Roman interpreters of the Greek 
 philosophy, such as Papirius Fabianus, Attains, Deme¬ 
 trius, and Sotion. Of this last he was very early a dis¬ 
 ciple, as he' says in one of his epistles: '"'‘Modo apud So- 
 tionem puer sediP So great was the influence of the 
 Pythagorean philosophy, as represented by Sotion, upon 
 him, that he became an ardent believer in the trans¬ 
 migration of souls, and proved his faith for a time by be¬ 
 coming a vegetarian, as the eating of animal food could 
 be hardly less than parricide to one of that belief. 
 The first public labors of Seneca, however, were ac¬ 
 cording to the wishes of his father, for we find him ex¬ 
 ercising the functions of the public advocate, acquiring 
 a just celebrity for eloquence, and even producing his 
 first literary fruit in this department. The same pater¬ 
 nal influence is also perceptible in Seneca’s becoming a 
 candidate for the quaestorship or treasurership, in wdiich 
 he was successful. During his incumbency of this office 
 he became an object of jealousy on the part of the Em¬ 
 peror Caligula^ who grew angry with him on the sole 
 ground that the young orator pleaded too ably one day 
 before the Senate in his presence. That emperor was 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 13 
 
 only prevented from putting him to death by representa¬ 
 tions of one of his mistresses that it was hardly worth 
 while, as Seneca was a hopeless consumptive, and would 
 soon die at all events. Caligula was succeeded by his 
 uncle, Claudius, and the latter was in power but a short 
 time before his wife, the corrupt Valeria Messalina, who 
 became jealous of the favor shown by her husband to his 
 niece, the beautiful Julia, took her revenge by charging 
 Seneca with an illicit intrigue with the latter. The result 
 was that Seneca was banished to the island of Corsica, 
 where he remained eight years. 
 
 This exile was a transitional period in Seneca’s mind 
 and life. He had been married, and had two children. 
 His wife, whose name is unknown, was now dead. He 
 married a second time, his wife being Paulina. One of 
 his children, a boy, died twenty days before his father’s 
 exile to Corsica. The other, Novatilla, was committed by 
 her father to the care of his mother, Helvia, with these 
 words: “Fold her to your bosom; she has lost her 
 mother ; she seems to have lost her father. Care for her. 
 Love her for me.” Once in Corsica, Seneca betook him¬ 
 self closely to the study of his much-loved philosophy. 
 This proved to be a productive period of his life. Of his 
 lonely home he had nothing good to say. He satirized 
 every thing about him, and thus complained that Corsica 
 was poor in every thing—but exiles : 
 
 “Barbarous land which rugged rocks surround, 
 
 Whose horrent cliifs with idle wastes are crowned, 
 
 No autumn fruit, no tilth the summer yields. 
 
 Nor olives cheer the winter-silvered fields : 
 
 Nor joyous spring her tender foliage lends. 
 
 Nor genial herb the luckless soil befriends; 
 
 , Nor bread, nor sacred fire, nor freshening wave; 
 
 Naught here—save exile, and the exile’s grave !” (Epig. II.) 
 
 Polybius, now the favorite at court, lost his brother, 
 
14 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and Seneca addressed him from his lonely Corsica an epis¬ 
 tle on “ Consolation,” in which he shrewdly combined the 
 good advice of bearing patiently what we can not escape, 
 with fulsome adulation of Claudius Caesar. But this flat¬ 
 tering proved quite unnecessary, for either it was never 
 reported to the emperor by Polybius, or, if that man had 
 the temerity to do it, it had not the slightest efiect upon 
 his master to recall the philosopher from exile. Now 
 came Messalina’s day of retribution, for, having formed 
 an illicit alliance with the young and handsome Caius 
 Silius, she died a wretched fugitive, and Agrippina, the 
 daughter of Germanicus, succeeded her as empress. This 
 latter made use of her influence with the emperor for se¬ 
 curing the return of Seneca from exile. It was a stroke 
 of policy on her part to gain popular favor for herself and 
 her son,Domitius (Nero), for Seneca was a great favorite 
 in Rome, and no more adroit management could have 
 been adopted by the empress for the accomplishment of 
 her plans. The life of Seneca henceforth became inti¬ 
 mately connected with Nero. He became praetor, and the 
 tutor of young Nero. Tacitus, who is the chief authority 
 for what we know of the life of both Nero and his precep¬ 
 tor, thus states the purposes of Agrippina: “Agrippina 
 obtained for Seneca a revocation from exile, and with it 
 the praetorship, favors which she supposed would be well 
 pleasing to the public on account of his signal eloquence 
 and accomplishments; besides her own private views, 
 namely, the education of her own son, Doraitius, under 
 such a master, and the use they should make of his coun¬ 
 sels, both to obtain the empire and to govern it.” Agrip¬ 
 pina secured the death of her husband by poison, and 
 now the great plan of her life was successful—her son, 
 Nero, became Roman emperor. Farrar says of her ab¬ 
 sorption in the interests of her son: “ Whatever there 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 15 
 
 was of possible affection in the tigress nature of Agrip¬ 
 pina was now absorbed in the person of her child. For 
 that child, from its cradle to her own death by his means, 
 she toiled and sinned. The fury of her own ambition, 
 inextricably linked with the uncontrollable fierceness of 
 her love for this only son, henceforth directed every ac¬ 
 tion of her life. Destiny had made her the sister of one 
 emperor, intrigue elevated her into the wife of another. 
 Her own crimes made her the mother of a third.”* 
 
 Claudius was no sooner dead than Seneca, true to his 
 temporizing character, made him the object of his keen 
 satire, and at the same time bestowed fulsome eulogy on 
 the young Nero. This ruler did, indeed, promise well 
 until his seventeenth year, but soon afterwards he man¬ 
 ifested a restiveness and recklessness that gave Seneca 
 good ground for fearing that his imperial disciple might 
 any moment become his oppressor. Agrippina prided 
 herself on her influence over her son ; but when she found 
 that he bad become weary of his wdfe, Octavia, and formed 
 a secret alliance with the freed-worn an Acte, her indig¬ 
 nation became violent and public, for she was shrew^d 
 enough to see that this change in Nero was fatal to her 
 own share in the empire. She directed her hostility par- 
 -dicularly at Seneca and Burrhus, the joint tutors of Nero, 
 who, according to Tacitus, did what they could to re¬ 
 strain the vices of the young emperor, and saw only evil 
 in the general influence of his wicked mother.f The 
 mother, out of revenge for her son’s throwing off her in¬ 
 fluence, threatened to bring forward Britannicus, the son 
 of Claudius, as the real heir to the throne. Nero now 
 needed to act promptly, and the result was, as there is 
 every reason to believe, that the speedy death of Britan- 
 
 * Seekens after God, p. 113. 
 t Auiiales, xiii, 2, etc. 
 
16 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 iiicus was caused by Nero, who was then only in tlie first 
 year of his wretched reign. Imputations have been cast 
 by various writers—Merivale among the rest—upon both 
 Burrhus and Seneca as probable accomplices; but there 
 is no proof that such was the fact. This much is certain, 
 however, that Seneca soon afterwards wrote his Essay on 
 Clemency, dedicating it to his pupil, Nero, in which he 
 extols that virtue as especially beautiful in rulers, and 
 represents Nero as a remarkable illustration of it. 
 
 Agrippina became an object of just suspicion on the 
 part of her son, Nero, and the question was only one of 
 time which should succeed in ridding the worjd of the 
 other. A report was brought to Nero one night that 
 
 Seueca, as tutor of Nero, caricatured as a butterfly driying a dragon. 
 From the Museum at Naples. 
 
 Agrippina was plotting for his overthrow by the substi¬ 
 tution of Plautus on the throne. The charge was unjust, 
 and Agrippina was successful in having her accusers con¬ 
 demned, and herself restored to the favor of her son. The 
 calm lasted four years,the end of which marked the com¬ 
 pletion of Nero’s golden age—“the famous Quinquen¬ 
 nium”—during which Seneca and Burrhus had been the 
 actual rulers, and the afiairs of the government had been 
 administered with an ability and success that command- 
 
INTKODUCTION. 
 
 17 
 
 ed universal admiration. But now Nero broke loose 
 from all restraint, the occasion being another charge that 
 Agrippina was plotting against her son. Nero promptly 
 resolved upon his mother’s death, and his plan was wor¬ 
 thy of his general inhumanity; for he arranged that a 
 pretended public reconciliation between his mother and 
 himself should take place at Baiae, but that the bolts of 
 the vessel on which she should return to her retreat 
 should be loosened, and his victim drowned. She es¬ 
 caped death by water, but shortly after fell by the 
 blows of assassins. Anicetus was the first to strike her, 
 and she replied: “Strike my womb, for it bore Nero.” 
 Her supreme passion for her son’s ruling continued, 
 however, to the last, and it is said that she uttered the 
 words: “ Occidat dum imperet ”—Let him slay me if he 
 only reign! Recently an attempt has been made to 
 justify Nero against the charge of parricide; but the 
 deliberate judgment of Tacitus, Josephus, Dion, and Sue¬ 
 tonius is unequivocal in the admission of his guilt. 
 
 What part did Seneca play in these scenes of blood ? 
 On this subject the opinion of his contemporaries was 
 divided. First, there were many who believed that he 
 was cognizant of the attempt of Nero to drown his 
 mother. The weight of testimony here is in his favor. 
 Even Dion admits that “ there was no proof of Seneca’s 
 complicity in the imputed crime of Nero.” Second, it 
 was alleged that Seneca was an abettor in the murder 
 of Agrippina at the hands of Anicetus and his soldiers. 
 This is not proved, and the probability is against it. 
 There is no likelihood that he attempted to dissuade 
 Nero from the crime, for he was pretty sure that “if the 
 son did not kill the mother, the mother certainly would 
 kill the son.” Tacitus reports that Seneca not only 
 charged Nero with the crime, but repudiated all share 
 
18 
 
 INTEODUCTION. 
 
 of responsibility for himself. But no amount of charity 
 can acquit Seneca of writing Nero’s statement to the 
 Roman Senate that Agrippina did fall by her own hand. 
 This was not only false, but amounted to a direct con¬ 
 nivance at the crime. 
 
 It was now Seneca’s turn to become involved in hope¬ 
 less difficulties. Nero having become weary of his wife, 
 Octavia, determined to substitute Poppaea for her. It 
 was this woman who, by “ her tears, her blandishments, 
 and even her sarcasms,” was the real author of Nero’s 
 murder of his mother, for the great aspiration of her life 
 was to become empress, and she knew that so long as 
 Agrippina lived this hope could never be realized. In 
 Nero’s proposition to cast aside Octavia and take Pop¬ 
 paea as his wife, he was gently opposed by Seneca. The 
 nobles, long jealous of the philosopher, now found it easy 
 to alienate the emperor’s mind from him. Seneca saw 
 his danger, and offered to surrender his just wealth to his 
 master, and withdrew from the city, pleading his delicate 
 health and love of study. Nero gave no formal consent, 
 but Seneca lived in comparative retirement. The enemies 
 of Seneca reported to Nero that the philosopher was a 
 participant in Piso’s conspiracy. Seneca succeeded in 
 disproving all share in the plot, but again begged per¬ 
 mission to retire, for Nero’s burning of the city and per¬ 
 secution of the Christians, and the great prevalence of 
 social disorders and. crimes, proved that the old teacher 
 no longer had the slightest influence over him. Again 
 his request was denied. The conspiracy of Piso now as¬ 
 sumed threatening proportions, and charges were brought 
 against Seneca with greater plausibility. Nero resolved 
 on his death.' The philosopher was found at his villa, 
 Nomentanum, in the society of his beloved wife, Paulina. 
 He heard his sentence with Stoic calmness, and begged 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 19 
 
 only the privilege of making some additions to his will. 
 This was refused. For the particulars of his death we 
 are indebted to Tacitus. The philosopher said to his 
 friends that, since he was disabled from requiting their 
 benefits, he bequeathed them that which alone was left 
 him, yet something more glorious and amiable than all 
 the rest—the pattern of his life. He begged them not to 
 weep for him. He implored his wife to “ moderate her 
 sorrow, to beware of perpetuating such a dismal sorrow, 
 but to bear the death of her husband by contemplating 
 his life spent in a steady course of virtue, and to support 
 his loss by all worthy consolations.” But Paulina would 
 not be comforted, and attempted to put an end to her 
 life. Seneca, seeing her deep devotion, gave his consent 
 in these words: “I have laid before thee the delights and 
 solaces of liviiTg; thou preferrest the renown of dying. 
 I shall not envy thee the honor of the example. Let 
 us equally share the fortitude of an end so brave; but 
 greater will be the splendor of thy particular fall.” At 
 the same moment the two had the^veins of their arms 
 opened. Seneca’s blood flowed very slowly, and then he 
 ordered the veins of his legs to be opened. His suffer¬ 
 ings becoming intense, he persuaded his wife to with¬ 
 draw to an adjoining room, lest the courage of each 
 might fail by witnessing the agony of the other. Nero 
 ordered that Paulina’s death be prevented, and so her 
 wounds were bound up. She lived but a few years, in 
 feeble health, her greatest joy being the memory of her 
 husband. But no clemency was visited upon Seneca. 
 ITis death coming too slowly, he requested his friend and 
 physician, Statius Annaeus, to administer poison to him. 
 This was unnecessary, for it failed to act upon his thin 
 body. He then had recourse to a hot bath, but this 
 failing, he was removed to a vapor bath, or sudatorium^ 
 
20 
 
 INTEODUCTION. 
 
 where he expired amid the fumes. His secretaries and 
 slaves were about him, and on them he sprinkled water, 
 with the formula of a libation: “To Jove the Liber¬ 
 ator!” His body was burned privately, without any 
 funeral ceremonies, according to the arrangements he 
 had made when in the splendor of his power and full 
 enjoyment of his great wealth. Some writers, as Sicco 
 Polentone, who have imagined that Seneca was a Chris¬ 
 tian at heart, represent that his final words were an in¬ 
 vocation to Christ, and that he baptized himself with 
 the water of the bath. But this is only a beautiful 
 fiction. 
 
 III. Estimate op Seneca’s Life and Character. 
 
 Seneca can not be judged properly without a careful 
 regard to the times in which he lived' Every great 
 character reflects his period. This reflection need not 
 be that of the prevailing sentiment. Sometimes, as in 
 the case of great reformers, it is that of a protest against 
 it. Even then, however, it is the reflection of the pro¬ 
 test which the better spirit of the age bears within it¬ 
 self. Martin Luther, one man standing out in antag¬ 
 onism to his contemporaries, w'as but the embodiment 
 and reflection of Europe’s aspiration of reform for three 
 centuries. Seneca’s chosen field was that of a moral 
 teacher, and it is unreasonable to expect that, with only 
 a pagan culture,, and that at a time of Rome’s moral 
 decadence, he should exhibit either in his personal life 
 or philosophy such an example as we could fairly ex¬ 
 pect from the simpler and purer Roman days, to say 
 nothing of any Christian period. No age has surpassed 
 that of the Caesars, particularly the later ones, in splen¬ 
 did iniquity. Horace could well say : “ The age of our 
 fathers, worse than that of our grandsires, has produced 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 21 
 
 us, who are yet baser, and who are doomed to give birth 
 to a still more degraded offspring.” Juvenal, fifty years 
 later, could affirm: “Posterity^will add nothing to our 
 immorality; our descendants can but do and desire the 
 same crimes as ourselves.” Farrar, in referring to this 
 testimony of contemporary witnesses, groups the evil 
 characteristics of the times of Seneca under five heads: 
 1. The violent contrasts in social condition; 2. Atheism 
 and superstition; 3. Excessive luxury; 4. Deep sadness; 
 and, 5. Boundless cruelty. It was in the midst of such a 
 civilization that Seneca lived and wrote, and the wonder 
 is that we find so much in him that contrasts favorably 
 with the spirit and life of his times. His genius, posi¬ 
 tion, and the wishes of his father, first brought him with¬ 
 in the circle of the political maelstrom. He frequently 
 strove, later, to escape all contact with political life, and 
 we must suppose his efforts sincere. We fully believe 
 that the most unfavorable opinion of Seneca’s complic¬ 
 ity with Nero’s guilt can apply only to the latest period 
 of his life, when he found himself involved in the meshes 
 of that emperor’s cruel policy. Lipsius well exclaims: 
 “How happy would Rome have been if Nero had con¬ 
 tinued to follow the advice of Seneca as he began ! For 
 what could be more commendable than the earlier years 
 of his life, while under the direction of Seneca ?” That 
 lie was a willing party to any wrong act, even his most 
 severe critic, Dion Cassrus, seems hardly to believe; but 
 that he was a party at all was both his crime and misfor¬ 
 tune, and from the two there is no possibility of acquit¬ 
 ting him. The most that can be done is to give him the 
 benefit of a careful weighing of the palliating circum¬ 
 stances which surrounded him. Much stress has been 
 laid upon Seneca’s enormous wealth. Tacitus refers to 
 it, but declares that Seneca’s wealth had no effect upon 
 
 B 
 
22 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 his temperate and even austere life: “ Seneca, with a 
 diet exceedingly simple, supported an abstemious life, 
 satisfying the call of hunger by wild fruit from the 
 wood, and of thirst by a draught from the brook.” The 
 philosopher began life with great wealth, and after his 
 return from exile, and during his tutorship of Nero, there 
 came vast accessions to it from the hands of that ruler. 
 He had treasures in other lands, as Egyjit and Britain, 
 and, like his wealthy contemporaries, derived immense 
 revenue from money at interest. Tacitus nowhere charges 
 Seneca with guilt in the acquisition or retention of it. 
 Seneca, even requesting Nero to take from him his for¬ 
 tune, used the following noble language: “ Order the 
 auditors of thy revenue to undertake the direction of my 
 fortune, and annex it to thine own; nor shall I by this 
 plunge myself into indigence and poverty; but, having 
 only surrendered that wondrous opulence which exposes 
 me to the oftensive blaze of so much splendor, I shall re¬ 
 deem the time which at present is employed in the care 
 of pompous feasts and gardens, and apply it to the repose 
 and cultivation of my mind.” 
 
 The misfortune of Seneca’s career was his tutorship 
 of Nero, and while in the early exercise of this office he 
 used every means to guard his pupil against wickedness. 
 Later, however, when he could no longer control him, he 
 seems not to have hesitated to approve of the misdoings 
 of Nero. He was, perhaps, still in the hope that, by this 
 means, he might moderate the violence of the youthful 
 despot. But this was no sufficient ground for vacillation, 
 or for practical approval of wrong, even though exile or 
 death was the certain penalty. 
 
INTEODUCTION. 
 
 23 
 
 IV. Seneca’s Philosophy. 
 
 The position which Seneca occupies as a philosopher 
 is not that of an originator so much as an expounder. 
 We must content ourselves here with merely indicating 
 his relation, as a philosopher, to his times, and his posi¬ 
 tion as a believer in the Divine Being, and in the moral 
 laws which he has imposed upon the universe. While 
 Seneca adopted the general principles of the Stoic sys¬ 
 tem, he by no means adhered strictly to them, but seems 
 to have reserved to himself the large rights of the 
 eclectic thinker. The Roman mind was not at all 
 adapted to the repose and equanimity which form a 
 fundamental element in Stoicism. It was only after 
 popular liberty was lost, when the government became 
 a thing that lav within the reach of the most ambitious 
 and unscrupulous, and morals became corrupt, that we 
 find any tendency to fall back upon the resources of the 
 mind itself. Says M. Aubertin : 
 
 “The establishment of the empire, while pacifying elo¬ 
 quence and suppressing liberty, did not enfeeble philos¬ 
 ophy. It gave it, on the other hand, a higher impor¬ 
 tance, a less uncertain credit, and more faithful par¬ 
 tisans. In the general abasement, in the mental waste 
 and the incurable ennui where so soon the ardor of the 
 noblest souls was chilled, philosophy, the sole consoler 
 amid this fearful disgrace, offered to the conquered, if 
 not an impossible hope, at least a refuge and an indemni¬ 
 fication. Hence, says Horace, the faithful interpreter of 
 the delights of the contemjmrary mind, it became ‘the 
 work of all the days, of all the ages, and of all the con¬ 
 ditions.’ This world, grown old and condemned, there 
 found its remedy and salvation. Philosophy gathered 
 up the fragments from the irreparable shipwreck of 
 libertv.”* 
 
 * Seneqne et Saint Paul, p. 103. 
 
24 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 How this change in the condition of Roman political 
 life involved a new employment of the mind, and that 
 in the direction of Stoicism—the last resort in sorrow 
 for every unchristian heart—has been very strongly 
 stated by a writer in the Westminster Review: 
 
 “In tlie age of Seneca the fashionable Epicureanism of 
 the earlier empire had been supplanted by the philoso¬ 
 phy of the Porch. Roman independence had been de¬ 
 stroyed; Caesar sat like an embodied destiny on the 
 throne of the world, the terrestrial correspondent of the 
 •overruling Fate, the great cosrnical unity, the general¬ 
 ized expression for the irrevocable order and irrevocable 
 succession of individual or collective causes, in which 
 men were inserted at the hour of their birth. A philoso¬ 
 phy that encouraged political action could not but give 
 offense. The true wisdom was to conquer the troubles 
 of life by silent endurance; the true compensation for 
 the abandonment of power or place was to be sought in 
 retirement, resignation, the inward serenity which can 
 neither be given nor taken away. The Stoical disin¬ 
 clination to a public career, or any form of political 
 activity, tended, with more or less consciousness, towards 
 the ideal of Apollonius of Tyana, who announced that 
 he had no interest in the republic, but lived under the 
 rule of the gods. From criminal preoccupation, from 
 enervating luxury, from the satiety, the danger, and 
 corruption of the times, the young, the ardent, the aspi¬ 
 rant to a higher life turned away to seek a refuge in the 
 internal resources of the Stoical retreat, a predisposition 
 typifying the ultimate separation of the temporal and 
 spiritual power. Stoicism thus became a religious phi¬ 
 losophy, a code of moral precepts, of prudential regula¬ 
 tions accommodated to the various exig:encies of life. 
 Of this school of practical wisdom and pious speculation 
 Seneca was for a considerable time the distinguished 
 chief.”* 
 
 Between Cicero and Seneca this Stoic philosophy took 
 
 * Vol. for 1867, pp. 71, 72. 
 
INTKODUCTION. 
 
 25 
 
 \ 
 
 root ill Rome. The period was resplendent with a group 
 of minds that seem to have derived all their inspiration 
 from Greece, and yet to have comprehended well the 
 moral needs of their own day. Says M. Aubertin : 
 
 “Leaving Cicero, and coming right to Seneca and his 
 neo-Stoical contemporaries, what do we find? A philos¬ 
 ophy abundant in new perspectives and of vast conse¬ 
 quences. The basis of doctrine has undergone a trans¬ 
 formation. The spiritualism of these philosophers has 
 a character of mystical exaltation, impassioned raving, 
 and religious enthusiasm unknown to the author of the 
 Tusculan orations. Whence comes this new character, 
 marked by such visible characteristics ? It is the nat¬ 
 ural result of the labor of these eighty-six years that 
 separate Cicero and Seneca. . . . The latter has left us a 
 lively picture of these fruitful years ; he is full of the 
 reading of his masters; he hears their voices, cites frag¬ 
 ments of their discourses, and reproduces their opinions 
 with that vividness of imagination which is the domi- 
 nant faculty of his remarkable mind.”* 
 
 These philosophers did not neglect metaphysical study, 
 but their taste lay chiefly in the department of morals. 
 Seneca, while he was a careful gleaner from his immedi¬ 
 ate Roman predecessors, and always cites them in sup¬ 
 port of his opinions, went far beyond any of them in the 
 development of his system. 
 
 * Seneca’s view of Deity is essentially that found in the 
 Stoic system in its best state. There is a supreme God, 
 who is the soul of the world. He has operated on mat¬ 
 ter as organizer, not as creator. Matter is eternal, but 
 disordered, and only waited for the divine soul to bring 
 it into harmony. Matter has no soul; it is simply inert 
 and passive, and subject to the power of God. God is 
 the divine reason, placed in the world. While God has 
 
 * Ifeneqne et Saint Paul, pp. 101, 102. 
 
26 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 made the world out of pre-existent matter, he has not 
 been able to change its essence. This accounts for the 
 reign of evil, for matter has essentially an evil principle. 
 God has supreme control over human affairs. He de¬ 
 scends to men, and dwells with them. Our condition 
 is fully known to him. It is to him that we live, and 
 to him that we must approve ourselves. We must so 
 live that God will see only good in us, for he sees just 
 what we are. “ There is no need,” says Seneca to Lu- 
 cilius, “ to lift your hands to heaven, or to pray the 
 aedile to admit you to the ear of an image, that so your 
 prayers may be heard the better. God is near thee ; he 
 is with thee. ... A holy spirit resides within us, the ob¬ 
 server of good and evil, and our constant guardian. As 
 we treat him, he treats us. At least no man is without 
 God. Can any one ever rise above the power of for¬ 
 tune without his assistance? It is he that inspires us 
 with thoughts upright, just, and pure. We do not, in¬ 
 deed, pretend to say what god; but that a god dwells 
 in the breast of every good man is certain.”* This uni¬ 
 verse could only be restrained from ruin by the presence 
 of God. The least events and the lowest lives are 
 known to him. We must, therefore, submit fully to 
 God. Our condition may be wretched, but this is 
 sometimes a necessity for our discipline. God could 
 relieve us from misery, but then that would not always 
 be best. We are in a condition which requires train¬ 
 ing and the highest culture. 
 
 * Seneca, in his entire ethical system, went far beyond 
 his times. “He seems,” says Gillett, “ as if by a flash of 
 intuition, to apprehend the moral relations of men, and 
 the proper aims and duties of human life. He sets him¬ 
 self up as a teacher—not an example, for he confesses his 
 
 * Epistula xli. 
 
INTRODUCTION, 
 
 27 
 
 imperfections and deficiencies—and his words are meni' 
 orable alike for their terseness and their worth._ That 
 he stood aloof from Christianity—that the vigor of his 
 years had passed before he could have had any knowl¬ 
 edge of Christianity — adds to our surprise.” * The 
 ethics of Seneca are based upon God’s identification with 
 the universe and his presence in human life. Here be- 
 lon2:s the brotherhood of man. We are not isolated in 
 any sense, for the whole family of humanity is united by 
 the bonds of a common origin. Nature made us rela¬ 
 tives when it be^at us from the same materials and for 
 the same destinies. It planted in us a mutual love, and 
 fitted us for a social life. What is a Roman knight, or 
 freedman, or slave ? These are but names that spring 
 from ambition or injury. Our country is the world, and 
 our guardians are the gods. Slavery, therefore, is to be 
 condemned as a crime against God. “ Seneca,” says 
 Lecky, “ has filled pages with exhortations to masters 
 to remember that the accident of position in no degree 
 afiects the real dignity of men ; that the slave maj^ be 
 free by virtue, while the master may be a slave by vice ; 
 and that it is the duty of a good man to abstain not only 
 from all cruelty, but even from all feeling of contempt 
 towards his slaves.”f All exhibitions of a man’s rights 
 to make another suffer are cruel in the extreme. Gla¬ 
 diatorial contests, therefore, have no possible apology. 
 Such amusements are “brutalizing, savage, and detest¬ 
 able.” Man must imitate the natural world, where each 
 has his right and his own part to play. In nature we 
 find apparent disturbances and irregularities. Earth¬ 
 quakes, volcanic eruptions, and violent storms would 
 seem to be abnormal. But this is not the fact. They are 
 
 * God in Human Thought, vol, i, p. 253. 
 
 t History of European Morals, vol. i, p. 324. 
 
28 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 only the evidences of the reign of cosmic law. To show 
 this order in nature was the design of the “Natural 
 Questions” of Seneca, perhaps more than any other 
 work of antiquity the direct forerunner of Humboldt’s 
 “ Cosmos.” That work of Seneca was valued by Mon¬ 
 taigne more highly than any other, because of its having 
 been written in old age, after the temptations to the en¬ 
 joyment of popular and imperial favor had ceased. We 
 close our reference to Seneca’s philosophy by citing the 
 general view, as just as it is forcible, of a writer, already 
 referred to, in the Westminster Review : 
 
 “Free from the superstitions of the populace, exalted 
 above the illusions of Stoical orthodoxy, replacing the 
 multiplicity of gods by the unity of the divine nature, 
 and substituting for external worship the spiritual 
 adoration which lies in the knowledge of God and the 
 humble imitation of his perfection, Seneca, as a com¬ 
 petent authority observes, holds a foremost rank among 
 those who represent in its highest purity the elevated 
 moral conception which classical antiquity attained. 
 True to the old Stoical traditions, he yet gave pre¬ 
 dominance to the religious point of view, introducing 
 into his teachino; a difference in des^ree that was almost 
 a difference in mind. Hence his theology became more 
 human—his deity more personal. Contemporaneously 
 with the missionaries of a new faith, he insisted on the 
 necessity of obedience to the will of God, of a life in 
 harmony with the divine nature, of the presence of God 
 in the soul of man, of the slave as well as the free, of 
 self-surrender to the Providence that orders the world, 
 as the ground of all internal freedom and peace. The 
 practical character of his morality, his conviction of 
 human weakness and imperfection, his lessons of mercy 
 and forgiveness, his doctrine of forbearance and indul¬ 
 gence to human infirmity, his ideal of the married life, 
 his estimate of true friendship, his spirit of universal love 
 and divine impartiality, at once attest the nobleness of 
 his moral aspirations, and illustrate the mutual approach 
 
INTKODUOTION. 
 
 29 
 
 of the wisdom of the Greek mid Roman world, and of 
 the enlarging piety of a less exclusive Palestine. The 
 work that Seneca endeavored to do, however imperfect¬ 
 ly, must always have a profound interest for the student 
 of that great religious revolution which formed a crisis 
 in the history of the human race, not only on general 
 grounds, but because, to borrow the remarkable expres¬ 
 sion quoted by M. Martha from the eloquent Tertul- 
 lian, it was ^ testimo7iiwn animae naturaliter Christia- 
 nae? 
 
 Y. WoKKS OF Seneca. 
 
 Seneca’s writings have not all been preserved. We 
 have the greater jiart, however, and from those still ex¬ 
 tant we can well appreciate Quintilian’s statement con¬ 
 cerning him, “ that he treated on almost every subject of 
 study; for both orations of his, and poems, and epistles, 
 and dialogues, are extant.”f It is not probable that any 
 leading work of Seneca has been lost, for being a great 
 favorite in the early Church, the interest in his writ¬ 
 ings served to preserve them, while those of less-favored 
 Roman authors w^ere neither copied nor cared for. The 
 list of his works, as given by George Long in Smith’s 
 “Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and My¬ 
 thology,” forms the basis of our catalogue. 
 
 1. De Ira. In three books. This was addressed to No- 
 vatus, and was one of Seneca’s earliest works. 2. De Con¬ 
 solations ad Ilslmani Matrem Liber. Written to his 
 mother during his banishment to Corsica. One of his 
 purest and best works. 3. De Consolations ad Polyhium 
 Liber. Composed in the third year of Seneca’s Corsican 
 exile. Diderot and others maintain that it is not by Sen¬ 
 eca, because it is unworthv of him. But the external 
 evidences are too stroim. 4. De Consolations ad 3Iarci- 
 
 O 
 
 am Liber. Written after Seneca’s return from exile, and 
 
 * Vol. for 18G7, p. 84. 
 
 t Inst. Orat., x, 1, § 1 20. 
 
30 
 
 INTKODUCTION. 
 
 designed to console Marcia for the loss of her son. Mar¬ 
 cia was the daughter of A. Cremutins Cordus. 5. De 
 Providentia. “ A Golden Book,” says Lipsius. Seneca’s 
 design here is to prove that Providence has a power 
 over all things, and that God is always present with 
 ns. 6 . De Tranqidllitate Animi. Written shortly after 
 Seneca’s return from banishment, when he was prae¬ 
 tor, and had become Nero’s tutor. The object is to dis¬ 
 cover the true means by which peace of mind can be at¬ 
 tained. The author, surrounded by all the splendors of 
 the court, writes as one very ill at ease. 7. De Constantia 
 Sapmitis, seu quod in Sapientejii non cadit Injuria. Ad¬ 
 dressed to Serenus, and founded on the Stoic doctrine of 
 the wise man’s impassiveness. Lipsius says of it: “This 
 book betokens a great mind, as great a wit, and much 
 eloquence; in a word, it is one of his best.” 8. De de¬ 
 mentia ad Neronem Caesarem Libri duo. ^ There is too 
 much flattery in this work. It is here that Seneca relates 
 the anecdote of Nero’s unwillingness to sign a sentence 
 of execution, and his exclamation: “I would I could 
 neither read nor write !” The second book is incomplete. 
 9. De Bremtate Vitae.^ Written to Paulin us, and recom¬ 
 mending the proper employment of time, and the best 
 means to derive wisdom from our life. 10. De Pita Be- 
 ata. Addressed to his brother, L. Junius Gallio, and 
 pleading that there is no happiness without virtue, though 
 health and riches have their value. The conclusion is 
 lost. 11 . De Otio. Sometimes joined to De Pita Beata. 
 12. De Beneficiis. In seven books, addressed to Aebucius 
 Liberalis, and explaining the way of conferring a favor, 
 and the duties of the giver and recipient. \2>. Ephtidae 
 Alorales. One hundred and twenty-four, written to Lucil- 
 ius, and consisting of moral maxims. Composed for the 
 most part in the latter period of Seneca’s life, and com- 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 31 
 
 prising his moral reflections after losing imperial favor. 
 14. Apocolocyntosis. A satire on the deceased Emperor 
 Claudius. It is a play on the word pumpkin, and means 
 pumpkiuification, or the reception of Claudius among the 
 pumpkins. 15. Quaestiones Naturales. In seven books, 
 addressed to Lucilius: the work deals with questions of 
 natural history, and comprises copious extracts from va¬ 
 rious Greek and Roman authors. 16. Tmgoediae. Ten 
 tragedies are attributed to Seneca by various Latin writ¬ 
 ers, Quintilian among the number. (Inst. Orat., ix, 2, § 8.) 
 They bear the following titles: Hercules Fwrens^ Thyestes^ 
 Thehais or Phoenissae^ Hippolytus or Phaedra^ Oedipus^ 
 Troades or Hecuba^ Medea^ Agamemnon^ Hermles Oetaeus^ 
 and Octavia. As the titles indicate, the subjects are 
 mostly from the Greek mythology. They are written in 
 iambic senarii, interspersed with choral parts, in anapaes¬ 
 tic and other metres. None of these tragedies are adapt¬ 
 ed to the stage, and were never intended for that purpose. 
 They were designed for reading or recitation, after the 
 fashion of the Roman rhetorical training. Moral senti¬ 
 ments abound in them all, as with every thing that Seneca 
 wrote. 
 
 VI. Editions. 
 
 The Editio Princeps of Seneca was issued in Naples, 
 1475, in folio. The edition of J. F. Gronovius (Leyden), 
 1649-58, is in 4 vols. 12mo; that of Ruhkopf (Leipzig), 
 1797-1811,5 vols. 8vo; and that of C. R. Fickert (Leip¬ 
 zig), 1842-45, 3 vols. 8vo. The French writers, as stated 
 above, probably through the impulse of Montaigne, have 
 bestowed great attention on Seneca, both in textual crit¬ 
 icism and translation. Lagrange’s version is the best. 
 In England, the first edition of The Workes of Ij. An¬ 
 naeus Seneca^ both Morall and Haturall^ translated by 
 Thomas Lodge, appeared in London in 1614, with a Latin 
 
32 
 
 INTRODUO'nON. 
 
 dedication to Chancellor Ellesmere. An English trans¬ 
 lation of the Tragedies, by several hands, appeared as 
 early as 1581. Bahr, in his GescJiichte der romischen Li¬ 
 terature vol. i, gives a copious bibliography relating to 
 Seneca. 
 
 VII. Relations of Seneca and St. Paul. 
 
 To the student of sacred and ecclesiastical history the 
 question of the relations of Seneca and St. Paul is one of 
 the most interesting connected with the boundary line 
 between Christianity and the pagan philosophy. The co¬ 
 incidences between the wTitino:s of the two are amons: the 
 unsolved problems of literary history. Every wu'iter on 
 the subject concedes them to be striking, and those who 
 do not admit an acquaintance have difficulty in explain¬ 
 ing the parallelism. The most common solution of the 
 latter class is thus expressed, by the writer already refer¬ 
 red to, in the Westminster Review : 
 
 “This resemblance is only one among many instances of 
 the drift of the common consciousness, under the same im¬ 
 pelling winds of motion, to a similar or analogous intel¬ 
 lectual and moral deliverance. The common thought, the 
 common feeling, the common misery, the common aspira¬ 
 tion—in a word, the common development of the human 
 mind, had manifestations unlike, yet not all unlike, in 
 Greece and in Judaea; and Saul of Tarsus and Seneca of 
 Rome, each in his own way, acknowledged the smiting 
 presence of the new light that was dawning on a half-ex¬ 
 pectant world.” 
 
 Of the co-operative character of the writings of St. 
 Paul and Seneca as great moral teachers, Merivale thus 
 speaks: 
 
 “ Far different as was their social standing-point, far dif¬ 
 ferent as were the foundations and the presumed sanctions 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 33 
 
 of their teaching respectively, Seneca and St. Paul were 
 both moral reformers; both, be it said with reverence, 
 were fellow-workers in the cause of humanity, though the 
 Christian could look beyond the proximate aims of mo¬ 
 rality, and prepare men for a final development on which 
 the Stoic could not venture to gaze. Hence there is so 
 much in their principles, so much in their language, that 
 agrees together; so that the one has been thought, though 
 it must be owned without adequate reason, to have bor¬ 
 rowed directly from the other. But the philosopher, be 
 it remembered, discoursed to a large and not inattentive 
 audience; and surely the soil was not all unfruitful on 
 which his seed was scattered, when he proclaimed that 
 God dwells not in temples of wood or stone, nor wants 
 the ministrations of human hands; that he has no delight 
 in the blood of victims; that he is near to all his creat¬ 
 ures ; that his spirit resides in men’s hearts; that all men 
 are truly his oftspring; that we are members of one body, 
 which is God or nature; that men must believe in God 
 before they can approach him; that the true service of 
 God is to be like unto him ; that all men have sinned, and 
 none performed all the works of the law; that God is no 
 respecter of persons, ranks, or conditions; but all, bar¬ 
 barian and Roman, bond and free, are alike under his all- 
 seeing providence.”* 
 
 The early faith of the Church attached much impor¬ 
 tance to the acquaintance and friendship of these two 
 men—the one representing all that was vital, aggressive, 
 and hopeful in primitive Christianity, and the other all 
 that was truthful and worthy in the latest Stoic philoso¬ 
 phy. We can, therefore, look upon the production and 
 wide circulation of a spurious correspondence of fourteen 
 letters between them as only natural results of a fond de¬ 
 sire to see in the pagan mind a wdlling acquiescence in re¬ 
 vealed truth, on the first propagation of it, in the metrop¬ 
 olis of the world. “From the age of St. Jerome,” says 
 Lightfoot, “Seneca was commonly regarded as standing 
 
 * History of the Romans under the Empire, vol. v, pp. 457, 458. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 on the very tlireshold of the Christian Chnrcii, even if he 
 had not actually passed within its portals. In one eccle¬ 
 siastical council at least, held at Tours in the year 567, 
 his authority is quoted with a deference generally ac¬ 
 corded only to fathers of tlie Church. And even to the 
 present day, in tlie marionette plays of his native Spain, 
 St. Seneca takes his place by the side of St. Peter and St. 
 Paul in the representations of our Lord’s passion.”* Je¬ 
 rome took note of this correspondence in the following 
 language: “ Quem non ponerem in catalogo sanctorum, 
 nisi me illae epistulae provocarent quae leguntur a pluri- 
 mis, Pauli ad Senecam et Senecae ad Paulum.”f This, of 
 course, decides nothing as to the authenticity of the let¬ 
 ters; but the credulous spirit of the whole mediaeval 
 Church was only too ready to adopt this revered father’s 
 language as a strong endorsement of the correspondence. 
 The internal character of the letters is thoroughly de¬ 
 cisive of their spuriousness. The barrenness of thought, 
 the impurity of the style, the errors in matters of fact, and 
 especially the frequent violations of historical and chron¬ 
 ological accuracy, prove them unworthy the place they 
 have occupied in ecclesiastical literature. (These letters 
 are given at the end of the present volume.) Of all writ¬ 
 ers, the French have manifested most confidence in the 
 authenticity of the correspondence; and in cases where 
 they have not gone to this extreme, they have discussed 
 the question with ah animation and wealth of research 
 that have attracted the admiration of the learned world. 
 The most complete treatise on the subject is that of 
 Fleurv. This author, while claiming that Paul and Sen- 
 eca were on intimate relations, concedes the improbabil¬ 
 ity of the correspondence, on the ground of its being “ a 
 composition of very inferior grade, a sort of school-boy 
 
 * Epistle to the Philippians, pp. 296, 297, 3d ed. f Vir. Illust., 12. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 35 
 
 exercise, abundant in rhetorical excesses, couched in very- 
 poor language, now containing borrowed expressions from 
 Tacitus, and now others from the existing version of 
 Paul’s epistles.”* Fleury enriches his treatise by a de¬ 
 scription of the whole literature of this special subject,f 
 and by his excellent bibliography of the manuscripts and 
 editions containing the alleged correspondence between 
 St. Paul and Seneca.J The most recent French writer on 
 this subject is Charles Aubertin, who enters into the full 
 criticism of the contemporary philosophy, and concludes 
 not only that the correspondence is without any claim to 
 authenticity, but that Seneca’s writings no more prove 
 him to have been a Christian than do the works of Plato, 
 Cicero, and other Greek and Roman philosophical and 
 moral writers prove them to have been followers of Christ. 
 Lightfoot points out the untenability of Seneca’s parallel¬ 
 ism with St. Paul on the ground of the former’s frequent 
 priority to Paul’s writings, the existence of the same par¬ 
 allels in previous authors, the many fallacious coincidences, 
 and the depth of the opposition of his tenets to those of 
 Pauls However,Lisfhtfoot thus concludes that there are 
 many coincidences which can not be explained on these 
 grounds: 
 
 “But after all allowance made for the considerations 
 just urged, some facts remain which still require expla¬ 
 nation. It appears that the Christian parallels in Seneca’s 
 writings become more frequent as he advances in life. 
 It is not less true that they are much more striking and 
 more numerous than in the other great Stoics of the Ro¬ 
 man period, Epictetus and M. Aurelius; for though in 
 character these later writers approached much nearer to 
 the Christian ideal than the minister of Nero, though 
 
 * Saint Paul et Seneque, vol. ii, pp. 281, 282. 
 t Vol. i, pp. 2-9. t Vol. ii, pp. 283-297. 
 
 § Epistle to the Philippians, Sd edition, pp. 289-29G. London, 1873. 
 
86 
 
 INTliODUCTION. 
 
 tlieir fundamental doctrines are as little inconsistent with 
 Christian theology and ethics as his, yet the closer resem¬ 
 blances of sentiment and expression, which alone would 
 suggest any direct obligations to Christianity, are, I be¬ 
 lieve, decidedly more frequent in Seneca. Lastly: after 
 all deductions made, a class of coincidences still remains, 
 of which the expression ‘spend and be spent’ may be 
 taken as a type, and which can hardly be considered 
 accidental. If any historical connection (direct or in¬ 
 direct) can be traced with a fair degree of probability, 
 we may reasonably look to this for the solution of such 
 coincidences. I shall content myself here with stating 
 the dilFerent ways in which such a connection was possi¬ 
 ble or probable, without venturing to affirm what was 
 actually the case, for the data are not sufficient to justify 
 any definite theory.* 
 
 The weakest part of Lightfoot’s criticism is his en¬ 
 deavor to show that these coincidences are due to the 
 Semitic origin of Stoicism, and that Tarsus, especially, 
 being a seat of Stoic philosophy, Paul became acquainted 
 with that system, and used the religious vocabulary of 
 the Stoics in his epistles, or “found in the ethical lan¬ 
 guage of the Stoics expressions more fit than he could find 
 elsewhere to describe in certain aspects the duties and 
 privileges, the struggles and the triumphs, of the Chris¬ 
 tian life.” Lightfoot really attributes the remarkable 
 coincidences between Paul and Seneca to Paul’s using 
 Stoical terminology, a thing which can not be admitted 
 for a moment. Had there been no Stoa, there could have 
 been, just as easily, the great structure of the Pauline 
 theology. Paul used the Greek language, with all its 
 charm of imagery and subtle force, as the vehicle of his 
 thoughts; but he placed no dependence, in the construc¬ 
 tive part of his theology, on the poor resources of any 
 system of pagan philosophy. It was Seneca, and not any 
 
 * Epistle to the Pliilippians, pp. 300, 301. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 37 
 
 Other writer of his entire school, or of all paganism, who 
 used, in the same sense as Paul, such words as flesh, angel, 
 holy spirit, and offspring of God.* 
 
 It is not at all improbable that Paul and Seneca were 
 acquainted with each other. Paul long had in mind a 
 visit to Rome, and regarded that metropolis as a point 
 of departure for missionary labors in Spain, if not in the 
 North (Romans i, 13 ; xv, 23, 24), and we can not suppose 
 him to have been without interest in the prevailing relig¬ 
 ious thought of the time and place. This would account 
 for an independent interest in the best contemporary 
 moral writer, Seneca, and would make their meeting no 
 undesirable event on the apostle’s part. Seneca, too, 
 would be equally interested in the man who stood at the 
 head of the new faith, and of whose writings he might 
 well have had some knowledge. Once, when an impor¬ 
 tant crisis had arrived in Paul’s ministry, in Corinth, and 
 when the issue of an important Jewish persecution of 
 him had to be decided by the governor of Achaia, to 
 whom appeal had been made, the result was favorable to 
 Paul; for, after the Jews had made their charge, and 
 Paul was about to open his mouth in his own defense, 
 this governor or deputy, Gallio by name, regarded it un¬ 
 necessary, and dismissed the charge in these words: “If 
 it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye 
 Jews, reason would that I should bear with you; but if it 
 be a question of words and names, and of your law, look 
 ye to it: for I will be no judge of such matters.” The re¬ 
 sult was, he drove them from th.e judgment-seat. Now 
 who should this Gallio be but Seneca’s own brother, 
 M. Annaeus Novatus, who took the name Junius Annaeus 
 Gallio on passing by adoption into another family. Far¬ 
 rar, not without good ground, says: “We can easily im- 
 
 * See Piirallelisms, at end of Introduction. 
 
38 
 
 ‘ INTRODUCTION. 
 
 agine that Gallic was Seneca’s favorite brother, and we 
 are not surprised to find that the philosopher dedicated 
 to him his three books on ‘Anger,’ and his charming 
 little treatise ‘On a Happy Life !’ ”* Seldom has a broth¬ 
 er paid to another such a tribute as Seneca thus pays to 
 his brother Gallic; “I used to say to you that my brother 
 Gallic (whom every one loves a little, even people who 
 can not love him much) was wholly ignorant of other 
 vices, but even detested this. You might try him in any 
 direction. You began to praise his intellect—an intellect 
 of the highest and worthiest kind, . . . and he walked 
 away ! You began to praise his moderation ; he instant¬ 
 ly cut short your first words. You began to express ad¬ 
 miration for his blandness and natural suavity of man¬ 
 ner, . . . yet even here he resisted your compliments; and 
 if you were led to exclaim that you had found a man who 
 could not be overcome by those insidious attacks which 
 every one else admits, and hoped that he would at least 
 tolerate this compliment because of its truth, even on this 
 ground he would resist your flattery; not as though you 
 had been awkward, or as though he suspected that you 
 were jesting with him, or had some secret end in view, 
 but simply because he had a horror of every form of adu¬ 
 lation.”f Must we not suppose that the relations between 
 two such brothers were very intimate?]; And is there not 
 excellent ground for the conjecture of Schoell, in his ITis- 
 toire de la Litterature Romaine: “ In all probability the 
 propraetor, in his correspondence with his brother, had 
 mentioned this Jewish teacher, who had preached the 
 Gospel for eighteen months in the capital of his prov- 
 
 * Seekers after God, pp. 20, 21. t Qnaestiones Naturales, lib. iv. 
 
 f On the relations of Paul and Gallio, and the character of the latter, 
 comp. Lewin, Life and Epistles of St. Paul. Second edition. Vol. i, 
 pp. 291, 292. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 39 
 
 ince!” It must also be borue in mind that the most 
 striking parallels between Seneca and St. Paul occur in 
 the later works of Seneca, such as his De Vita Beata and 
 De Beneficiis^ both of which were composed after A.D. 
 61 —the year when Paul arrived in Rome—and, above all, 
 in his epistles, written near the close of his life.* When 
 Paul arrived in Rome he was placed in charge of the pre¬ 
 fect of the Praetorian Guards, who allowed him to dwell 
 in a private house with, a soldier, who kept him in sight, 
 and gave him liberty to see his friends. Now this prefect 
 was none other than Burrhus, whom we have already 
 mentioned as an intimate friend of Seneca, and associate 
 of the latter at Nero’s court. “Is it not natural,” M. 
 Schoell well asks, “to suppose that their conversation 
 would have turned upon this bold and eloquent Jewish 
 teacher, who, on account of new religious opinions, had 
 been persecuted in Palestine, and had appealed to the tri¬ 
 bunal of the emperor? Would not Seneca have been 
 curious to see and hear this extraordinary man?” We 
 do not regard it necessary to suppose that any special 
 intimacy existed between the Christian Paul and the 
 Stoic Seneca, in order to account for parallelism in their 
 writings. The tradition, deep-rooted, and often repeated 
 through many centuries, is at least very significant. Or, 
 as De Maistre says: “The tradition concerning the Chris¬ 
 tianity of Seneca, and on his relations with St. Paul, with¬ 
 out being finally decisive, is nevertheless far more than 
 nothing, if one connect with it certain other presump¬ 
 tions.”! Seneca’s mental altitude and achievements prove 
 him to have been ready for at least a guarded inter- 
 
 * Fr. Ch. Gelpe, Tractatiuncula de familiavitate qnae Paulo apostolo 
 cum Seneca philosoplio intercessisse traditur, veiisimillima. Lips,, 1813, 
 4to. Quoted in New Brunswick Review, Feb., 1855. 
 
 t Soirees de Saint Petersbourg, IX® Entretien. 
 
40 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 change of opinions with Paul, and it may well have hap¬ 
 pened that the influence of the philosopher at Nero’s 
 court had weight in securing such delay of the Apostle’s 
 trial as resulted later in the latter’s liberation, and in his 
 making one more missionary tour. 
 
 PARALLELS OR RESEMBLANCES TO HOLY SCRIPTURE 
 IN SENECA’S AYRITINGS. 
 
 1. God’s Mercy and Goodness. 
 
 “ He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and 
 sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matt, v, 45. 
 
 “ The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” Psalm 
 xxxiii, 5. 
 
 “ He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” 
 Lam. hi, 33. 
 
 ‘‘'‘How many are ummrthy of the light; and yet the day daiciu 
 . . . See what great things the gods Iring to pass daily, lohat great 
 gifts they hestow, with what abundant fruits they fll the earth . . 
 with what suddenly falling showers they soften the ground. ... If 
 you imitate the gods, confer benefits even on the unthankful: for the 
 sun rises even on the wicked, and the seas are opjen to pirutes.'''’ De 
 Benef. i, 1, 11; iv, 25, 26 ; cf. also vii, 31. 
 
 “ The deity waiits not ministers. How so ? He himself minis¬ 
 ter eth to the human race. He is at hand everywhere, and to all 
 men.’’’^ “ The man is mistaken who thinks that the gods afflict any 
 
 one willinglyEpist. 95, 47, 48. 
 
 2. Omniscience of God. 
 
 “ Shall not God search this out ? for he knoweth the secrets 
 of the heart.” Ps. xliv, 21. 
 
 “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with 
 whom we have, to do.” Heb. iv, 13. 
 
 “ Pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which 
 seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matt, vi, 6. 
 
INTEODUCTION. 
 
 41 
 
 “ For tlie Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on 
 the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 
 1 Sam. xvi, 7 ; see also Luke xvi, 15. 
 
 “ Certainly we ought so to live as if we were living in the very 
 sight of man ; we ought so to think as if some one were able to gaze 
 into the inmost recesses of our heart, And,^ indeed,^ there is one able 
 so to do. For ivhgt avails it to keep any thing secret from man f 
 Nothing is hid or closed to god: he is pi'esent to our minds, and en¬ 
 ters into the midst of our thoughts.'^'’ Epist. 83,1. 
 
 “iV5 one knows god; many entertain strange and wicked opin¬ 
 ions about him, even with impunity.'^'' Epist. 31, 9. 
 
 3. Indwellinu op God’s Spirit. 
 
 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the 
 Spirit of God dwelleth in you ?” 1 Cor. iii, 16. 
 
 “ He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quickdn 
 your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Horn, 
 viii, 11. 
 
 “ God is near thee; he is with thee; he is within thee. ... A 
 holy spirit resides within us, and is the guardian and observer of 
 our good and evil deedsA Epist. 41, 1. 
 
 “ Do you wonder that man goes to the gods ? God comes to men ; 
 nay, what is nearer, he comes into men. No good mind is without 
 god.^'’ Epist. 73,14. 
 
 4. Forgiveness op Injuries. 
 
 “ Then came Peter unto him and said. Lord, how oft shall 
 my brother sin against me and I forgive him ? Till seven 
 times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven 
 times, but until seventy times seven.” Matt, xviii, 21; Luke 
 xvii, 4. 
 
 “ If tliine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink ; 
 for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Rom. 
 xii, 20. 
 
 “ A wise man will pardon an injury, though it be great, and if he 
 can do it icithout breach of piety and fidelity, that is, if the whole in¬ 
 jury shall pertain to himself.'''' Epist. 81, 14. 
 
 Let him, whoever wishes, treat you icith reproach and injury; 
 you will suffer 7wthing so long as you adhere to virtue. If you wish 
 to be happy, to be a good man in good faith, suffer it that any one 
 hrho chooses) contemn or dhespise you.'’’’ Epist. 71, 7. 
 
42 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 “ I will he agreeable to friends, gentle and yielding to enemies.’’'* 
 I)e Vit. Beat. 20, 4. 
 
 5. Self-Examination, 
 
 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith ; prove your 
 own selves.” 2 Cor. xiii, 5. 
 
 “ Let a man examine himself,” etc. 1 Cor. xi, 28. 
 
 “ Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.” 
 Lam. iii, 40. 
 
 far as thou canst.^ accuse thy selftry thyself: discharge the 
 office., first of a prosecutor., then of a judge., lastly of an intercessor.’’’’ 
 Epist. 28, 7. 
 
 ’•''When the light is remored out of sight., and my wife., who is by 
 this time aware of my practice., is now silent., I pass the whole of my 
 day under examination., and I review my deeds and words. I hide 
 nothing from myself., I pass over nothing.’’’’ Be Ira, iii, 36, 3. 
 
 6. Self-Sacrifice for Others. 
 
 “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” 2 Cor. xii, 
 15. 
 
 “ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life 
 for the sheep.” John x, 11. 
 
 “ Good men toil, they spend, and are spent, willingly indeed.’’’’ Be 
 Prov. 5, 3. 
 
 , “ Let us use these things {intrusted to us ); let us not boast of 
 them; and let us use them sparingly, as a loan deposited with us 
 which will soon depart! Epist. 74,18. 
 
 7, Duties Towards Other Men. 
 
 “ Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye 
 even so unto them.” Matt, vii, 12. 
 
 “Masters, give unto your servants that which is equal and 
 just, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” Col. iv, 1. 
 
 “ And if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably 
 with all men.” Kom. xii, 18. 
 
 “ Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matt, xxii, 39. 
 
 “ Be kindly atfectioned one to another. . . . Recompense no 
 man evil for evil.” Rom. xii, 10,17. 
 
 “ Th ’is is the sum of what I would prescr’ibe ; Vive so with an in¬ 
 ferior as you would have a superior live with you.’’’’ Epist. 47, 9. 
 
 “ Man is born for mutual assistance.’” Be Ira, i, 5, 2. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 43 
 
 mu8t live for another^ if you would live for yourselfy 
 Epist. 48, 2. 
 
 “ While we are among men let us cultivate hindness ; let us not 1)6 
 to any man a cause of peril or offearP Be Ira^ iii, 43, 5. 
 
 “ I will so live as if I hnew that I was lorn for others^ and will 
 give thanhs to Nature on this scorey Be Vit. Beat. 20, 2. 
 
 “ How must we lehave ourselves towards men ? and how do we le- 
 have? What precepts do we give in this respect? To abstain from 
 shedding human blood ? But what a small thing is it not to hurt 
 him to whom we ought to do all the good that lies in our power ? It 
 is indeed praiseworthy for men to be Icindly disposed towards one 
 another. Shall we, then, direct a man to reach out his hand to the 
 shipwrecked, to show the wandering traveller his way, and to divide 
 our bread with the hungry? Yes, certainlyy Epist. 95, 50, 51. 
 
 8. Obedience True Liberty. 
 
 “ If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. . . . 
 Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall mal^e you free.” 
 John viii, 36, 32. 
 
 “ Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth 
 therein.” James i, 25. 
 
 “ Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Cor. iii, 
 17. 
 
 “ The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” Gal. v, 
 
 1 . 
 
 “ To obey Ood is {true) liberty?'' Be Vit. Beat. 15,6. 
 
 “ It is necessary for you to serve philoso 2 )hy, in order that true 
 liberty may fall to your loV' (quoted from Epicurus). Epist. 8, 6. 
 
 9. Dominion of Sin. 
 
 “ The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Gen. 
 viii, 21. 
 
 “ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive qurselves, and the 
 truth is not in us.” 1 John i, 8. 
 
 “ You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and 
 sins.” Gal. ii, 1, 5. 
 
 “ Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,” 
 etc. Matt. XV, 19. 
 
 “ If we would be upright judges of all things, let us first persuade 
 ourselves of this, that not one of us is icithout fault.'''' ... ^^ No one 
 will be found who can acquit himself; and any man calling himself 
 
44 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 innocent^ has regard to the witness^ not to his awn conscience^ De 
 Ira^ ii, 27, 5 ; i, 14, 3. 
 
 “TIT; shall ever he obliged to 'pronounce the same sentence upon our¬ 
 selves^ that we are evil^ that we have been evil^ and^ I will add it un¬ 
 willingly, that we shall be evil.’’’’ . . . “ All vices exist in all men, but 
 all do not exist in each and every man {ali]ce)y De Benef. i, 10, 3; 
 iv, 27, 2. 
 
 “ The first and greatest punishment of sinners is the fact of having' 
 sinnedT Epist, 97,12. 
 
 10. Chastisements for Discipline. 
 
 “ Beliold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore 
 despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” Job v, 17. 
 
 “For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth 
 every son whom he receiveth.” Heb. xii, 6. 
 
 “It is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well 
 doing, than for evil doing.” 1 Pet. iii, 17. 
 
 “ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, 
 and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake : re¬ 
 joice, and be exceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heav¬ 
 en.” Matt. V, 11,12. 
 
 “ The gods, however, sometimes chastise, and coerce, and lay heavy 
 penalties on some men, and punish them under the appearance of 
 some good. Do you desire to propitiate the gods f Be a good man. 
 He has sufficiently and properly worshipped the gods who has imi¬ 
 tated them {to the extent of his power).'''' Epist. 95, 50. 
 
 '"^Nature (i. e., the deity) has commanded justice and equity to 
 us: by her appointment it is more wretched to do an injury than to 
 suffer one ; and by her command our hands are ever ready to assist 
 {a brother).''’’ Epist. 95, 53. 
 
 “ Ood has a fatherly mind towards good men, and loves them 
 stoutly: and, he says, let them be harassed with toils, with pains, 
 with losses, that they may gather true strength.’’’' De Prov. 2, 4. 
 
 “ Those therefcn'e whom Ood ap'proves, whom he loves, them he 
 hardens, he chastises, he disciplines.’’'' De Prov. 4, 7. 
 
 “A life free from care and from any buffetings of fortune is a 
 dead sea.’’’’ Epist. 67,14. 
 
 . 11. Avarice, or Loye of Money. 
 
 ' • 
 
 “ And he said. This will I do : I will pull down my barns, and 
 build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 45 
 
 goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods 
 laid up for many years; take tliiue ease, eat, drink, and be mer¬ 
 ry. But God said unto him. Thou fool, this night thy soul shall 
 be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which 
 thou hast provided ?” Matt, xii, 17-19. 
 
 “ The love of money is the root of all evil.” 1 Tim. vi, 10. 
 
 “ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, 
 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Matt, 
 xix, 24. 
 
 ‘‘ Godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Tim. vi, 6. 
 
 “ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth 
 and rust doth corrupt . . . for where your treasure is, there will 
 your heart be also.” Matt, vi, 19-21. 
 
 Apply thyself to the true riches. It is shameful to depend for a 
 happy life on silver and gold.’’'' Epist. 110,18. 
 
 “ Let thy good deeds he invested like a treasure deep huried in the 
 ground., which thou canst not bring to light, except it he necessary.^'' 
 De Vit. Beat. 24, 2. 
 
 “ 0 how great is the madness of those who emhark on distant hopes: 
 I will huy, Twill huild, I will Und out, 1 tv ill demand payment, I will 
 hear honors ; then at length I will resign my old age, wearied and sated, 
 to restr Epist. 101, 4. 
 
 shall he wise if we desire hut little; if each man takes count 
 of himself, and at the same time measures his own hody, he will know 
 how little it can contain, and for how short a time.’’'' Epist. 114, 26. 
 
 12. Life a Warfare. 
 
 “ Is there not a warfare to every man upon earth ?” Job vii, 1. 
 
 “ So fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under 
 my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means 
 when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 
 1 Cor. ix, 26, 27. 
 
 “ Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to 
 abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Pet. 
 ii,ll. 
 
 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus 
 Christ.” 2 Tim. ii, 3. 
 
 “ Fight the good flght of faith.” 1 Tim. vi, 12. 
 
 “ This I say, brethren, the time is short. It remaineth . . . 
 that (ye) use this world as not abusing it. For the fashion of 
 this world passeth away.” 1 Cor. vii, 29, 31. 
 
 c 
 
46 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 “ Life itself my Lucilius^ is a warfare.'''' Epist. 96, 3. See Epist, 
 120,13; 51,5. 
 
 “ We can never quarrel enough loith our vices, which, I beseech you, 
 Lucilius, to persecute perpetually. Throw away from you everything 
 that tears the heart; and if you cannot otherwise get rid of it, spare 
 not the heart itself.'''' Epist. 51,13. 
 
 '■'■What blows do athletes receive in their face, what blows all over 
 their body. . . . Yet they bear all the torture from thirst of glory. 
 Let us also overcome all things, for our reward is not a crown or a 
 palm-branch, or the trumpeter proclaiming silence foi' the announce¬ 
 ment of our name, but virtue and strength of mind, and peace ac¬ 
 quired ever after.''' Epist. 78,15. 
 
 “ The end of all things is at hand ; that (jperiod), L say, is near' 
 whence the happy man is cast out, and the unhappy released.''' Epist. 
 110,4. 
 
 13. Keed op Divine Grace. 
 
 “ By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your¬ 
 selves ; it is the gift of God.” Eph. ii, 8. 
 
 “ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as 
 of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” 2 Cor. iii, 5. See 
 also Kom. vii, 18,19. 
 
 “ Without me ye can do nothing.” John xv, 5. 
 
 “ What is it, Lucilius, that, as we are intentionally going one way, 
 still drives us another ? What is it that detains us there, where we 
 have no inclination to stay f What is it that thwarts our will, nor 
 permits us to determine upon any one thing seriously f Our thoughts 
 are ever wavering ; we will nothing freely, nothing absolutely and al¬ 
 ways. . . . But how or when shall we get cured of this {malady) ? 
 No one has strength enough of himself to emerge {from it)." Epist. 
 52,1. See also Epist. 102. 
 
L. ANNAS I SENECAS 
 
 AD LUCILIUM 
 
 QUAKE ALIQUA INCOMMODA BONIS VIRIS 
 ACCIDANT CUM PROVIDENTIA SIT 
 
 SIVE 
 
 DE PROVIDENTIA 
 
 LIBER UNUS. 
 
Si quis autem volet scire plenius, cur males et iniustos deus poten- 
 tes, beatos, divites fieri sinat, pios contra humiles, miseros, inopesque 
 esse patiatur; sumat eum Senecae librum, cui titulus est: Quare bonis 
 viris multa mala accidant^ cum sit providentia: in quo ille multa, non 
 plane imperitm saeculari, sed sapienter ac paene divinitus elocutus est. 
 
 Lactantius. 
 
AD LUCILIUM 
 
 DE PROYIDENTIA. 
 
 I. Quaesisti a me, Liicili, quid ita, si providentia 
 mnndus ageretur, miilta bonis viris mala accidei’e ? 
 Hoc commodius in coiitextu operis redderetnr, cum 
 praeesse universis providentiam probaremiis et iiiter- 
 esse nobis denm: sed qnoniam a toto particulam re- 
 A^elli placet et nnam contradictionem manente lite Inte¬ 
 gra solvere, faciam rem non difficile.m, cansam deornm 
 agam. 2. Snpervaciinm est in praesentia ostendere non 
 sine aliqno custode tantnm opus stare, nec hunc side- 
 rum coetuin discursuraque fortuiti inpetus esse, et quae 
 casus incitat saepe turbari et cito arietare, banc inoffen- 
 sam velocitatem procedure aeternae legis imperio tan- 
 tuin reriiin terra mariqiie gestantem, tantnm clarissimo- 
 ruin Inminnm et ex dispositore Incentium: non esse 
 rnateriae errantis hunc ordinem, nec quae tern ere coie- 
 rnnt, tanta arte pendere, ut teiTarnm gravissimnm pon- 
 dus sedeat inmotum et circa se pi’opei’antis coeli fiigain 
 spectet, ut infnsa vallibiis maria molliant terras nec 
 nllurn incrementum lluniinum sentiairt, ut ex minimis 
 seininibus nascantur ingentia. 3. Ne ilia qnidem quae 
 videntur confusa et incerta, pluvias dico nubesque et 
 elisorum fulminum iactus et incendia riqrtis montiiim 
 
50 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 verticibus effusa, tremores labaiitis soli et alia quae tu- 
 miiltnosa pars rerum circa terras movet, sine ratione, 
 quamvis subita sint, accidunt : sed suas et ilia causas 
 liabent non minus quam quae alienis locis conspecta 
 miraculo sunt, nt in mediis fiuctibns calentes aquae et 
 nova insularum in vasto exsilientium mari spatia. 4. 
 lam.vero si quis observaverit nudari litora pelago in se 
 recedente eademqiie intra exigunm tempus operiri, cre- 
 det caeca qnadam volutatione modo contrabi undas et 
 introrsum agi, modo erumpere et magno cursu repetere 
 sedem suam: cum interim illae portionibus crescunt et ’ 
 ad lioram ac diem subeunt amplioresbninoresque, prout ' 
 illas lunare sidus elicuit, ad cuius arbitrium oceanus 
 exundat. Suo ista tempori reserventur eo quidem nia- 
 gis, quod tu non dubitas de providentia, sed quaeris. 5. 
 In gratiarn te reducam cum dis ad versus optimos opti- 
 mis. Iseque enim rerum natura patitur ut umquam 
 bona bonis noceant. Inter bonos viros ac deos amicitia 
 est conciliante virtute: amicitiam dico ? immo etiam 
 necessitudo et similitude: quoniam quidem bonus tem¬ 
 pore tantum a deo differt, discipulus eius aemulatorque 
 et vera progenies, quam parens ille magnificus, virtu- 
 tum non leiiis exactor, sicut severi patres, durius edu- 
 cat. 6. Itaque cum videris bonos viros acceptosque dis 
 laborare, sudare, per arduum escendere, males autem 
 lascivire et yoluptatibus tluere; cogita filiorum nos mo- 
 destia delectari, vernularum licentia-: illos disciplina 
 tristiori contineri, borum ali audaciam. Idem tibi de 
 deo li^ueat: bonum viruni in deliciis non habet: expe- 
 ritur, indurat, sibi ilium parat. 
 
 II. Quare multa bonis viris adversa eveniunt ? Ki- 
 hil accidere bono viro mali potest; non miscentur contra- 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. CAP. II. 
 
 51 
 
 ria. Qnemadmodiim tot amnes, tantiim sn}3erne deiec 
 toi’um imbriiim, tanta medicatoriiin vis foiitiiim non 
 mutant saporem maris, ne remittunt cpidem: ita ad- 
 versarum inpetus rerum viri fortis non vertit anirnum. 
 Manet in statu et quicquid evenit, in suum colorem tra- 
 hit. Est enim omnibus externis potentior. Isec hoc 
 dico, non sentit ilia, sed vincit et alioquin quietus pla- 
 cidusque contra incurrentia adtollitur. Omnia adversa 
 exercitationes piitat. 2. Quis autem, vir modo et erec- 
 tus ad lionesta, non est laboris adpetens iusti et ad offi- 
 cja cum periculo promptus? cui non industrio otium 
 poena est? Athletas videmus, quibus virium cura est, 
 cum fortissiinis quibusque conlligere et exigere ab his 
 per quos certamini praeparantur, ut totis contra ipsos 
 viribus utantur: caedi se vexarique patiuntur et, si non 
 inveniunt singulos pares, pluribus simul obiciuntur. 3. 
 Marcet sine adversario virtus: tunc adparet quanta sit 
 quantumque polleat, cum quid possit patientia ostendit. 
 Scias licet idem viris bonis esse faciendum, ut dura ac 
 difficilia non reformident nec de fato querantur: quic- 
 quid 'accidit, boni consulant, in bonura vertant. Non 
 quid, sed quemadmodum feras interest. Non vides, 
 quanto aliter patres, aliter matres indulgeant ? illi ex* 
 ercitari iubent liberos ad studia obeunda mature, feri- 
 atis quoque diebus non patiuntur esse otiosos et sudo- 
 rem illis et interdum lacrimas excutiunt: at matres 
 fovere in sinu, continere in umbra volunt, numquam 
 here, numquam contristari, numquam laborare. 4. Pa- 
 triuin deus habet adversus bonos viros anirnum et illos 
 fortiter amat et, operibus, inquit, doloribus, damnis exa- 
 gitentur, ut verum colligant robur. Languent per iner- 
 tiam saginata nec labore tantum, sed motu et ipso sui 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF liUNni?' 
 
52 
 
 L. ANNAET SENECAE 
 
 onere deficiunt. Non fert iillum ictiiin inlaesa felici- 
 tas : at ubi adsidua fait cum iiicommodis suis rixa, cal- 
 lain per iiiiurias duxit iiec ulli malo cedit, sed etiam si 
 cecidit, de genu pugnat. 5. Miraris tu, si deus ille bo- 
 norum amautissimus, qui illos quam optimos esse atque 
 excellentissimos vult, fortunam illis cum qua exerce- 
 aiitur adsignat ? Ego vero non miror. Si aliquando in- 
 petum capiunt, spectant di magnos viros conluctantes 
 cum aliqua calamitate. Nobis interdum voluptati est, si 
 adulescens constantis animi inruentem feram venabulo 
 excepitj si leonis incursurn interritus pertulit: tantoque 
 hoc spectaculum est gratius, quauto id honestior fecit. 
 6. Non sunt ista, quae posrsint deorum in se voltum 
 coiivertere, puerilia et humanae oblectamenta levitatis. 
 Ecce spectaculum dignum ad quod respiciat intentus 
 operi suo deus; ecce par deo dignum, vir fortis cum 
 fortuna mala conpositus, utique si et provocavit. Non 
 video, inquam, quid habeat in tends lupiter pulclirius, 
 si convertere animum velit, quam ut spectet Catonem 
 iam partibus non semel fractis stantem nihilominus 
 inter ruinas publicas rectum. 7. Licet, inquit, omnia 
 in unius ditionem concesserint, custodiantur legionibus 
 terrae, classibus maria, Caesarianus portas miles obsi- 
 deat: Cato qua exeat habet. Una manu latara liberta- 
 ti viam faciet: ferrum istud, etiam civili bello ^purum 
 et innoxium, bonas tandem ac nobiles edet operas: li- 
 bertatem quam patriae non potuit, Catoni dabit. Ad- 
 gredere, anime, diu meditatum opus, eripe te rebus hu- 
 mauis. 8. Iam Petreius et Tuba concucurrerunt ia- 
 centque alter alterius manu caesi: fortis et egregia fati 
 conventio, sed quae non deceat magnitudinem nostrarn; 
 tain turpe est Catoni^ mortem ab ullo petere quam vi- 
 
DE PROVIDENTIA. CAP. III. 
 
 53 
 
 tani. Liquet mihi cum magno spectasse gaudio decs, 
 cum ille vir, acerrimus sui vindex, alienae saluti consulit 
 etinstruit discedentium fngam; dum studia etiam nocte 
 ultima tractat, dum gladium sacro pectori iiifigit, dum 
 viscera spargit et illam sanctissimam animam iiidig- 
 iiamque quae ferro contamiiiaretur, maiiu educit. 9. 
 Iiide crediderim fuisse parum certum et efficax vein us: 
 lion fuit dis imnortalibus satis spectare Catoiiem sernel: 
 reteiita ac revocata virtiis est, ut in difficiliore parte se 
 ostenderet. l^on enim tarn magno animo mors inicitur 
 quain repetitur. Quidni libenter spectarent alumnum 
 suum tarn claro ac memorabili exitu evadentem ? mors 
 illos consecrat, quorum exitum et qui timent laudant. 
 
 III. Sed iam procedente oratione ostendam, quam 
 yion sint quae videntur mala. Nunc illud dico, ista 
 quae tu vocas aspera, quae ad versa et abominanda, pri- 
 mum pro ipsis esse quibus accidunt, deinde pro imi- 
 versis, quorum maior dis cura quam singulorum est: 
 post hoc volentibus accidere ac dignos raalo esse, si 
 nolint. His adiciam fato ista sic et recte eadem lege 
 bonis evenire qua sunt boni. Persuadebo deinde tibi, 
 lie umquam boni viri miserearis : potest enim miser dici, 
 non potest esse. 2 . Difficillimum ex omnibus quae pro- 
 posui videtur quod primum dixi, pro ipsis esse quibus 
 eveniunt ista, quae horremus ac tremimus. Pro ipsis 
 est, inquis, in exilium proici, in egestatem deduci^ libe- 
 ros, coniugem ecferre, ignominia adfici, debilitari? Si 
 miraris haec pro aliquo esse, miraberis quosdam ferro 
 et igne curari nec minus fame ac siti. Sed si cogitave- 
 ris tecum, remedii^causa quibusdam et radi ossa et legi 
 et extrahi venas et quaedam amputari membra, quae 
 sine totius pernicie corporis liaerere non poterant; hoc 
 
 C 2 
 
54 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 quoqne patieris probari tibi, qnaedam ineommoda pro 
 his esse^quibns accidunt, tarn mehercules qiiain-quae- 
 dam quae laiidantur atque adpetimtur, contra eos esse 
 quos delectaverunt, simillima cruditatibus ebrietatibus- 
 que et ceteris quae necant per voluptatem. 3. Inter 
 multa magnifica Demetrii nostri et liaec vox est, a qua 
 recens sum: sonat adhuc et vibrat in auribus meis. 
 JSFihil^ inquit, mihi videtur infelicius eo, cui nihil 
 umq%arri evenit adversi. Non licuit enim illi se expe- 
 riri. IJt ex voto illi fluxerint omnia, ut ante votum, 
 male tanien de illo di iudicaverunt: indignus visus est 
 a quo vinceretur aliquando fortuna, quae ignavissimum 
 queinqne refugit, quasi dicat: Quid ergo istum mihi 
 adversarium adsumami statira arma submittet: non 
 opus est in ilium tota potentia mea: levi conminatione 
 pelletur; non potest sustinere voltum meum. 4. Alius ' 
 circumspiciatur cum quo conferre possimus manum: 
 pudet congredi cum homine vinci pafata Ignominiam 
 iudicat gladiator cum inferiore conponi et scit eum 
 sine gloria Vinci, qui sine periculo vincitur. Idem facit 
 fortuna; fortissimos sibi pares quaerit, quosdam fas- 
 tidio transit./Contumacissimum quemque et rectissi- 
 mum adgreditur, adversus quern vim suam intendat. 
 
 6. Ignem experitur in Mucio, paupertatem in Fabiicio, 
 exilium in Kutilio, tormenta in Kegulo, venenum in 
 Socrate, mortem in Catone. Magnum exemplum nisi 
 mala fortuna non invenit. Infelix est Mucins, quod 
 dextei'a ignes hostiura pi’emit et ipse a se exigit erroris 
 sui poenas ? quod regem quern arraata manu non po- 
 tuit, exusta fugat? Quid ergo ? felicior esset, si in sinu 
 arnicae foveret manum ?! 6. Infelix est Fabricius, quod 
 rus suum, quantum a republica vacavit, fodit ? quod 
 
Di: PKOVIDENTIA. CAP. III. 55 
 
 bell urn fam cum Pyrrho quam cum divitiis gerit? quod 
 ad focmh coqnat illas ipsas radices et herbas, qiias in 
 repiirgando agro triumphalis senex vulsit ? Quid ergo ? 
 felicior esset, si in ventrem suum longinqui litoris pisceS* 
 et peregrina aucupii: congereret ? si conchyliis superi 
 atqne inferi maris pigritiam stomachi naiisiantis erige- 
 ret ? si ingenti pomorum strue cingeret primae formae 
 feras, captas multa caede venantium? 7. Infelix est 
 Rutiliiis, quod qni ilium damnaverunt, caiisam dicent 
 omnibus seculis? quod aequiore animo passus est se pa¬ 
 triae eripi quam sibi exilium? Quod Sullae dictatori 
 solus aliquid negavit et revocatus non tantum retro 
 cessit, Sed longius fugit ? Yiderint, inquit, isti quos Ro- 
 mae deprehendit felicitas tua. Yideant largum in foro 
 sanguinem et supra Servilianum lacum (id enim pro- 
 scriptionis Sullanae spoliarium est) senatorum capita et 
 passim vagantis per urbem percussorum greges et multa 
 milia civium Pomanorum uno loco post fidem, immo 
 per ipsam ^em trucidata. Yideant ista qui exulare 
 non possunt.8. Quid ergo? felix est L. Sulla, quod illi 
 descendenti ad forum gladio submovetiir, quod capita 
 sibi coiisularium virorum patitur ostendi et pretium 
 eaedis per quaestorem ac tabulas publicas numerat ? et 
 haec omnia facit ille, ille qui legem Corneliam tulit. 
 Yeniamus ad Regulum : quid illi fortuna nocuit, quod 
 ilium documentum fidei, documentum patientiae fecit? 
 Figunt cutem clavi et quocumque fatigatum corpus re- 
 cliuavit, volneri incumbit, in perpetuam vigiliam sus- 
 pensa sunt lumina. 9. Quanto plus tormenti tanto 
 plus erit gloriae. Yis scire quam non poeniteat hoc 
 pretio aestimasse virtutem ? Relice ilium et mitte in se- 
 natum : eamdern sententiam dicet. Feliciorem ergo tu 
 
56 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 Maeceiiatem putas, cui amoribus anxio et morosae iixo- 
 ris cotidiaiia repudia defieiiti soiunns per svmphonia- 
 rnm cantnm ex loDginqiio lene resonaiitiiim quaeritiir? 
 Mere se licet sopiat et aquarum fragoribus avocet et 
 mile voluptatibns mentem anxiam fallat; tain vigilabit 
 in pliima qnam ille in cruce. Sed illi solatium est pro 
 honesto .dura tolerare et ad caiisam a patientia respicit: 
 himc Yoluptatibus marcidum et felicitate nimia labo- 
 rantem magis his quae patitur, vexat causa patiendi. 
 10. Non usque eo in possessionem generis liumani vitia 
 venerunt, ut dubium sit, an electione fati data piures 
 nasci Reguli quarn Maecenates velint. Aut si quis 
 fuerit, qui audeat dicere Maecenatem se quam Regu- 
 lum nasci maluisse; idem iste, taceat licet, nasci se 
 Terentiam maluit. Male tractatum Socratem iudicas, 
 quod illam potionem publice mixtam non aliter quam 
 medicamentum inmortalitatis obduxit et de morte dis- 
 putavit usque ad ipsam? male cum illo actum est, quod 
 gelatus est sanguis ac paulatiin frigore inducto vena- 
 rum vigor constitit? 11. Quanto magis huic inviden- 
 dum est quam illis, quibus gemma ministratur, quibus 
 exoletus omnia pati doctus exsectae virilitatis aut du- 
 biae snspensara auro nivem diluit? Hi quicquid bibe- 
 runt, vomitu remetientur tristes et bilem suam re- 
 gustantes; at ille yenenum laetus et libens hauriet. 
 Quod ad Catonem pertiiiet, satis dictum est summam- 
 que illi felicitatem contigisse consensus hominum fate- 
 bitiir: quern sibi rerum natiira delegit cum quo metu- 
 enda colliderey 12. Inimicitiae potentium graves sunt? 
 opponatur siinul Pompeio, Caesari, Crasso. Gi-ave est 
 a deterioribus Iionore anteii'i? Yatinio postferatnr. 
 Grave est civilibus bellis interesse ? toto terrarnm orbe 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. CAP. IV. 
 
 57 
 
 pro causa bona tarn infeliciter quani pertinaciter inili- 
 tet. Grave est slbi inanus adferre? faciat. Quid per 
 haec consequar? ut omiies sciaut non esse baec mala, 
 quibus ego dignum Catonem putavi. 
 
 Prospera in plebem ac vilia ingenia deveni- 
 unt: at calamitates terroresque mortalium. sub iugum 
 mittere proprium maffiii viri est. Semper vero esse 
 felicem et sind morsu anirni transire vitam ignorare est 
 rerum naturae alteram partem. Magnus es vir: sed 
 unde scio, si tibi fortima non dat facidtatem exhi- 
 bendae virtutis ? 2. Descendisti ad Olympia, sed nemo 
 praeter te: coronam babes, victoriam non babes. Mon 
 gratulor tamquam viro forti, sed tamquam consulatum 
 praeturamve adepto: bonore auctiis es. Idem dicere et 
 bono viro possum, si illi nullam occasionem difficilior 
 casus dedit in qua una vim sui animi ostenderet. 3. 
 Miserum te iudico, quod numquam fuisti miser: tran- 
 sisti sine adversario vitam. Memo sciet quid potueris: 
 ne tu quidern ipse. Opus est eiiim ad notitiam sui ex- 
 pdrimento: quid quisque posset nisi temptando non 
 didicit. Itaque quidam ipsi ultro se cessantibus malis 
 obtulerunt et virtuti iturae in obscurum occasionem per 
 quam enitesceret quaesierunt. 4. Gaudent, inquain, 
 magni viri aliquando rebus adversis, non aliter quam 
 fortes milites bellis triumpbant. Ego murmillonem sub 
 Tiberio Caesare de raritate munerum audivi queren- 
 tem Quam bella, inquit, aetas peril I Avida est peri- 
 culi virtus et quo tendat, non quid passura sit cogitat: 
 quoniam etiam quod passura est, gloriae pars est. Mili- 
 tares viri gloriantur volneribus, laeti fluentem meliori 
 casu sanguinem ostentant. Idem licet fecerint qui iii- 
 tegri revertuntur ex acie, magis spectatur qui saucius 
 
58 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 redit. 5. Ipsis, inqnam, deiis consiilit, quos esse quam 
 lionestissimos cupit, quotiens illis materiam praebet ali- 
 quid animose fortiterqiie faciendi; ad quam rem opus 
 est aliqua rernni difficultate. Gubernatorem in tern- 
 pestate, in acie militem intellegas. Unde possum scire, 
 quantum adversus paupertatem tibi animi sit, si divitiis 
 difiluis ? Unde possum scire, quantum adversus igno- 
 miniam et infamiam odiumque populare constantiae 
 habeas, si inter plausus senescis ? si te inexpugnabilis et 
 inclinatione quadam mentium pronus favor sequitur? 
 6 . Unde scio, quam aequo animo laturus sis orbitatem, 
 si quoscumque sustulisti, vides ? Audivi te, cum alios 
 consQlai’ens • tunc conspexissem, si te ipse consolatus 
 esses, si te ipse dolere vetuisses. Nolite, obsecro vos, ex- 
 pavescere ista, quae di inrnortales velut stimulos admo- 
 vent animis. Calamitas virtutis occasio est. Illos me- 
 rito quis dixerit miseros,qui nimia felicitate torpescunt, 
 quos velut in mari lento tranquillitas iners detinet. 7. 
 Quicquid illis inciderit, novum veniet: magis urgent 
 saeva inexpertos: grave est terere cervicibus iugum. 
 Ad suspicionem volneris tiro pallescit; audacter vete- 
 ranus cruorem suum spectat, qui scit se saepe vicisse 
 post sanguinem. Hos itaque deus quos probat, quos 
 amat, indurat, recognoscit, exercet: eos autem quibus 
 indulgere videtur, quibus parcere, molles venturis mails 
 servat. Erratis enim, si quern iudicatis exceptum: ve¬ 
 niet ad ilium diu felicem sua porti6r^8. Quisquis vide¬ 
 tur dimissus esse, dilatus est. Quare deus optimum 
 quemque aut mala valitudine aut luctu aut aliis incom- 
 modis adiicit Quia in castris quoque periculosa fortis- 
 simis imperantur, dux lectissimos mittit qui nocturnis 
 liostes adgrediantur insidiis aut explorent iter aut praC' 
 
DE riiOVIUENTlA. CAP. IV. 
 
 59 
 
 sidiiiin loco deiciaiit. N'eino eorum qiii exeunt dicit, 
 Male de me imperator meruit; sed. Bene iudicavit. 
 Idem dicant quiciimque iubentur pati timidis igna- 
 A’isque tlcbilia; Digni visi sumus deo in quibus expe- 
 riretur, quantum humana natura posset pati. Fugite 
 delicias, fugite enervatam felicitatenq qua animi perma- 
 descunt, nisi aliquid intervenit quod liumanae sortis ad- 
 moneat, velut perpetua ebrietate sopiti. 9. Quern specu- 
 laria semper ab addatu Aundicaverunt, cuius pedes inter 
 fomenta siibinde mutata tepuerunt, cuius coenationes 
 subditus et parietibus circumfusus calor temperavit, 
 hunc levis aura non sine periculo stringet. Cum omnia 
 quae excesserunt modum noceant, periculosissima felici- 
 tatis internperantia est. Movet cerebrum, in Aranas 
 mentes imagines eyocat, multum inter falsum ac verum 
 mediae caliginis f undit. 10. Quidni iis satius sit perpe- 
 tuam infelicitatem advocata virtute sustinere quam infi- 
 nitis atque inmodicis bonis rumpi ? Lenior ieiunio mors 
 est: cruditate dissiliunt. Hanc itaque rationem di se- 
 quuntur in bonis viris, quam in discipulis suis prae- 
 ceptores; qni plus laboris ab iis exigunt, in quibus 
 certior spes est. Numquid tn invisos esse Lacedaemo- 
 niis liberos sues credis, quorum experiuntur indolem 
 
 t 
 
 pnblice verberibus admotis? Ipsi illos patres adhor- 
 tantur, ut ictus flagellorura fortiter perferant et lace- 
 ros ac semianimes rogant, perseverent volnera praebere 
 volneribns. 11. Quid mirum, si dure generosos spiritus 
 deus temptat ? numquam virtutis molle documentum 
 est. Verberat nos et lacerat fortuna: patimnr: non est 
 saevitia, certamen est: qiiod si saepiiis adierimus, for- 
 tiores erimus. Solidissima corporis pars est quam fre- 
 quens usus agitavit. Praebendi fortunae sumus, ut 
 
CO 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 contra illain ab ipsa duremnr. Paulatim nos sibi pares 
 facial: contemptuin periciiloriim adsidiiitas periclitandi 
 dabit. Sic sunt nauticis corpora a ferendo mari dura; 
 agricolis manus tritae; ad excutienda tela militares 
 lacerti valent; agilia sunt membra cursoribus. Id in 
 quoque solidissimum est quod exercuit. 12. Ad con- 
 temnendam malorum potentiam animus patientia perve- 
 nit: quae quid in nobis efiicere possit scies, si adspexe- 
 I’is, quantum nationibus nudis et inopiarfortioribus labor 
 praestet. Omnes considera gentes, in quibus Pomana 
 pax desinit, Germanos dico et quicquid circa Istrum 
 vagarum gentium occursat. Perpetua illos liiems, triste 
 coelum premit, maligne solum sterile sustentat, imbrem 
 culmo aut fronde defendunt, super durata glacie stagna 
 persiiltant, in alimentum feras captant. 13. Miseri tibi 
 videntur? nihil miserum est quod in naturam consue- 
 tudo perduxit: paulatim enim 'Voluptati sunt quae 
 necessitate coeperunt. Nulla illis domicilia nullaeque 
 sedes sunt, nisi quas lassitudb in diem posuit: vilis et 
 hie quaerendus manu victu^, horrenda iniquitas coeli, 
 intecta corpora: hoc quod tibi calamitas videtur, tot 
 gentium vita est. 14. Quid miraris bonos viros, ut con- 
 tirmentur, concuti ? Non est arbor solida nec fortis, 
 nisi in quam frequens ventus incursat: ipsa enim vexa- 
 tione constringitur et radices certius figit. Fi’agiles sunt 
 quae.in aprica valje creyerunt. Pro ipsis ergo bonis 
 viris est, iit esse interriti possint, multum inter forinido- 
 losa versari et aequo ^imo ferre quae non sunt mala 
 nisi male sustiiienti. ^ 
 
 V. Adice nunc, quod pro omnibus est optimum^ 
 quemque, ut ita dicam, militare et edere operas. Hoc 
 est propositum deo quod sapient! viro, ostendere liaec 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. CAP. V. 
 
 G1 
 
 quae volgus adpetit, quae reformidat, iiec bona esse 
 nec mala: adparebunt aiitein bona esse, si ilia non 
 nisi bonis viris tribuerit, et mala esse, si tantum ma- 
 lis inrogaverit. Detestabilis erit caecita^, si nemo 
 oculos perdiderit, nisi cui eruendi sunt. Itaque ca- 
 reant luce Appius et Metellus. Non sunt divitiae 
 bonum. 2. Itaque liabeat illas et Elius leno, ut ho¬ 
 mines pecuniam, cum in tempi is consecraverint, vi- 
 deant et in fornice. Nullo modo magis potest deus 
 concupita traducere, quam si ilia ad turpissimos de- 
 fert, ab optimis abigit. At iniquum est virum bo- 
 fium debilitari aut constringi ant adligari, malos inte- 
 gris corporibus.solutos ac delicatos incedere. 3. Quid 
 poiTo ? non est iniquum fortes viros ai-ma suniere et 
 in castris pernoctare et pro vallo obligatis stare vol- 
 neribus, interim in urbe secures esse praecisos et 
 professes inpudicitiam ? Quid porro ? non est ini¬ 
 quum nobilissimas vii-gines ad sacra facienda nocti- 
 bus excitari, altissimo somno inquinatas frui ? Labor 
 optimos citat. Senatus per totum diem saepe consu* 
 litur, cum illo tempore vilissimus quisque aut in 
 campo otium snum oblectet aut in popina lateat aut 
 tempns in aliquo circulo terat. Idem in hac magna 
 republica fit: boni viri laborant, inpendunt, inpen- 
 duntur et volentes quidem ; non trahuntur a fortuna, 
 sequuntur illam et aequant gradus: si scissent, ante- 
 cessissent. 4. Ilanc quoque animosarn Demetrii for- 
 tissimi viri vocem audisse me memini: Hoc umim.^ 
 inquit, de vohis^ di ininortcdes^ qiieri possum^ quod 
 non ante inilii voluntatem 'restrain notam fecistis. 
 Prior enim ad ista venissem, ad qnae nunc voicitus 
 admrn. Vultis liheros sumere f vobis illos sustulL 
 
62 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 Vultis aliquam partem corporis f sumite. J^oii 
 maqnam rem promitto : cito, totum relinquam. 
 Vidtis spiritwnf Qiiidnif millam 7mram faciam.^ 
 quo minus recipiatis quod dedistis : a volente fere- 
 tis quicquid petieritis. Quid ergo estf maluissem 
 offerre quam tradere. Quid opus fuit auferre f 
 accipere p)otuistis. Sed ne nuqw quidem auferetis^ 
 quia nihil eripitur nisi ^^retinenti. Nihil cogor, 
 nihil patior invitus nec servio deo^ sed adsentior : 
 eo quidem magis^ quod scio omnia certa et in ae- 
 ternum dicta lege decurrere. 5. Fata nos diicunt et 
 quantum cuique temporis restat, prima nascentium 
 liora disposuit. Causa pendet ex causa, piivata ac 
 publica longus ordo rerum trahit. Ideo fortiter omne 
 paTiendum est, quia non, ut putamus, incidunt ciincta, 
 sed veniunt. Olim constitutum est quid gaudeas, quid 
 fleas ; et quamvis magna videatur varietate singulorum" 
 vitd distingui, surama in unum venit: accipimus peri- 
 tura perituri. 6. Quid itaque indignamur % quid que- 
 rimur \ ad hoc parati sumus. Utatur ut vult suis na- 
 tura corporibus : nos laeti ad omnia et fortes cogite- 
 mus nihil perire de nostro. Quid est boni viri ? prae- 
 bere se fato. Grande solatium est cum universo rapi. 
 Quicquid est quod nos sic vivere, sic mori iussit, eadem 
 necessitate et deos adligat: inrevocabili^ humana pari- 
 ter ac divina cursii^ vehit. file ipse omnium condi- 
 tor et rector scripsit quidem fata, sed sequitur: sem¬ 
 per paret, semel iussit. 7. Quare tamen deus tarn 
 iiiiquus ill distributione fati fuit, ut bonis viris pau- 
 ])ertatem et ^volnera et acerba funera adscriberet ? 
 Non potest artifex mutare materiam : haec passa est. 
 Quaedam separari a quibusdam non possunt,cohaerent, 
 
DE PROVIDENT!A. CAP. VI. 
 
 63 
 
 iiidividna sunt. Languida ingenia et in somnum itura 
 
 ant in vigiliam soinno siinilliniamgnertibus nectiintur 
 
 eleinentis : ut efficiatur vir cum cura dicendus, fortiore 
 
 i ■ . . . ^ 
 
 fato opus est. Non erit illi planum iter : sursum opor- 
 tet ac deorsum eat, fluctuetur ac navigium in turbido 
 regat: contra fortunam illi tenendus est cursus. 8 . 
 Multa accident dura, aspera, sed quae molliat et con- 
 planet ipse. Igni s aurum probat, miseria fortes viros. 
 Yide quam alte escendere debeat vdrtus: scies illi non 
 per secura vadendum esse. 
 
 Ardua jprima via est et quam vix mane recente^ 
 
 _ I 
 
 Enituntur equi ; medio, est altissima,coelo, 
 
 Unde mare et terras ipsi milii saepe videre 
 Sit timor etpavida trepidet formidinepectus. 
 Ultimaprona via est et eget moderamine certo : 
 Tunc etiam quae me subiectis excipit undis, 
 Neferar in praeceps^ Tethys solet irna vereri. 
 
 9. Haec cum audisset ille generosus adulescens. Pla¬ 
 cet, inquit, via : escendo : est tanti per ista ire casuro. 
 Non desinit acrem animum metu territare : 
 
 Utque viam teneas mdloque err ore traharis^ 
 
 Per tamen adversi gradieris cornua taiiri 
 Haemoniosque arcus violentique ora leonis. 
 
 Post haec ait, lunge datos currus : his quibus de- 
 terreri me putas, incitor: libet illic stare ubi ipse Sol 
 trepidat: hurnilis et inertis est tuta sectari: per alta 
 virtus it. 
 
 VI.. Quare tamen bonis viris patitur aliquid mali 
 dens fieri % Ille vero non patitur. Omnia mala ab 
 illis removit, scelera et flagitia et cogitationes impro- 
 
04 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 bas et avida consilia et libidinem caecam et alieiio 
 iiiiiiinentem avaritiam : ipsos tiietnr ac viiidicat. 
 ^snmquid hoc qnoqiie aliqiii^ a deo exigit,'nt bono- 
 riim virorum etiain sarciiias servet ? remit^jfuiit i})si 
 banc deo curam: externa contemimnt. Democritus 
 divitias proiecit onus illas bonae mentis existimans : 
 quid ergo miraris, si id deus bono viro accidere pa- 
 titur, quod vir bonus aliquando vult sibi accidere ? 
 2. Fil ios amittunt viri boni: quidni, cum aliquando et 
 occidant ? In exilium inittuntur: quidni, cum ali¬ 
 quando ipsi patriam non repetituri relinquant? Oc- 
 ciduntur: quidni, cum aliquando ipsi sibi manus ad- 
 ferant ? Quare quaedam dura patiuntur ? ut alios 
 })ati doceant: nati sunt in exemplar. 3. Puta itaque 
 deum dicere : Quid habetis quod de me queri possi- 
 tis VOS quibus recta placuerunt ? Aliis bona,falsa cir- 
 cumdjedi et animos inanes velut longo fallacique som- 
 nio^iusi: auro illos et aro'ento et ebore adornavi : 
 
 O 
 
 intus boni nihil est. Isti quos pi*o felicibus adspici- 
 tls; si non qua occurrunt, sed qua latent videritis, mi- 
 seri sunt, sordidi, turpes, ad similitudinem parietum 
 suorum extrinsecus culti. Non est ista solida et sin- 
 cera felicitas: crusta est et quidem tenuis. 4. Ita¬ 
 que dum illis licet stare et ad arbitrium suum ostendi, 
 nitent et in ponun t: cum aliquid incidit quod disturbet 
 ac detegat, tunc adparet quantum altae ac verae foedi- 
 tatis alienus'splendor abs(;onderit. Yobis dedi bona 
 certa, mansura, quanto magis versaverit aliquis et un- 
 dique inspexerit, meliora maioraque. Permisi vobis 
 metuenda contemnere, cupiditates fastidire : non ful- 
 getis extrinsecus; bona vestra introrsus obversa sunt. \ 
 jSic mundus exteriora contempsit spectaculo sui laetus r 
 
 
 
 y. 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. CAP. VI. 
 
 65 
 
 iiitiis omiie posiiit bonum. Non egere felicitate fe- 
 licitas vestra est. 5. At multa incidunt tristia, lior- 
 renda, dura toleratu. Quia non poteram vos istis 
 subdiicere, aniinos vestros adversns omnia arinavi. 
 Ferte fortiter : hoc est , quo deum antecedatisv 
 ill6 extra patientiam malorum est, vos snpra patien- 
 tiam. Contemnite panpertatem: nemo tarn pauper 
 vivit quam natus est., Contemnite dolorem: ant sol- 
 vetnr ant solvet. Contemnite mortem : quae vos ant 
 finit ant transfert. Contemnite fortnnam: nnllnm 
 illi teliim quo ferireF animnm, dedi. 6. Ante omnia 
 cavi, ne qnis vos teneret invitos: patet exitns. Si 
 pngnare non vnltis, licet fngere. Ideo ex omnibus 
 rebns qnas esse vobis necessarias volni, nihil feci fa- 
 cilius quam mori. Prono animam loco posni; tra"-' 
 hitur. Adtendite modo et videbitis quam brevis ad 
 libertatem et quam expedita ducat via. Non tarn 
 longas in exitu vobis qnam intrantibns moras posni: 
 alioqnin magnum in vos regnnrn fortune tennisset, si 
 homo tarn tarde moreretnr qnam nascitnr. 7. Omne 
 tempus, omnis vos locus doceat, qnam facile sit re- 
 nnntiare naturae et mnnns illi sunm inpingere. Inter 
 ipsa altaria et sollemnes sacrificantium ritus, dnm 
 optatnr vita, mortem condiscite. ' Corpora opima 
 tanrornm exigno concidnnt volnere et magnarnra 
 virinm animalia hnmanae manus ictus inpellit: tenni 
 ferro commissnra cervicis abrnrnpitnr, et cum arti- 
 cnlus ille qni caput collumque committit incisus est, 
 tanta ilia moles corruit. 8. Non in alto latet spiritus 
 nec utique ferro eruendus est: non sunt volnere peni- 
 tus inpresso scrutanda praecordia: in proximo mors 
 est. Non certum ad hos ictus aestimavi locum; qua- 
 
66 L. ANNAEI SENECAE DE PROYIDENTIA, CAP. VI. -. 
 
 cumque via pervium est. Ipsiiin illnd quod vocatur 
 mori, quo auiraa discedit a corpore, brevius est, qnain 
 lit sentiri tanta velocitas possit. Sive fauces nodus 
 elisit, sive spirameiitum aqua praeclusit, sive in caput 
 lapsos subiacentis soli diiritia conmiuuit, sive baustus 
 ignis cursum animae remeantis interscidit: quicquid 
 est, properat. Ecquid erubescitis? quod tarn cito fit, 
 timetis' diu ? 
 
 t 
 
 Genius of the Roman People. From a coin of Antoninus Pius, in the 
 
 British Museum. 
 
L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 AD SERENUM 
 
 DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI 
 
 / 
 
 LIBER UNUS! 
 
In ipsa eloquentia, Seneca, duae time virtutes eximiae; copia in 
 brevitate, vehementia in facilitate. De copia, bonus index et sagax 
 statim agnoscit, et Fabius (Quintil.) ut peculiavem virtutem etiam 
 alibi adsignat. . . . At de vehementia ego eius miror: et est tota 
 oratio fere accincta, intenta, et robur in ea et acrimonia, qua vel ad 
 Demosthenem se iactet. . . . ludica sic, bone Lector, et bono tuo 
 Senecam araa. Lipsius. 
 
AD SERENUM 
 
 DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. 
 
 I. Inquieenti mihi in me qnaedam vitia adpare- 
 bant, Seneca, in aperto posita quae manii prenderem, 
 qnaedam obscuriora et in recessu, qnaedam non con- 
 tinna, sed ex intervallis redenntia; quae vel molestis- 
 sima dixerim, nt liostes vagos et ex occasionibus adsi- 
 lientes, per qnos neutrum licet, nec tamquam in bello 
 paratnm esse nec tamquam in pace securum. Ilium 
 tainen habitum in me maxime deprendo (quare enim 
 non verum ut medico fatear ?) nec bona fide libera- 
 tum eis, quae timebam et oderam, nec rursus obnox- 
 ium. 2. In statu iit non pessirao, ita maxime que- 
 rulo et moroso positus sum: nec aegroto nec valeo. 
 [N^on est, quod dicas omnium virtutum tenera esse 
 principia, tempore illis duramenturn et robur acce- 
 dere. Non ignoro etiam quae in speciem laboraut, 
 dignitatem dieo et eloquentiae famam et quicquid 
 ad alienum sulfragium venit, mora convalescere: et 
 quae veras vires parant et quae ad placendura fuco 
 quodam subornantur, exspectant annos, donee paula- 
 tiin colorem diuturnitas ducat: sed ego vereor, ne 
 consuetudo, quae rebus adfert constantiam, hoc vi- 
 tiurn mihi altius hgat. 3. Tam malorum quam bo- 
 
 D 
 
70 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 iiorum loiiga coiiversatio amorem induit. Ilaec aiii- 
 ini inter iitramqne dubii nec ad recta fortiter nee ad 
 prava vergentis infirmitas qiialis sit, non tain seniel 
 tibi poss^um qiiain per partes ostendere.^ Dicam qnae 
 drccidant mihi: t^ inorbo nomen^'invenies. Tenet me 
 summus amor par^mcmme, fateor: placet non in am- 
 bitionem cubile conpositiim, non ex arcnla prolata 
 vestis, non ponderibus ac mille tormentis splendere 
 cogentibus expressa, sed domestica et vilis, nec serva- 
 ta nec sumenda sollicite. 4. Placet cibns, quern nec 
 parent familiae nec spectent, non ante mnltos impe- 
 
 ratus dies nec multorum manibus ministratus, sed 
 
 o/. . ^ ^ . . 
 
 parabilis facilisque, nihil habens arcessiti pretiosixe, 
 ubilibet non defuturus, nec patrimonio nec corpori 
 gravis, non rediturus qua intraverit. Placet minister 
 incultus et rudis vernula, argentum grave rustici patris 
 sine ullo nomine artificis, et mensa non varietate ma- 
 cularum conspicua nec per multas dominorum ele- 
 gantium successiones civitati nota, sed in usum po- 
 sita, quae nullins convivae oculos nec voluptate more- 
 tur nec accendat invidia. 5. Cum bene ista placue- 
 runt, praestringit aniinum adparatus alicuius paeda- 
 gogii, diligentius quam in tralatu vestita et auro 
 ciilta mancipia et agmen servorurn nitentium: iam 
 domus etiam qua. calcatur pretiosa et divitiis per 
 omnes angulos dissipatis, tecta ipsa fulgentia et ad- 
 sectator comesque patrimoniorum perenntium popu- 
 lus. Quid perluceutis ad imum aquas et circumflu- 
 entes ipsa convivia, quid epulas loquar scena sua 
 dignas ^ 6. Circumfudit me ex longo frugalitatis situ 
 venientern multo-splendore luxuria et undique circum- 
 sonuit. Paulum titubat acies : facilius adversus illarn 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. I. 
 
 71 
 
 aiiimum qnam ociilos adtollo. Recede itaqiie non 
 peior, sed tristior; nec inter ilia frivola inea tain altus 
 iiicedo taeitusque morsns snbit et dubitatio, numqnid 
 ilia meliora sint: nihil horiim me mutat, nihil taraen 
 non concutit. Placet vim praeceptorum sequi et in 
 median! ire rempublicam : placet honores fascesque 
 non scilicet pui’pura aiit virgis adductum capessere, 
 sed lit amicis propinquisqiie et omnibus civibns, omni¬ 
 bus deinde mortalibus paratior ntiliorque sim. 7. 
 Pi’omptus, coupositns seqiior Zenona, Cleanthen, Chry- 
 sippiim; quorum tamen nemo ad rempublicam acces- 
 sit et nemo non misit. Ubi aliquid animam insolitam 
 arietari percussit, ubi aliquid occurrit aiit indigniim, 
 ut in Omni vita hiimana multa sunt, aut pariim ex 
 facili Aliens, aut miiltum temporis res non magno ae- 
 stimandae poposcerunt, ad otium convertor et quem- 
 admodiim pecoribus fatigatis quoque velocior do- 
 mum grad us est, placet intra parietes siios vitam co- 
 ercere. ^ 8 . Remo ullnm auferat diem nihil digniim 
 tanto inpendio redditiiriis : sibi ipse animus haereat, 
 se colat, nihil alien! agat, nihil quod ad iiidicem 
 spectet: ametnr expers publicae privataeque curae 
 tranquillitas. Sed ubi lectio fortior erexit animura 
 et acul^eos siibdiderunt exempla nobilia, prosilire libet 
 in forum, commodare alteri vocem, alter! operam, 
 etiam si nihil profuturam, tamen conatiiram prodesse, 
 alicuius coercere in foro siiperbiam male secundis re¬ 
 bus elati. 9. In studiis puto mehercules melius esse 
 res ipsas intueri et harum causa loqiii, ceterum verba 
 rebus permittere, ut qua duxeriut hac inelaborata se- 
 quatur oratio. Quid opus est seculis diiratura con- 
 ponere ? Vis tu non id agere, ne te [losteri taceant ? 
 
72 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 iriorti natns es: minus molestiarum liabet fiinus ta¬ 
 citurn : itaque occupandi temporis causa, in usum 
 tuuin, non in praeconium aliquid siinplici stilo scribe: 
 ininore labore opus est studentibus in diem. 10. Kur- 
 sus ubi se animus cogitationurn magnitudine levavit, 
 ambitiosus in verba est altiusque ut sperare ita elo- 
 qui gestit et ad dignitatem rerum exit oratio :\\)blitus 
 turn legis pressiorisque iudicii sublimius feror et ore 
 iain non meo. Ne singula diutius persequar, in omni¬ 
 bus rebus liaec me sequitur bonae mentis infirmitas: 
 ctii ne paulatim deflu am vereor, ant quod est sollici- 
 tius, ne semper casui’o similis pendeam et plus for- 
 tasse sit quain quod ipse pervideo. Fainiliariter enim 
 domestica adspicimus et semper iudicio favor oflicit. 
 11. Puto multos potuisse ad sapientiam pervenire,- 
 nisi putassent se pervenisse, nisi quaedam in se dissi- 
 mulassent, quaedam opertis oculis transsiluissent. Kon 
 est enim, quod magis aliena indices adulatione nos pe- 
 rii-e quain nostra. Quis sibi verum dicei'e ausus est ? 
 quis non inter laudantium blandientiumque positus 
 gi’eges plui’imum tainen sibi ipse adsentatus est? 12. 
 Kogo itaque, si quod babes remedium quo banc fluctu- 
 ationem meam dignum me putes, qui tibi ti’an- 
 
 quillitatem debeani'. I7on esse periculosos motus ani- 
 mi nec quicquain tumultuosi adferentis scio : ut vera 
 tibi similitudine id, de quo queror, exprimam, non 
 tempestate vexor, sed naiisia. Detrabe ergo, quic- 
 quid boc est mali, et succurre in conspectu terrarum 
 laboi-anti. 
 
 II. Quaero mehercules iam dudum. Serene, ipse 
 tacitus, cui talein adfectuni aniini similem putein ; nec 
 ulli propius admoverim exeinplo quain eoruin, qui ex 
 
73 
 
 DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. II. 
 
 JC ■ 
 
 longa et gravi valitndine explicit! motiunculis levi- 
 busque interim offensis perstringiintur et, cum re- 
 liquias effngerunt, suspicionibus tamen inquietantur 
 medicisque *iam sani manurn porrigunt et omnem 
 calorem corporis sui calumniantur. Horum, Serene, 
 non parum sanum est corpus, sed sanitati parum ad- 
 suevit: sicut est quidam tremor etiam tranquilli rna- 
 ris, utque lacus, cum ex tempestate requievit. 2. Opus 
 est itaque non illis durioribus, quae etiam transcucurri- 
 inus, ut alicubi obstes tibi, alicubi irascaris, alicubi in- 
 stes gravis : sed illud, quod ultimum venit, ut fidenr 
 tibi habeas et recta ire te via credas, nihil avocatus 
 transversis multorum vestigiis passim discurrentium, 
 quorumdam circa ipsam errantium viam. 3. Quod 
 desideras autem, magnum et summum est deoque vi- 
 cinum, non concuti. Hanc stabilem animi sedem 
 Graeci iv^viu'iav vocant, de qua Dernocriti volumen 
 egregium est: ego tranqiiillitatem voco: nec enim 
 imitari et transferre verba ad illorum formam necesse 
 est: res ipsa, de qua agitiir, aliquo signanda nomine 
 est, quod adpellationis Graecae vim debet habere, non 
 faciem. 4. Ergo quaerimus, qiiomodo animus sem¬ 
 per aequalis secundoque cursu eat propitiusque sibi 
 sit et sua laetus adspiciat et hoc gaudium non inter- 
 rumpat, sed placido statu maneat nec adtollens se um- 
 qiiam nec deprimens. Id tranquillitas erit. Qiio¬ 
 modo ad hanc perveniri possit, in universurn quae- 
 ramus : sumes tu ex publico remedio quantum voles. 
 Totum interim vitium in medium protrahendum est; 
 ex quo agnoscet quisque partem suam : simul tu in- 
 telleges, quanto minus negotii habeas cum fastidio 
 tui quam hi, quos ad professionem speciosam adliga- 
 
74 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 tos et sub ingenti titulo laborantis in sna simiilatione 
 pudor magis qiiarn voluntas tenet. 6. Omnes in ea- 
 dem causa sunt, et hi qui levitate vexantur ac taedio 
 adsiduaque mutatione propositi, quibus semper magis 
 placet quod reliquerunt, et illi, qui marcent et osci- 
 tantur. Adice eos, qui non aliter quam quibus diffi- 
 cilis somnus est, versant se et hoc atque illo modo 
 conponunt, donee quietem lassitudine inveniant: sta- 
 tum vitae suae formando subinde in eo novissime ma- 
 nent, in quo illos non mutandi odium, sed senectus ad 
 novandum pigra deprendit. Adice et illos, qui non 
 inconstantiae vitio parum leves sunt, sed inertiae. • Yi- 
 vunt non quomodo volunt, sed quomodo coeperunt. 
 Innumerabiles deinceps proprietates sunt, sed unus 
 effectus vitii, sibi displicere. 6. Hoc oritur ab intem- 
 perie animi et cupiditatibus timidis aut parum pros^ 
 peris; ubi aut non audent, quantum concupiscunt, 
 aut non consequuntur et in spem toti prominent, sem- 
 per instabiles mobilesque sunt, quod necesse est acci- 
 dere pendentibus ad vota sua: omni vita pendent et 
 inhonesta se ac difficilia docent coguntque ; et ubi 
 sine praemio labor est, torquet illos inritum dedecus, 
 nec dolent prava, sed frustra voluisse. 7. Tunc illos 
 et poenitentia coepti tenet et incipiendi timer subre- 
 pitque ilia animi iactatio non invenientis exitum, quia 
 nec imperare cupiditatibus suis nec obsequi possunt, 
 et cunctatio vitae parum se explicantis et inter desti- 
 tuta vota torpentis animi situs. Quae omnia graviora 
 sunt, ubi odio infelicitatis operosae ad otium perfu- 
 gerunt et ad secreta studia, quae pati non potest ani¬ 
 mus ad civilia erectus agendique cupidus et natura 
 in quietus, parum silicet in se solatiorum habens: ideo 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. II. 
 
 75 
 
 detractis oblectationibiis, qiias ipsae occiipationes dis- 
 cuiTentibns praebent, domnm, solitiidinem, parietes non 
 fert, invitiis adspicit se sibi relictiim. 8. Hinc illud 
 est taedium et displicentia sui et niisqiiam residentis 
 animi volutatio et otii sui tristis atque aegra patientia; 
 iitiqne ubi causas fateri pudet et tormenta introrsus 
 egit verecundia, in angusto incliisae cnpiditates sine 
 exitu se ipsae strangulant. Inde moeror niarcorque 
 et mille fluctus mentis incertae, quam spes inchoatae 
 liabent suspensain, deploratam, tristem: inde ille ad- 
 fectus otium siium detestantiiim querentiuraque nihil 
 ipsos habere quod agant, et alienis incrementis iniini- 
 cissima invidia. 9. Alit enim livorem infelix inertia 
 et omnes destrui cnpiunt, quia se non potuere prove- 
 here : ex hac deinde aversatione alienorum processu- 
 um et suorum desperatione obirascens fortunae ani¬ 
 mus et de seculo querens et in angulos se retrahens 
 et poenae incubans suae, dum ilium taedet sui piget- 
 que. Natura enim humanus animus agilis est et pro- 
 nus ad motus : grata omnis illi excitandi se abstra- 
 liendique materia est, gratior pessirnis quibnsqiie in- 
 geniis, quae occupationibus libenter deteruntur. 10. 
 Ut ulcera quaedam nocituras manus adpetunt et tactu 
 gandent et foedam corporum scabiem delectat quic- 
 quid exasperat: non aliter dixerim his mentibns, in 
 quas cnpiditates velut mala ulcera ernperiint, voluptati 
 esse laborem vexationemque. Sunt enim quaedam, 
 quae corpus quoque nostrum cum quodam dolore de- 
 lectent, ut versare se et rnutare nondum fessum latus, 
 et alio atque alio positu ventilari. 11. Qualis ille 
 Ilomericus Achilles est, modo pronus, modo supinus, 
 in varies habitus se ipse conponens, quod proprium 
 
76 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 aegri est, nihil diu pati et mutationibns ut remediis 
 nti. Inde peregrinationes siiscipiuntiir vagae et litora 
 pererrantur et modo mari se, mode terra experitur 
 semper praesentibus infesta levitas. Nunc Campani- 
 am petamus: iam delicata fastidio sunt: inculta vi- 
 deantur. Bruttios et Lucaniae saltus persequamur : 
 aliquid tamen inter deserta amoeni requiratur, in quo 
 liixuriosi oculi longo locorum horrentium squalore 
 releventur. 12. Tarentum petatur laudatusque por- 
 tus et hiberna coeli mitioris, regio vel antiquae satis 
 opulenta turbae. Iam flectamus cursum ad urbem : 
 nimis diu a plausu et fragore aures vacaverunt ; 
 iuvat iam et hurnano sanguine frui. Aliud ex alio 
 iter suscipitur et spectacula spectaculis mutantur, ut 
 ait Lucretius, 
 
 Hoc se quisqtie modo semper fugit. 
 
 13. Sed quid prodest, si non effngit ? sequitur se ipse 
 et urget gravissimus comes. Itaque scire debemus 
 non locorum vitium esse quo laboramus, sed nostrum. 
 Infirmi sumus ad omne tolerandum, nec laboris pati- 
 entes nec voluptatis, nec nostrae nec ullius rei diutius. 
 Hoc quosdam egit ad mortem, quod proposita saepe 
 mutando in eadem revolvebantur et non reliquerant 
 novitati locum. Fastidio esse illis coepit vita et ipse 
 mundus; et subit illud rabidarum deliciarum, Quous- 
 que eadem f '• 
 
 III. Ad versus hoc taedium quo auxilio putem uten- 
 dum quaeris. Optimum erat, ut ait Atlienodorus, ac- 
 tione rerum et reipublicae tractatione et officiis civi- 
 libus se detinere: nam ut quidam sole atque exercita- 
 tione et cura corporis diem ducunt athletisque louge 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. III. 
 
 77 
 
 ntilissimiim est lacertos sues roburqiie, cui se uni dica- 
 verunt, maiore teraporis parte nutrire: ita nobis ani- 
 mura ad reruni civilium certamen parantibus in opere 
 esse non longe pulcberrimum est ? nain cum utilem se 
 efficere civibus mortalibusque propositum babeat, simul 
 et exercetur et prolicit, qui in mediis se officiis posuit 
 communia privataque pro facultate adrninistrans. 2. 
 Sed quia in liac, inquit, tarn insana liominum ambitione 
 tot calumuiatoribus in deterins recta torquentibus pa- 
 rum tuta simplicitas est et plus futurum semper est, 
 quod obstet quam quod succedat, a foro quidem et pub¬ 
 lico recedendum est; sed liabet, ubi se etiam in private 
 laxe explicet magiius animus: nec ut leonum animali- 
 umque inpetus caveis coercetur, sic hominum, quorum 
 maxime in seducto actiones sunt. 3. Ita tamen deli- 
 tuerit, ut ubicurnque otium suum absconderit, prodesse 
 velit singulis universisque ingenio, voce, consilio. Hec 
 enim i^^solus reipublicae prodest, qui candidates extra¬ 
 hit et liietur reos et de pace belloque censet, sed qui 
 iuventutem exhortatur, qui in tanta bonorum praecep- 
 torum inopia virtute instituit animos, qui ad pecuniam 
 luxuriamque cursu mentis prensat ac retrabit et, si 
 nihil aliud,--certe moratur, in private publicum nego- 
 tium agit.-^v 4. An ille^plus praestat, qui inter peregri¬ 
 nes et cives aiit urban us praetor adeuntibus adsessoris 
 verba pronuntiat, quam qui quid sit iustitia, quid pietas, 
 quid patientia, quid fortitude, quid mortis contemptus, 
 quid deorum intellectus, quam gratuitum bonum sit 
 bona conscientia? Ergo si tempus in studia conferas, 
 quod subduxeris officiis, non deserueris nec muims de- 
 tfectavefis. 5. Heque enim ille solus militat, qui in 
 acie stat et cornu dextrum laevumque defendit, sed qui 
 
 D 2 
 
78 
 
 L. ANNAET SENECAE 
 
 portas tiietiir et statione miinis periculosa, non otiosa 
 tainen fungitur vigiliasqne servat et armamentario prae- 
 est: quae miiiisteria quamvis incrueiita siiit, in nurae- 
 rura stipendiorum veniunt. Si te ad stadia revocaveris, 
 oinne vitae fastidium effugeris nee noctem fieri optabis 
 taedio lucis, nec tibi gravis eris nec aliis supervacuus: 
 inultos in amicitiam adtrabes adfiuetqne ad te optimus 
 quisque. 6. ]N"iiinquam enini quamvis obscura virtus 
 latet, sed mittit sui signa : qiiisquis dignus fuerit, vesti- 
 giis illani coiliget. Nam si omnem conversationem 
 tollimus et generi humano renuntiamns vivimusque in 
 nos tantum, conversi, sequetur lianc solitudinem omni 
 studio carentem inopia rerum agendarum. Incipiemus 
 aedificia alia ponere, alia subvertere et mare submovere 
 et aquas contra difiicultatem locornm edncere et male 
 dispen^fe tempus, quod nobis natura consumendum 
 dedit. ^7. Alii parce illo utimur, alii prodige: alii sic 
 inpendimus, ut possimus rationem reddere, alii, ut nul- 
 las liabeamus reliquias; qua re nihil turpius est. Saepe 
 grandis natu senex nullum aliud habet argumentum, 
 quo se probet din vixisse, praeter aetatem. Milii, caris- 
 sime Serene, nimis videtur submisisse temporibus se 
 Atlienodorus, nimis cito refugisse. Ne ego negaverim 
 aliquando cedendum; sed sensim relate gradu et salvis 
 signis, salva militari dignitate. Sanctiores tutioresquc 
 sunt liostibus suis, qui in fidem cum armis veniunt. 8. 
 Hoc puto virtuti faciendum studiosoque virtutis. Si 
 praevalebit fortuna et praecidet agendi facultatem, 
 non statim aversus inermisque fugiat latebras quae- 
 rens, quasi ullus locus sit in quo non possit fortuna 
 persequi, sed parcius se inferat officiis et cum delcctu 
 inveniat aliquid, in quo utilis civitati sit. Militare non 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMT. CAP. III. 
 
 79 
 
 licet? honores spectet: private vivendum est? sit orator: 
 silentiuin indictura est? tacita advocatione cives iuvet; 
 periculosuin etiam ingressu forum est? in domibus, in 
 spectaculis, in conviviis bonum contubernalem, tidelem 
 amicum, temperantem convivam agat. 9. Officia si ci- 
 vis amiserit, hominis exerceat. Ideo magno animo nos 
 non imius urbis moenibus clusimns, sed in totius orbis 
 commercium emisimus patriamque nobis miinduin pro¬ 
 fess! snmus, lit liceret latiorem virtuti cainpnm dare. 
 Praeclusiim tibi tribunal est et rostris prohiberis aut 
 comitiis ? respice post te quantum latissimarum regio- 
 num pateat, quantum populorum: numquam ita tibi 
 magna pars obstruetur, lit non maior relinquatur. 10. 
 Sed vide, ne totiim istud tuum vitium sit : non vis enim 
 nisi consul aut pry tan is aut ceryx aut sufes administrare 
 rempublicam. Quid si militare nolis nisi imperator aut 
 tribiinus? etiam si alii primarn frontem tenebunt, te sors 
 inter triarios posuerit; inde voce, adhortatione,exemplo, 
 animo milita. Praecisis quoque manibiis ille in proelio 
 invenit, quod partibiis conferat, qui stat tarnen et cla- 
 more iuvat. Tale quiddam facias: si a prima te reipiib- 
 licae parte fortuna submoverit, stes tamen et clamore 
 iuves et, si quis fauces oppresserit, stes tamen et silentio 
 iuves. 11. Numquam inutilis est opera civis boni: 
 auditus eiiis visusque voltii, nutu, obstinatione tacita 
 incessuque ipso prodest. lit salutaria, quae citra-gus- 
 tum tactumque odore proficiunt, ita virtiis utilitatem 
 
 etiam ex longinquo et latens fundit, sive spatiatur et 
 se utitur suo iure, sive precarios liabet 'exc^Sus" Pogi- 
 tnrque vela contrahere, sive otiosa mutaque' est et an- 
 gusto circumsepta, sive adaperta: in quociimqiie habitu 
 est, prodest. Quid? tu parum utile putas exempfum 
 
80 
 
 L. ANNA El SENECAE 
 
 bene quiescentis ? 12 . Longe itaque optimum est mis- 
 
 cere otinm rebus, quotiens actuosa vita inpedi mentis 
 fortuitis aut civitatis condieione proliibetur. Num- 
 quam eiiim usque eo interclusa sunt omnia, ut nulli 
 actioni locus lionestae sit. Numquid potes invenire 
 urbem miseriorem quam Atheniensium fuit, cum illam 
 triginta tjranni divellerent? mille trecentos cives, op¬ 
 timum quemque occiderant nec finem ideo faciebant, 
 sed inritabat se ipsa saevitia. 13. In qua civitate erat 
 Areos pagos, religiosissimum iudicium, in qua senatus 
 populusque senatu similis coibat cotidie carnificum 
 triste collegium et infelix curia tjrannis angusta. Po- 
 teratne ilia civitas conquiescere, in qua tot tyranni 
 erant quot satellites essent? He spes quidem ulla re- 
 cipiendae libertatis animis poterat offerri; nec nlli 
 remedio locus adparebat contra tantam vim malorum: 
 unde enim miserae civitati tot Harmodios? 14. Soc¬ 
 rates tamen in medio erat et lugentes patres consola- 
 batur et desperantes de republica exhortabatur et divi- 
 tibus opes suas metuentibus exprobrabat seram pericu- 
 losae avaritiae poenitentiam et irnitari volentibus mag¬ 
 num circumferebat exemplar, cum inter triginta do¬ 
 minos liber incederet. Hunc tamen Athenae ipsae in 
 carcere occiderunt; et qui tuto insultaverat agmini 
 tyrannorum eius libertatem libertas non tulit: ut scias 
 et in adflicta republica esse occasionem sapienti viro 
 ad se proferendum et in florenti ac beata pecuniam, 
 invidiam, mille alia inermia vitia regnare. 15. Ut- 
 cumque ergo se respublica dabit, utcumque fortuna 
 permittet, ita aut explicabimus nos aut contraliemus: 
 utique movebimus nec adligati metu torpebimus. Im- 
 mo ille vir fuerit, qui pericuHs undique inminentibus. 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. IV, Y. 
 
 81 
 
 armis circa et catenis frementibiis non adliserit virtu- 
 tem nec absconderit. Non est enim servare se obruere. 
 16. Ut opinor, Curius Dentatiis aiebat, Malle esse se 
 mortiium quain vivere. Ultiiniim inalorinn est vivo- 
 rmn niimero' exire, antecpiain inoriaris. Sed facien¬ 
 dum erit, si in reipublicae tempus minus tractabile 
 incideris, ut plus otio ac literis vindices: nec aliter 
 quam in periculosa navigatione subinde portum petas 
 nec exspectes, donee res te dimittant, sed ab illis te ipse 
 di inn gas. 
 
 ly. Inspicere autem debebimus primum nosmetipsos, 
 deinde ea quae adgrediemur negotia, deinde eos quo¬ 
 rum causa aut cum quibus. Ante omnia necesse est 
 se ipsum aestimare, quia fere plus nobis videmur posse 
 quam possumus. Alius eloquentiae liducia prolabitur; 
 alius patrimonio suo plus imperavit quam ferre posset; 
 alius infirmum corpus laborioso pressit officio. 2. Quo- 
 rumdam parum idonea est verecundia rebus civilibus, 
 quae primam frontem desiderant: quorumdam contu- 
 macia non facit ad aulam: quidam non liabent iram in 
 potestate et illos ad temerai’ia verba quaelibet indigna- 
 tio offert: quidam urbanitatem nesciunt continere nec 
 periculosis abstinent salibus. Omnibus liis utilior nego- 
 tio quies est: ferox inpatiensque natura inritamenta 
 nociturae libertatis evitet. 
 
 y. Aestimanda sunt deinde ipsa, quae adgredimur, et 
 vires nostrae cum rebus, quas temptaturi sum us, con pa- 
 rand ae. Debet enim semper plus esse virium in actore 
 quam in onere: necesse est opprirnant onera, quae fe- 
 rente maiora sunt. 2. Quaedam praeterea non tain 
 magna sunt negotia quam fecunda multumque negoti- 
 orum ferunt: et baec refugienda sunt, ex quibus nova 
 
82 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 occnpatio miiltiplexqne nascetnr. Nec accedendum eo, 
 unde liber regressus non sit: iis adrnovenda manus est, 
 quorum finem aut facere ant certe sperare possis: re- 
 linqiienda, quae latius actu procedunt nec ubi proposu- 
 eris desiiiunt. 
 
 YI. Hominum utique delectus babeudus est: an 
 digni sint quibus partem vitae nostrae inpendamus, an 
 ad illos temporis nostri iactura perveuiat. Quidam 
 • enim ultro officia nobis nostra inputant. Athenodorus 
 ait, ne ad coenam quidem se iturum ad exim^ qui sihi 
 nil jpro hoc debiturus sit. Puto intellegis multo minus 
 ad eos iturum, qui cum amicorum officiis paria mensa 
 faciunt, qui fericula pro congiariis numerant, quasi in 
 alienum lionorem intemperantes sint. 2. Deme illis tes¬ 
 tes spectatoresque, non delectabit popina secreta. Con- 
 siderandum est, utrum natura tua agendis rebus an oti¬ 
 ose studio contemplationique aptior sit, et eo inclinan- 
 dum quo te vis ingenii feret. Isocrates Ephorum in- 
 iecta manu a foro subduxit utiliorem conponendis mo- 
 numentis historiarum ratus. Male enim respondent 
 coacta ingenia: reluctante natura inritus labor est. 
 
 YII. Nihil tamen aeque oblectaverit animura quam 
 Wnicitia fidelis et dulcis. Quantum bonum est, ubi 
 sunt praeparata pectora, in quae tuto secretum omne 
 descendat, quorum conscientiam minus quam tuam ti- 
 meas, quorum sermo sollicitudinem leniat, sententia 
 consilium expediat, hilaritas tristitiarn dissipet, con^ 
 spectus ipse delectet? Quos scdicel; vacuos, quantum 
 fieri poterit, a cupiditatibns ellgemus. 2. Serpunt enim 
 vitia et in proximum quemque transsiliunt et contactu 
 nocent. Itaque, ut in pestilentia curandum est, ne 
 correptis iam corporibus et morbo flagrantibus adsi- 
 
83 
 
 DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMr.-^CAP. VIII. 
 
 deamus, quia pericula trahemus adflatiiqne ipso labora- 
 bimiis: ita in amicorum legendis ingeniis dabimus ope- 
 ram, iit qiiam minime inqiiinatos adsiimamiis. Initium 
 inorbi est aegris sana miscere. Nec hoc praeceperiin 
 tibi, lit nerninem nisi sapientera seqiiaris aut adtrahas: 
 iibi enim istum invenies, qiiem tot seciilis qiiaerimiis? 
 pro optimo est minime mains. 3. Yix tibi esset faciil- 
 tas delectus felicioris, si inter Platonas et Xenophontas 
 et ilium Socratici fetus proventum bonos qiiaereres, aut 
 si tibi potestas Catonianae beret aetatis, quae pleros- 
 qiie dignos tulit, qui Catonis seciilo nascerentur, siciit 
 multos peiores quam umquam alias rnaximoriimque 
 molitores scelerum. Utraque enim turba opus erat, 
 ut Cato posset intellegi: habere debiiit et bonos, qui- 
 bus se adprobaret, et males, in qiiibus vim suam expe- 
 riretur. 4. Xunc vero in tanta bonorum egestate mi¬ 
 nus fastidiosa fiat electio : praecipue tamen vitentur 
 tristes et omnia deplorantes, qiiibus nulla non causa in 
 querelas placet. Constet illi licet fides et benevolen- 
 tia; tranquillitati tamen inimiciis est comes perturba- 
 tus et omnia gemens. 
 
 YIII. Transeamiis ad patrirnonia, maximam huma- 
 narum aerumnariim materiam. Xam si omnia alia, 
 quibus angimur, conpares, mortes, aegrotationes, me- 
 tns, desideria, dolorum laborumque patientiam, cum iis 
 quae nobis mala pecunia nostra exliibet, haec pars mul- 
 turn pi*kegravabit. Itaque cogitandum est, quanto le- 
 vior dolor sit non habere quam perdere: et intellege- 
 miis paupertati eo minorem tormentorum quo mino- 
 rem damnoriim esse materiam. 2. Erras enim, si putas 
 aniinosius detrimenta divites ferre: maximis rninimis- 
 qiie corporibus par est dolor volneris. Bion eleganter 
 
84 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 ait non minus molestum esse calvis quam comatis 
 qnlos vein. Idem scias licet de panperibus locupleti- 
 biiscpie, par illis esse tormentum : iitrisque eriira pe- 
 ciinia sua obhaesit nec sine sensu revelli potest. Tol- 
 erabilius autem est, ut dixi, faciliusque non adquirere 
 quam amittere; ideoque laetiores videbis quos num- 
 quam fortuna respexit, quam quos deseruit. 3. Yidit 
 hoc Diogenes, vir ingentis animi, et efEecit, ne quid sibi 
 eripi posset. Tu istud paupertatem, inopiam, egesta- 
 tem voca, quod voles ignominiosum securitati nomen 
 inpone: putabo hunc non esse felicem, si quern mihi 
 alium inveneris, cui nihil pereat. Aut ego fallor, ant 
 regnum est inter avaros, circumscriptores, latrones, pla¬ 
 giaries unum esse, cui noceri non possit. Si qnis de 
 felicitate Diogenis dubitat, potest idem dubitare et de 
 deorum inmortalium statu, an parum beate degant, 
 qnod illis nec praedia nec horti sint nec aJirclTo colono 
 rura pretiosa nec grande in foro fenns. h4. Non te 
 pudet, quisquis divitiis adstupes ? respice agedum mnn- 
 dum : nudos videbis deos, omnia dantes, nihil habentes. 
 Hunc tu pauperem putas an dis inmortalibiis similem, 
 qui se fortuitis omnibus exuit? Feliciorem tu Deme- 
 trium Pompeianum vocas, quern non puduit locupleti- 
 orem esse Pompeio? Numerus illi cotidie servorum 
 velut imperatori exercitus referebatur, cui iam dudum 
 divitiae esse debuerant duo vicarii et cella laxior. 5. 
 At Diogeni servus unicus fugit nec eum reducere, cum 
 monstraretur, tanti putavit. Turjpe est^ inquit, Mayien 
 sine Diogene posse vivere, Diogeneii sine Mane non 
 posse. Yidetur mihi dixisse : age tuum negotium, for¬ 
 tuna: nihil apud Diogenen iam tui est. Fugit mihi 
 servus? immo liber abiit. Familia petit vestiarium 
 
 V 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. IX. 
 
 85 
 
 victumque: tot ventres avidissimorum animalium tiien- 
 di simt: emenda vestis et custodiendae rapacissimae 
 maims et flentinm detestantiumqiie ministeriis uten- 
 dum. 6 . Quanto ille felicior, qui nihil ulli debet, nisi 
 quod facillime negat sibi ? Sed quoniam non est nobis 
 tantum roboris, angustanda certe sunt patriinonia, ut 
 minus ad iniurias fortunae simus expositi. Habiliora 
 sunt corpora in bello, quae in arma sua contrahi pos- 
 sunt, quam quae superfunduntur et undique magnitude 
 sua volneribus obiecit. Optimus pecuniae modus est, 
 qui nec in paupertatem cadit, nec procul a paupertate 
 discedit. 
 
 IX. Placebit autem haec nobis mensura, si prius 
 parsimonia placuerit, sine qua nec ullae opes suffi- 
 ciunt, nec ullae non satis patent, praesertim cum in 
 vicino remedium sit et possit ipsa paupertas in divi- 
 tias se advocata frugalitate convertere. Adsuesca- 
 mus a nobis removere pompam, et usus rerum, non 
 ornamenta metiri. Cibus faraem domet, potio sitim, 
 libido qua necesse est fluat. Discamus membris nos- 
 tris inniti, cultum victumque non ad nova exempla 
 conponere, sed ut maiorum mores suadent. 2. D|s- 
 camiis (X)htinentiai^augere, luxuriam coercere, gulam 
 temperare, iracundiam lenire, paupertatem aequis ocu- 
 lis adspicere, frugalitatem colere, etiam si similes nos 
 pudebit esse poplJ^l 2 ,^Jdesideriis naturalibus parvo pa- 
 rata remedia adhibere, spes effrenatas et animum in 
 futura eminentem velut sub vinciilis habere, id agere, 
 ut divitias a nobis potius quam a fortuna petamus. 
 Xon potest umquam tanta varietas et iniquitas ca- 
 suum ita depelli, ut non multum procellarum inrnat 
 magna armamenta pandentibus: cogendae in artimi 
 
86 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 res sunt, ut tela in vanuni cadant. 3. Ideoque exilia 
 interdurn calamitatesque in remedium cessere et le- 
 vioribus incoramodis graviora sanata sunt, ubi parum 
 audit praecepta animus nec curari mollius potest. 
 Quidni consulitur, si et paupertas et ignominia et 
 rerum eversio adhibetur ? rnalo malum opponitur. 
 Adsuescamus ergo coenare posse sine populo et ser- 
 vis paucioribus serviri et vestes parare in quod in- 
 ventae sunt, habitare contractius. I^on in cursu tan- 
 tum circique certamine, sed in his spatiis vitae inte- 
 rius flectendum est. 4. Studiorum quoque quae libe- 
 ralissima inpensa est, tamdiu rationem habet, quam- 
 diu modum. Quo innumerabiles libros et bibliothe¬ 
 cas, quarum dominus vix tota vita indice^ perlegit ? 
 Onerat discentem turba, non instruit; multoque sati- 
 us est paucis te auctoribus tradere, quam errare per 
 rnultos. Quadraginta rnilia librorum Alexaiidriae ar- 
 serunt, pulcherrimiim regiae opulentiae monurnentum : 
 alius laudaverit, si cut et Livius, qui elegantiae regu7)% 
 curaeque egregium id opus ait fuisse. 5. Non fuit 
 elegantia illud aut cura, sed studiosa luxuria; immo 
 ne studiosa quidem, quoniam non in studium, sed 
 in spectaculum conparaverant, sicut plerisque igna- 
 ris etiam servilium literarum libri non studiorum 
 instrumenta, sed coenationum ornamenta sunt. Pa- 
 retur itaque librorum quantum satis sit, nihil in ad- 
 paratum. 6. Honestius, inquis, hocce inpensae quam 
 in Corinthia pictasque tabulas etfiiderint. Vitio- 
 sum est ubique, quod niinium est. Quid habes, 
 cur ignoscas homini armaria citro atque ebore cap- 
 tanti, corpora conquirenti aut ignotorum auctoriim 
 aut inprobatorum et inter tot milia librorum oscitanti, 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. X. 
 
 87 
 
 ciii Yoluminum suonim frontes maxime placent titiili- 
 
 que ? 7. Apnd desMib&fesimos ergo videbis qiiicqaid 
 
 orationnm liistoriarunique est, tecto tenus exstructa 
 1 ' 
 
 loculamenta : iam enim inter balnearia et tliermas 
 bibliotheca quoque ut iiecessarium domus ornamen¬ 
 tum expolitur. Ignoscerem plane, si studiorum ni- 
 mia cupidine oriretur: nunc ista conquisita, cum ima- 
 ginibus suis descripta et sacrorum opera ingepiorum 
 in speciem et cultum parietum conparantur. 
 
 X. At ad aliquod genus vitae difficile incidisti et 
 tibi ignorant! vel publica fortuna vel privata laque- 
 um inpegit, quern nec solvere posses nec erumpere. 
 Cogita conpeditos prime aegre ferre onera et inpedi- 
 menta crurum : deinde ubi non indignari ilia, sed 
 pati proposuerunt, necessitas fortiter ferre docet, con¬ 
 suetude facile. Invenies in quolibet genere vitae ob- 
 lectamenta et remissiones et voluptates, si nolueris, 
 malam putare vitam potius quam invidiosam facere. 
 2. Xullo melius nomine de nobis natura meruit, quam 
 quod, cum sciret quibus aerumnis nasceremur, calami- 
 tatum mollimentum consiietudinem invenit, cito in 
 familiaritatem gravissima adducens. Xemo duraret, 
 si rerum adversarum eamdem vim adsiduitas haberet 
 quam primus ictus. Omnes cum fortuna copulati 
 sum us: aliorum aurea catena est, aliorum laxa, ali- 
 orum arta et sordida. 3. Sed quid refert ? eadem 
 custodia universes circumdedit adligatique sunt etiam 
 qui adligaverunt; nisi forte tu leviorem in smistra 
 catenam putas. Alium honores, alium opes vinciunt: 
 quosdam nobilitas, quosdam liumilitas premit: quibus- 
 dam aliena supra caput imperia sunt, quibusdam sua : 
 quosdam exilia uno loco tenent, quosdam sacerdotia. 
 
88 
 
 L. ANNAEI SEN^:CAE 
 
 Omnis vita servitinra est. 4. Adsnescendum est ita- 
 que condicioni suae et quam minimum de ilia que- 
 rendum et quicquid habet circa se commodi, ad- 
 prendendum. Nihil tarn acerbum est, in quo non 
 aequus animus solatium inveniat. Exiguae saepe 
 areae in multos us us describentis arte patuerunt et 
 quamvis angustum pedem dispositio fecit babitabb 
 lem. Adbibe rationem difficultatibus : possunt et 
 dura molliri et angusta laxari et gravia scite ferentis 
 piinus premere. 5. Non sunt praeterea cupiditates 
 in longinquum mittendae, sed in vicinum illis egredi 
 perniittarnus, quoniam includi ex toto imn patiuntur. 
 Relictis his, quae aut non possunt fieri^al^ditbpijlter 
 possunt, prope posita speique nostrae^ aSludentia se- 
 quamur; sed sciamus omnia aeque levia esse, extrinse- 
 cus diversas facies habentia, introrsus 'pariter vana. 
 Nec invideannj^, altius stantibus : quae excelsa vide- 
 bantur, praerupta sunf. 6. Illi rursus, quos sors ini- 
 qua in ancipiti posuit, tutiores erunt superbiam de- 
 trahendo rebus per se superbis et fortunam suam, 
 quam maxime poterunt, in planum deferend,o. Mul¬ 
 ti quidem sunt, quibus necessario baerendum sit jn 
 fastigio suo, ex quo non possunt nisi cadendo descen- 
 dere: sed hoc ipsum testentur maximum onus suum 
 esse, quod aliis graves esse cogantur, nec sublevatos 
 se, sed suffixos : iustitia, mansuetudine bumana, larga 
 et benigna manu praeparent multa ad secundos casus 
 praesidia, quorum spe securius pendeant. 7. Nihil 
 tamen aeque nos ab bis animi fluctibus vindicaverit, 
 quam semper aliquem incrementis terrninum figere: 
 nec fortunae arbitrium desinendi dare, sed ipsos mul- 
 to quidem citra exempla hortentur consistere. Sic et 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. XI. 
 
 89 
 
 aliqiiae cupiditates an imum acuent et finitae, non in 
 inmensum incertumque producent. 
 
 XI. Ad inperfectos et mediocres et male sanos hie 
 mens sermo pertinet, non ad sapientem. Huic non 
 timide nec pedetentim ambiilandurn est: tanta enim 
 fidueia sui est, ut obviaih fortunae ire non dubitet nec 
 umqnam loco illi cessurus sit: nec habet, ubi illam 
 timeat, quia non mancipia tantnm possess!onesque 
 et dignitatem, sed corpus quoque suum et oculos et 
 manum et quicquid cariorem vitarn facturum seque 
 ipsurn inter precaria numerat vivitque ut commoda- 
 tus sibi et reposcentibus sine tristitia redditurus. 2. 
 Xec ideo .vilis est sibi, quia scit se suum non esse; 
 sed omnia tarn diligenter faciet, tarn circumspecte, 
 quam religiosus homo sanctusque solet tueri fidei com- 
 inissa.xfQuandocumque autem reddere iubebitur, non 
 queretur cum fortuna, sed dicet: Gratias ago pro eo, 
 quod possedi habuique. Magna quidem res tuas 
 mercede colui, sed quia imperas, do, cedo gratus li- 
 bensque: si quid habere me tui volueris, etiam nunc 
 servabo: si aliud placet, ego vero factum signatum- 
 que argentum, domum familiamque mearn reddo, 
 restituo. 3. Adpellaverit natura quae prior nobis 
 credidit, et huic dicemus: Recipe animum meliorem 
 quam dedisti: non tergiversor nec refugio : paratum 
 habes a volente, quod non sentienti dedisti: aufer. 
 Reverti unde veneris quid grave est ? male vivet, 
 quisquis nesciet bene mori. Huic itaque primum 
 rei pretium detrahendum est et spiritus in servilia 
 numerandus. Gladiatores^ ut ait Cicero, invisos ha- 
 hermis^ si omni modo vitarn injpetrare cupiimt: fa- 
 vermes^ si contemjpturn eius prae se ferunt. Idem 
 
90 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 eveilire nobis scias: saepe enim causa moriendi est 
 timide mori. 4. Fortnna ilia, quae ludos sibi facit, 
 Quo, inquit, te reservein, malum et trepidum animal? 
 eo magis convolneraberis et confodieris, quia nescis 
 praebere iugulum. At tu et vives diutius et mori- 
 eris expeditius, qui ferrnm non subducta cervice nec 
 rnanibus oppositis, sed animose recipis. Qiii mortem 
 timebit, nihil iimquam pro homine vivo faciet: at 
 qui sciat hoc sibi cum conciperetur statim condictum, 
 vivet ad formulam et simul illud quoque eodem ani- 
 mi robore^i'aestabit, ne quid ex iis, quae eveniunt, 
 subitum sit^p 6. Quicquid enim fieri potest, quasi fu- 
 turum sit, prospiciendo malorum omnium inpetus 
 molliet; qui ad praeparatos exspectantesque nihil'ad- 
 ferunt novi, securis et beata tantum specfantibus gra¬ 
 ves veniunt. Morbus enim, cajjtivitas, ruina, ignis, 
 nihil horum repentinum est. Sciebam, in qiiarn tu- 
 multuosum me contubernium natura clusisset : to- 
 
 * V 
 
 tiens in vicinia mea conclamatum est, totiens praeter 
 limen inmaturas exsequias fax cereusque praeces^it: 
 saepe a latere mentis aedificii fragor sonuit : mul- 
 tos ex iis, quos forum, curia, serum mecum contrax- 
 erat, nox abstulit et iunctas ad sodalitium manus 
 capulus interscidit. 6. Mirer ad me aliquando pe- 
 ricula accessisse, quae circa me semper erraverint ? 
 Magna pars hominum est, quae navigatura de tem- 
 pestate non cogitat. Numquam me in bona re mali 
 pudebit auctoris. Publius, tragicis comicisque vehe- 
 mentior ingeniis, quotiens mimicas ineptias et verba 
 ad summani caveam spectantia reliquit, inter multa 
 alia cothurno, non tantum sipario fortiora, et hoc ait: 
 
 Cuivis potest accidere quod ciiiq uain potest. 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMI, CAP. XL 
 
 91- 
 
 7. Hoc si qiiis in medullas demiserit et omnia aliena 
 mala, quorum ingens cotidie copia est, sic adspexeiit, 
 tamquam liberum illis et ad se iter sit; multo ante 
 se armabit quarn petatur. Sero animus ad periculo- 
 rum patientiam post pericula instruitnr. Non putavi 
 hoc futurum : et nmquam tu hoc eventurum credi- 
 disses ? Quare autem non ? Quae sunt divitiae, quas 
 non egestas et fames et mendicitas a tergo sequatur ? 
 Quae dignitas, cuius non praetextam et augurale et lora 
 patr^cia sordes comitentur et exportatio, notae et mille 
 maculae et extrema contemptio ? 8. Quod regnum 
 
 est, cui non parata sit ruin a et proculcatio et dominiis 
 et carnifex ? nec magnis ista intervallis di visa, sed ho- 
 rae momentum interest inter solium et aliena ^enua. 
 
 Scito ergo omnem condicionem versabilem esse et 
 quicquid in ullum incurrit, posse in te quoque incur- 
 rere. Locuples es ? numquid divitior Pompeio ? cui 
 cum Cains, vetus cognatus, hospes novus, aperuisset 
 Caesaris domum, ut suam cluderet, defuit panis, aqua: 
 cum tot flumina possid^ret.in suo orientia, in suo ca- 
 dentia, mendicavit stillicidia :^fame ac siti periit in 
 palatio cognati, dum illi hei’es publicum funus esuri-r^ 
 enti locat. 9. Honoribus summis functus es ? num¬ 
 quid aut tarn magnis ant tarn insperatis aut tarn uni- 
 versis quani Seianus ? Quo die ilium senates de- 
 duxerat, populus in frusta divisit: in quem, quicquid 
 congeri poterat, di hominesque contulerant, ex eo 
 nihil superfuit, quod carnifex traheret. Hex es ? non 
 ad Croesum te mittam, qui rogum suurn et escendit 
 iussus et exstingui vidit, factus non regno tautum, 
 sed etiam morti suae superstes: non ad lugurtbam, 
 quem populus Romanus iiitra annum, quam timuerat. 
 
92 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 . Ptolemaeum Africae reffein, Armeniae. 
 Mitliridateii inter Caianas ciistodias vidimus : alter in 
 exilinm laiissus est, alter ut meliore fide mitteretur, 
 optabat. In tanta rerum sursum ac deorsum eunti- 
 iim versatione si non quicquid fieri potest, pro futuro 
 babes, das in te vires rebus adversis, quas infregit, 
 quisquis prior vidit. 11 . Proxiinum ab bis erit, ne 
 ,aut in supervacuis aut ex, supervacuo laboremus, id 
 est, ne aut quae non possumus consequi, concupisca- 
 mus, aut adepti vanitatem cupiditatium nostrarurn 
 sero post multum pudorem intellegamus: id est, ne 
 aut labor inritus sit sine efiectu aut effectus labore 
 indignus. Fere eniin ex bis tristitia sequitur, si aut 
 non successit aut successus pudet. 
 
 XII. Circumcidenda concursatio, qualis est magnae 
 parti bominum domos et tbeatra et fora pererran- 
 tium. Alienis se negotiis ofierunt, semper aliquid 
 agentibus similes. Ilorum si aliquem exeuntem e 
 domo interrogaveris, Quo tu ? quid cogitas ? responde- 
 bit tibi: Xon mebercules scio : sed aliquos videbo, 
 aliquid agam. Sine proposito vagantur quaerentes 
 negotia nec quae destinaverunt agunt, sed in quae in- 
 currerunt. Inconsultus illis vanusque cursus est, qua¬ 
 lis formicis per arbiista repentibus, quae in summum 
 cacumen, deinde in imum inanes agunturfy 2 . His ple- 
 rique similem vitam agunt, quorum non inmerito quis 
 .inquietam inertiam dixeritp^ Quorumdam quasi ad 
 incendium currentium misereris : usque eo inpellunt 
 obvios et se aliosque praecipitant, cum interim cu- 
 currerunt aut salutaturi aliquem non resalutaturum 
 aut funus ignoti bominis prosccuturi, aut iudiciiim 
 saepe litigantis aut sponsalia saepe nubentis, et lec- 
 
 
 speetavit. ' 10 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. XIII. 
 
 ,93 
 
 ticam adsectati quibiisdam locis etiairi tiileriint: de¬ 
 lude domum cum supervacua redeuntes lassitudine 
 iurant nescisse se ipsos, quare exierint, ubi fuerint, 
 postero die erraturi per eadein ilia vestigia. Omnis 
 itaque labor aliquo referatur,. aliquo respiciat. 3. 
 Non industria, inquietos et insanos falsae rerum ima¬ 
 gines agitant: nam ne illi quidem sine aliqua spe 
 moventur, proritat illos alicuius rei species, cuius 
 vanitatem capta mens non coarguit. Eodem modo 
 unumquemque ex bis, qui ad augendam turbam ex¬ 
 eunt, inanes et leves causae per urbem circumduount 
 niliilque habentem, in quod laboret, lux orta expellit; 
 et cum multorum frustra liminibus illisus nornencu- 
 latores persalutavit, a multis exclusus neminem ex 
 omnibus difficilius domi quam se convenit. 4. Ex 
 hoc malo dependet illud teterrimum vitium, auscul- 
 tatio et publicorum secretorumque inquisitio et mul- 
 tarum rerum scientia, quae nec tuto narrantur nec 
 tuto audiuntur. Hoc secutum puto Democritum ita 
 coepisse; Qui tranquille volet vivere, ncc jorivatim 
 agat multa nec pvMice, ad supervacua scilicet re- 
 ferentem. Nam si necessaria sunt, et privatim et 
 publice non tantum multa, sed innumerabilia agenda 
 sunt: ubi vero nullum officium sollemne nos citat, 
 inhibendae actiones. 
 
 XIII. Nam qui multa agit, saepe fortunae potesta- 
 tern sui facit; quam tutissimum est raro experiri, ce- 
 terum semper de ilia cogitare et nihil sibi de fide eius 
 promittere. Navigabo, nisi si quid inciderit: et prae¬ 
 tor fiam, nisi si quid obstiterit : et negotiatio mihi 
 respondebit, nisi si quid intervenerit. 2. Hoc est 
 quare sapienti nihil contra opinionem dicamus ac- 
 
 E 
 
94 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 cidere : non ilium casibus liominum excerpimus, sed 
 erroribus; nec illi omnia ut voliiit cediint, sed ut co- 
 gitavit : inprimis autem cogitavit alind posse pro- 
 positis suis resistere. Necesse est autem levius ad 
 animum pervenire destitutae cupiditatis dolorem, cui 
 successum non utique promiseris. 
 
 XIY. Faciles etiam nos facere debemus, ne nimis 
 destinatis rebus indulgeamus; transeamusque in ea, in 
 quae nos casus deduxerit, nec mutatioues aut coiisilii 
 aut status pertimescamiis, dummodo nos Tevitas, inimi- 
 cissimum quieti vitium, non excipiat. Nam et perti- 
 nacia necesse est anxia et misera sit, cui fortuna saepe 
 aliquid extorquet, et levitas multo gravior nusquam se 
 coutinens. Utrumque iiifestum est tranquillitati, et 
 nihil mutare posse et nihil pati. 2. Utique animus ab 
 omnibus externis in se revocandus est: sibi confidat, 
 se gaudeat, sua suspiciat, recedat, quantum potest, ab 
 alienis et se sibi adplicet, damna non sentiat, etiam ad- 
 versa benigne interpretetur. Xuntiato naufragio Ze- 
 non noster, cum omnia sua audiret submersa, lubet^ 
 inquit, me fortuna expeditius jdiilosophari. Minaba- 
 tur Theodoro philosopho tyrannus mortem et quidem 
 insepultam. Ilabes, inquit, cur tihi placeas : hemina 
 sanguinis in tua potestate est: nam quod ad sepultu- 
 ram pertinet^ o te ineptum, si putas mea inter esse su¬ 
 pra terrain an infra putrescam. 3. Canus lulius, vir 
 inprimis magnus, cuius admirationi ne hoc quidem 
 obstat, quod nostro seculo natus est, cum Caio din al- 
 tercatus, postquam abennti Phalaris ille dixit, Ne forte 
 incpta spe tihi hlandiaris^ duci te iussi : Gratias, in- 
 ago, optime qirinceps. Quid senserit dubito: iniil- 
 ta enim mihi occurj’unt. Coutumeliosus esse voluit et 
 
DE TEANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. XIV. 
 
 95 
 
 ostendere, quanta crudelitas esset, in qua mors benefi- 
 ciurn erat ? An exprobravit illi cotidianam demen- 
 tiam ? agebant enim grati^et quorum liberi occisi et 
 quorum boiia ablata erant. f4. An tamquam libertatem 
 libenter accepit? Quicquid est, magno animo respon- 
 dit. Dicet aliquis : Potuit post hoc iubere ilium Caius 
 vivere. I^on timuit hoc Can us: nota erat Caii in ta- 
 libus imperiis fides. , Credisne ilium decern medios 
 usque ad supplicium dies sine ulla sollicitudine exe- 
 gisse ? verisimile non est, quae vir ille dixerit, quae 
 fecerit, quam in tranquillo fuerit. Ludebat latruncu- 
 lis, cum centurio agmen periturorum trahens ilium 
 quoque excitari iuberet. Yocatus numeravit calculos 
 et sodali suo, Yide^ inquit, ne post mortem meain men- 
 tiaris te vicisse. 5. Turn adnuens centurioni, Testis, 
 in quit, eris uno me antecedere. Lusisse tu Canum ilia 
 tabula putas ? inlusit. Tristes erant amici talem amis- 
 suri virum. Quid moesti, in quit, estis f Vos quaeri- 
 tis an inmortales animae sint: ego iam sciam: nec 
 desiit veritatem in ipso tine scrutari et ex morte siia 
 quaestionem habere. Prosequebatur ilium philosophus 
 suns nec iam procul erat tumulus, in quo Caesari deo 
 nostro fiebat cotidianum sacrum. Is, Quid, inquit. Ca¬ 
 ne, nunc Gogitas f aut quae tihi mens estf Ohservare, 
 inquit Canus, proposed illo velocissimo momento an 
 sensurus sit animnts exire se : promisitque, si quid ex- 
 plorasset, circumiturum amicos et indicaturum, quis 
 esset animaruin status.. 6. Ecce in media tempestate 
 trailqui 11 itas: ecce animus aeternitate dignus, qui fa- 
 tura suum in argumentura veri vocat; qui in ultimo 
 illo gradii positus exeuntem animam percunctatur nec 
 usque ad mortem taiituni, sed aliquid ctiaiii ex ipsa 
 
96 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 inorte discit: nemo diutius philosopliatus. Sed non 
 raptim relinquetur magnus vir et cum cura dicendus: 
 dabimus te in omnem memoria^n, clarissimum caput, 
 Caianae cladis magna portio ! ^ 
 
 XY. Sed nihil prodest privatae tiistitiae causas abie- 
 cisse. Occupat enim nonnumquam odium generis hu- 
 mani et occurrit tot scelerum felicium turba, cum cogi- 
 taveris, quam sit rara simplicitas et quam ignota inno- 
 centia et vix umquam, nisi cum expedit, tides, et libidi- 
 nis lucra damnaque pariter invisa et ambitio usque eo 
 iam se suis non continens terminis, ut per turpitudinem 
 splendeat. Agitur animus in noctem et velut eversis 
 virtutibus, quas nec sperare licet nec habere prodest, 
 tenebrae oboriuntur. 2. In hoc itaque tlectendi sumus, 
 ut omnia volgi vitia non in visa nobis, sed ridicula vide¬ 
 an tur et Democritum potius imitemur quam Heracli- 
 tum. Hie enim, quotiens in publicum processerat, fle- 
 bat, ille ridebat: huic omnia, quae agimus, miseriae, illi 
 ineptiae videbantur. Elevanda ergo omnia et facili ani- 
 mo ferenda: humanius est deridere vitam quam deplo- 
 rare. 3. Adice quod de humano quoque genere melius 
 meretur qiii ridet illnd, quam qui luget. Ille et spei 
 bonae aliquid relinquit; hie autem stulte deflet, quae 
 corrigi posse desperat: et uni versa contemplatus maio- 
 ris animi est, qui risum non tenet quam qui lacrimas, 
 quando levissimum adfectum animi movet et nihil mag¬ 
 num, nihil severum, ne serium quidem ex tanto paratu 
 putat. Singula propter quae laeti ac tristes sumus, sibi 
 quisque proponat et sciet verum esse quod Bion dixit. 
 Omnia hominum negotia similia initiis esse nec vitam 
 illorum magis sanctam ant severam esse quam concep- 
 tum. 4. Sed satins est publicos mores et humana vitia 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. CAP. XV. 97 
 
 placide accipere nec in risum nec in lacrimas exciden- 
 tcra. ^Tam alienis malis torqueri aeterna miseria est, 
 alienis delectari malis volnptas inhnmana: sicut ilia 
 inutilis humanita's Here, quia aliquis filiam efferat, et 
 frontem suam fingere. In suis quoque malis ita gerere 
 se oportet, ut dolori tantum des, quantum poscit, non 
 quantum consuetude. Plerique enim lacrimas fun- 
 dunt, ut ostendant, et totiens siccos oculos babent, quo- 
 tiens spectator defuit, turpe iudicantes non flere, cum 
 omnes faciant. 5. Adeo penitus hoc se malum fixit, ex 
 aliena opinione pendere, ut in simulationem etiam res 
 simplicissima, dolor, veniat. Sequetur pars, quae solet 
 non inmerito contristare et in sollicitudinem adducere, 
 ubi bonorum exitus mali sunt: ut Socrates cogitur in 
 carcere mori, Rutilius in exilio vivere, Pompeius et 
 Cicero clientibus suis praebere cervicem, Cato ille, vir- 
 tutum viva imago, incumbens gladio simul de se ac de 
 republica palam facere. 6. Kecesse est torqueri tarn 
 iniqua praemia fortunara persolvere : et quid sibi quis- 
 que nunc speret, cum videat pessima optimos pati ? 
 Quid ergo est ? vide quomodo quisque illorum tulerit; 
 et si fortes fuerunt, ipsorum illos anirnos desidera: si 
 muliebriter et ignave perierunt, nihil periit. Aut digni 
 sunt, quorum virtus tibi placeat, aut in digni, quorum 
 desideretur ignavia. Quid enim est turpius quam, si 
 maximi viri timidos fortiter moriendo faciunt? Lau- 
 demus totiens dignum laudibus et dicamus: Tanto for- 
 tior, tanto felicior! hominis effugisti casus, livorem, 
 morbum: existi ex custodia: non tu dignus mala for- 
 tuna dis visus es, sed indignus, in quern iam aliquid 
 fortuna posset. 7. Subducentibus vero se et in ipsa 
 morte ad vitam respectantibus manus iniciendae sunt. 
 
98 
 
 L, ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 Neminem flebo laetnm, neminem flentem : ille lacri- 
 111 as meas ipse abstersit, liic suis lacrimis effecitjiie iillis 
 dignus sit. Ego Herculem fleam, quod vivus uritur, 
 aut Eegulum, quod tot clavis transfigitur, aut Catoiiem, 
 quod volnere suo? Oriines isti levi temporis inpeiisa 
 invenerunt, quomodo aeterni fierent, et ad inmortalita- 
 tem moriendo venerunt. 8. Est et ilia sollicitudinum 
 non mediocris materia, si te anxie conponas nec ullis 
 simpliciter ostendas; qualis multorum vita est, ficta, 
 ostentationi parata. Torquet enim adsidua observatio 
 sui et depreliendi aliter ac solet, metuit; nec umquam 
 cura solvimur,, ubi totiens nos aestimari putamus, quo- 
 tiens adspici. Nam et multa incidunt, quae invites 
 denudent, et, ut bene cedat tanta sui diligentia, non 
 tamen iucunda vita aut secura est semper sub persona 
 viventium. 9. At ilia quantum habet voluptatis sin- 
 cera et per se inornata simplicitas, nihil obtendens mo- 
 ribus suis ? Subit tamen et haec vita contemptus 
 periculum, si omnia omnibus patent: sunt enim qui 
 fastidiant, quicquid propius adierunt. Sed nec virtuti 
 (lericulum est, ne admota oculis revilescat, et satins est 
 simplicitate contemni quam perpetua simulatione tor- 
 queri. Modum tamen rei adliibeamus: multum inter¬ 
 est, simpliciter vivas an neglegenter. Multum et in 
 se recedendum est: conversatio enim dissimilium bene 
 conposita disturbat et renovat adfectus et quicquid in- 
 becillum in animo nec perciiratum est, exulcerat. 10. 
 Miscenda tamen ista et alternanda sint, solitude et fre- 
 quentia. Ilia nobis faciet hominum desiderium, haec 
 nostri; et erit alter! alterius remedium: odium turbae 
 sanabit solitude, taedium solitudinis turba. Nec in 
 eadem iiitentione aequaliter retinenda mens est, sed 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMT. CAP. XV, 99 
 
 ad iocos devocanda. Cum puerulis Socrates ludere 
 non erubescebat; et Cato vino laxabat animuin curis 
 publicis fatigatum. 11. Et Scipio triiimphale illud 
 ac militare corpus movet ad numeros, non molliter se 
 infringens, ut nunc mos est etiain incessu ipso ultra 
 muliebrem mollitiam fluentibus^'^sed ut antiqui illi viri 
 solebant inter lusum ac festa tempora virilern in mo- 
 dum tripudiare, non facturi detrimentum, etiam si ab 
 hostibus suis spectarentur. Danda est animis remis- 
 sio: meliores acrioresque requieti surgent. Ut fertili- 
 bus agris non est imperandum (cito eniin illos exliau- 
 Aet numquam intermissa fecunditas), ita animorum 
 inpetus adsiduus labor franget. Vires recipient pau- 
 lurn resoluti et emissi. 12 . Nascitur ex adsiduitate la- 
 borum animorum hebetatio quaedam et languor: nec 
 ad hoc tanta hominum cupiditas tenderet, nisi natu- 
 ralem quamdam voluptatem haberet lusus iocusque; 
 quorum frequens usus omne animis pondus oinneni- 
 que vim eripiet. Uam et somnus refectioni necessa- 
 rius est: liunc tamen si per diem noctemque con¬ 
 tinues, mors erit. Multum interest, remittas aliquid, 
 an solvas. Legum conditores festos instituerunt dies, 
 ut ad hilaritatem homines publice cogerentur, tam- 
 quam necessarium laboribus interponentes tempera- 
 mentum. 13. Et magni, ut dixi, viri quidam sibi men- 
 struas certis diebus ferias dabant; quidam nullum non 
 diem inter otium et curas dividebant; qualem Polli- 
 onem Asinium, oratorem magnum, meminimus quern 
 nulla res ultra decumam retinuit: ne epistulas qui- 
 dem post earn horam legebat, ne quid novae curae 
 nasceretur; sed totius diei lassitudinem duabus illis 
 lioris ponebat. Quidam medio die interiunxerunt et 
 
100 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 in postmeridianas lioras aliqnid levioris operae dis- 
 tulerunt. 14. Maiores qiiocpie nostri novam relatio- 
 nem post horam decimam in senatn fieri vetabant. 
 Miles vigilias dividit et nox inmunis est ab expedi- 
 tione redeuntiiim. Indulgendum est animo dandum- 
 que subinde otium, quod alimenti ac virium loco sit: 
 et in ambulationibus apertis vagandum, ut coelo li- 
 bero et multo spiritu augeat adtollatque se animus. 
 Aliquando vectatio iterque et mutata regio vigorem 
 dabunt convictusque et liberalior potio: nonnumquam 
 et usque ad ebrietatem veniendum, non ut mergat 
 nos, sed ut deprimat. “^IS. Eluit enim curas et ab 
 imo animum movet et ut morbis quibusdam ita tris- 
 titiae medetur. LiberqpiQ non ob licentiam linguae 
 dictus est inventor vini, sed quia liberat servitio cu- 
 rarum animum et adserit vegetatque et audaciorem 
 in omnes conatus facit. Sed ut libertatis ita vini sa- 
 lubris moderatio est. Solonem Arcesilaumque indul- 
 sisse vino credunt. Catoni ebrietas obiecta est: faci- 
 lius efiiciet, quisquis obiecerit, lioc crimen honestum 
 quam turpem Catonem. Sed nec saepe faciendum 
 est, ne animus malam consuetudinem ducat, et ali¬ 
 quando tamen in exsultationem libertatemque extra¬ 
 hen dus tristisque sobrietas removenda paulisper. 16. 
 Nam sive Graeco poetae credimus, aliquando et in- 
 sanire iucundum est; sive Platoni, frustra poeticas 
 fores conpos sui pepulit; sive Aristoteli, nullum 
 magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit: 
 non potest grande aliquid et super ceteros loqui nisi 
 mota mens. Cum volgaria et solita contempsit in- 
 stinctuque sacro surrexit excelsior, tunc demum ali¬ 
 quid cecinit grandius ore mortali. 17. Non potest 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMT. CAP. XV. 
 
 101 
 
 sublime quicquam et in ardiio positum contingcre, 
 quamdiu apud se est: desciscat oportet a solito et 
 efferatur et mordeat frenos et rectorem rapiat suum 
 eoque ferat, quo per se timuisset esceridere. 
 
 llabes, Serene carissime, quae possint tranquillita- 
 tera tneri, quae restituere, quae subrepentibus vitiis 
 resistant, lllud tamen scito, nihil liorum satis esse 
 validum rem inbecillam servantibus, nisi intenta et 
 adsidua cura circumit animum labentem. 
 
 Coin of Nero, with faf ade of the Macellum Augusti. From the 
 
 British Museum. 
 
The Areopagus. 
 
L. ANNAEI SENBCAE 
 
 AD PAULINUM 
 
 DE BREVITATE YITAE 
 
 LIBER UN US. 
 
The spirit of Stoicism existing by itself is narrow and harsh; it 
 has too great affinity to pride and egotism; it is too repressive of the 
 spontaneous feelings, of art, and poetry, and geniality of life. On the 
 other hand, it is the stimulus to live above the world. Hence while the 
 bare Stoical spirit, in whatever form, produces only an imperfect and 
 repulsive character, a certain leaven of it, to say the least, is necessary: 
 else would a man be wanting in all effort and aspiration of mind. 
 
 Sir Alex. Grant. 
 
AD PAULINUM 
 
 DE BREVITATE VITAE. 
 
 I. Maior pars mortalium, Pauline, de naturae nia- 
 lignitate conqneritur, quod in exiguum aevi gignimur, 
 quod haec tarn velociter, tarn rapide dati nobis tem- 
 poris spatia decurrant, adeo ut exceptis admodum 
 panels ceteros in ipso vitae adparatu vita destituat. 
 Nee huic publico, ut opinantur, malo turba tantum 
 et inpudens volgus ingemuit : clarorum quoque vi- 
 roruni liic adfectus querelas evocavit. Inde ilia maxi- 
 mi medicorum exclamatio est, Yitam hrevem esse, Ion- 
 gam artem. 2. Inde Aristotelis cum rerum natura 
 exigentis minime conveniens sapienti viro lis est: ait 
 istam anirnalibus tantum indulsisse, ut quina aut 
 (Lena secula educerent / homini in tarn multa ac 
 magna genito tanto citeriorem terminum stare. 3. 
 Hort exiguum temporis habemus, sed multum perdi- 
 dirnus. Satis longa vita et in maximarum rerum 
 consummationem large data est, si tota bene conloca- 
 retur. Sed ubi per luxum ac neglegentiam diffluit, 
 ubi nullae bonae rei inpenditur; ultima demurn ne¬ 
 cessitate cogente, quam ire non intelleximus, transisse 
 sentimus. 4. Ita est, noil accepimus brevem vitam, 
 sed fecimus; nec inopes eius, sed prodigi sumus. Sic- 
 
106 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 lit amplae et regiae opes, iibi ad malum dominiim 
 pervenernnt, momento dissipantur, at qiiamvis modi- 
 cae, si bono. custodi traditae sunt, iisu cresciint: ita 
 aetas nostra bene disponenti multxim patet. 
 
 II. Quid de rerum natiira qiierimiir ? ilia se be- 
 nigne gessit: vita, si uti scias, loiiga est. Alium in- 
 satiabilis tenet avaritia, alium in supervacuis labo- 
 ribus operosa sedulitas: alius vino madet: alius in¬ 
 ertia torpet: alium defatigat ex alienis iudiciis sus- 
 pensa semper ambitio : alium mercandi praeceps cii- 
 piditas circa omnes terras, omnia maria spe lucri 
 ducit. Quosdam torqiiet ciipido militiae numquam 
 non aiit alienis periciilis intentos aiit siiis anxios; sunt 
 quos ingratus superioriim cultus voluntaria servitute 
 consiimat. 2. Multos aut adfectatio alienae fortiinae 
 aiit suae odium detinuit: plerosqiie nihil certum se- 
 qiientis vaga et inconstans et sibi displicens levitas per 
 nova consilia iactavit. Quibusdam nihil, quo ciirsum 
 dirigant, placet, sed marcentis oscitantisque fata de- 
 prehendiint, adeo nt quod apud maximum poetariim 
 more oraciili dictum est, verum esse non diibitem : 
 
 Exigua jpar8 est vitae quam nos vivimus. 
 
 Ceteriim qiiidem omne spatiiim non vita, sed tempiis 
 est. 3. Urgentia circiimstant vitia iindiqne nec re- 
 surgere aut in dispectum veri adtollere oculos sinunt 
 et mersos et in ciipiditatem infixes premunt. Num¬ 
 quam illis reciirrere ad se licet, si qiiando aliqiia for- 
 tuito qiiies contigit: veluti profiindo mari, in quo 
 post ventum quoque volutatio est, fiuctuantiir nec 
 umqiiam illis a cupiditatibiis suis otium instat. De 
 istis me piitas disserere, quorum in confesso mala 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. III. 
 
 107 
 
 siint ? adspice illos, ad quorum felicitatem concur- 
 ritur : bonis suis effocantur. 4. Quam multis di- 
 vitiae graves sunt ? quam multorum eloquentia co- 
 tidiano ostentandi ingenii spatio sanguinem educit ? 
 quam multi continuis voluptatibus pallent ? quam 
 multis niliil liberi relinquit circumfusus clientium 
 populus ? Omnis denique istos ab infimis usque ad 
 summos pererra: liic advocat, hie adest: ille pericli- 
 tatur, ille defendit, ille iudicat. I^emo se sibi vindi- 
 cat: alius in alium consumimur. 5. Interroga de 
 istis, quorum nomina ediscuntur: his illos dignosci 
 videbis notis: Ille illius cultor est, hie illius: suus 
 nemo est. Deinde dementissima quorumdam indig- 
 natio est : queruntur de superiorum fastidio, quod 
 ipsis adire volentibus non vaeaverint. Audet quis- 
 quam de alterius superbia queri, qui sibi ipse num- 
 quam vaeat ? Ille tamen te, quisquis est, insolent! 
 quidem voltu, sed aliquando respexit: ille aures suas 
 ad tua verba demisit; ille te ad latus suum reeepit: 
 tu non inspieere te umquam, non audire dignatus es. 
 
 III. Kon est itaque, quod ista otiieia euiquam in- 
 putes; quoniam quidem, cum ilia faceres, non esse 
 cum aliquo volebas, sed tecum esse non poteras. 
 Omnia licet quae umquam ingenia fulserunt in hoc 
 unum consentiant, numquam satis hanc humanarum 
 mentium caliginem mirabuntur. Praedia sua occu- 
 pari a nullo patiuntur et, si exigua contentio est de 
 modo finium, ad lapides et arma discurrunt: in vitam 
 suam incedere alios sinunt, immo vero ipsi etiam 
 possessores eius futuros inducunt. Nemo invenitur, 
 qui pecuniam suam dividere velit : vitam unusquis- 
 qtie quam multis distribuit ? 2. Adstricti sunt in 
 
108 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 continendo patrimonio, simul ad iacturam teraporis 
 ventum est, profusissimi in eo, cuius uiiius honesta 
 avaritia est. Libet itaque ex seniorum turba conpre- 
 liendere aliquem. Pervenisse te ad ultimum aetatis 
 huinanae videmus: centesimus tibi vel supra prerni- 
 tur annus: agedum, ad conputationem aetatem tuam 
 revoca. Difc, quantum ex isto tempore creditor, quan¬ 
 tum arnica, quantum rex, quantum cliens abstulerit: 
 quantum lis uxoria, quantum servorum coercitio, quan- 
 ^tum officiosa per urbem discursatio. 3 . Adicie morbos, 
 quos manu fecimus: adice quod et sine usu iacuit: 
 videbis te pauciores annos habere quam numeras. 
 Pepete rnemoria tecum, quando certus consilii fueris; 
 quotus quisque dies ut destinaveras recesserit; quando 
 tibi usus tui fuerit; quando in statu suo voltus, quan¬ 
 do animus intrepid us; quid tibi in tarn longo aevo 
 facti operis sit; quam multi vitam tuam diripuerint 
 te non sentiente quid perderes; quantum vanus do¬ 
 lor, stulta laetitia, avida cupiditas, blanda conversa- 
 tio abstulerit; quam exiguum tibi de tuo relictum 
 sit: intelleges te inmaturum mori. 
 
 lY. Quid ergo est in causa ? tamquam semper victu- 
 ri vivitis: numquam vobis fragilitas vestra succurrit: 
 non observatis, quantum iam temporis transient: vel- 
 ut ex pleno et abundanti perditis, cum interim for- 
 tasse ille ipse qui alicui vel homini vel rei donatur 
 dies ultimiis sit. Omnia tamquam mortales timetis, 
 omnia tamquam inmortales concupiscitis. Audios 
 plerosque dicentes; A quinquagesimo anno in otium 
 secedam: sexagesimus me annus ab officiis dimittet. 
 Et quern tandem longioris vitae praedem accipis ? quis 
 ista sicut disponis ire patietur ? 2. Non pudet te re- 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. V. 
 
 109 
 
 liquias vitae tibi reservare et id solum tempiis bonae 
 meiiti destinare, quod in nullam rein conferri possit ? 
 Quam serum est tunc vivere incipere, cum desinen- 
 dum est ? quae tarn stulta mortal!tatis oblivio in quin- 
 quagesimum et sexagesimum annum differre sana con- 
 silia et inde velle vitam inclioare, quo pauci perduxe- 
 runt ? 3. Potentissimis et in altum sublatis liomini- 
 
 bus excidere voces videbis, quibus otium optent, lau- 
 dent, omnibus bonis suis praeferant. Cupiunt inte¬ 
 rim ex illo fastigio suo, si tuto liceat, descendere. 
 Nam ut nibil extra lacessat aut quatiat: in te ipsa 
 fortiina ruit. 
 
 Y. Divus Augustus, cui di plura quam ulli praesti- 
 terunt, non desiit quietem sibi precari et vacationem 
 a republica petere. Omnis eius sermo ad hoc semper 
 revolutus est, ut speraret otium. Hoc labores suos, 
 etiam si falso, dulci tamen oblectabat solatio, aliquan- 
 do se victurum sibi. In quadam ad senatum missa 
 epistula, cum requiem suam non vacuam fore digni¬ 
 tatis nec a priore gloria discrepantem pollicitus esset, 
 haec verba inveni: 2. Sed ista fieri sjpeciosius quam 
 promitti possunt : me tamen cupido temporis op- 
 tatisswii mihi provexit, ut quoniam rerum laetitia 
 moratur adhuo, perciperem aliquid voluptatis ex 
 verborum didcedine. Tanta visa est res otium, ut il- 
 1am, quia usu non poterat, cogitatione praesumeret. 
 Qui omnia videbat ex se uno pendentia, qui homini- 
 bus gentibusque fortunam dabat, ilium diem laetissi- 
 mus cogitabat, quo rnagnitudinem suam exueret. 3. 
 Expert us erat, quantum ilia bona per omnes terras 
 fulgentia sudoris exprimerent, quantum occultarum 
 sollicitudinum tegerent: cum civibus primum, deinde 
 
110 
 
 L, ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 ciim collegis, novissime cum adfinibiis coactus armis 
 decernere mari terraque sangiiiuem f udit: per Ma- 
 cedoniam, Sicilian!, Aegyptiim, Syrian! Asiainqne et 
 omnis prope eras bello circnmactus Romana caede 
 lassos exercitiis ad externa bella convertit. 4. Dnrn 
 Alpes placat inmixtosque mediae paci et imperio 
 hostes perdomat, dum ultra Rheniim et Eupbraten et 
 Danubium terminos movet, in ipsa urbe Murenae, 
 Caepionis, Lepidi, Egnatiorum in eum mucrones acu- 
 ebantur. Nondum horum effngerat insidias: filia et 
 tot nobiles iuvenes adnlterio velut Sacramento adacti 
 iam infractam aetatem territabant: plusque et iterum 
 timenda cum Antonio mulier. 5. Haec ulcera cum 
 ipsis membris absciderat; alia subnascebantur: velut 
 grave multo sanguine corpus, partes semper aliquae 
 rumpebantur. Itaque otium optabat: in huius spe 
 et cogitatione labores eius residebant: hoc votum erat 
 eius, qui voti conpotes facere poterat. Marcus Cicero 
 inter Catilinas, Clodios iactatus Pompeiosque et Gras¬ 
 ses, partim manifestos inimicos, partim dubios amicos, 
 dum fluctnatur cum republica et illam pessum euntem 
 tenet, novissime abductus, nec secundis rebus quietus 
 nec adversarum patiens, quotiens ilium ipsum consula- 
 tum suum non sine causa, sed sine fine laudatum de- 
 testatur ? 6. Quam fiebiles voces exprimit in quadam 
 
 ad Atticum epistula iam victo patre Pompeio, adliuc 
 filio in Hispania fracta arma refovente ? Quid agarn^ 
 inquit, hie quaeris f moror in Tusculano meo semi- 
 liber. Alia deinceps adicit, quibus et priorem aeta¬ 
 tem conplorat et de praesenti queritur et de futura 
 desperat. Semiliberum se dixit Cicero: at meliercu- 
 les numquam sapiens in tarn liumile nomen procedet, 
 
^ DE BKEVITATE VITAE. CAP. VI. Ill 
 
 niimquam semiliber erit; iiitegrae semper libertatis 
 et solidae, solutiis, et siii iuris et altior ceteris. Quid 
 enim supra eum potest esse, qui supra fort qu am est ? 
 
 YI. Livius Drusus, vir acer et veliemens, cum leges 
 novas et mala Gracchana movisset, stipatus ingenti 
 totius Italiae coetu, exitum rerum non pervidens, quas 
 nec agere licebat nec iam liberum erat semel inclioafas 
 relinquere, exsecratus inquietam a primordiis vitam 
 dicitur dixisse, Uni sibi ne jpuero qnidem umquam 
 ferias contigisse. Ausus est enim et pupillus adhuc 
 et praetextatus iudicibus reos commendare et gratiam 
 suam foro interponere tarn efficaciter quidem, ut qnae- 
 dam indicia constet ab illo rapta. 2. Quo non ernm- 
 peret tarn inmatura ambitio ? scires in malum ingens 
 et privatum et publicum evasuram praecoquem auda- 
 ciam. Sero itaque querebatur nullas sibi ferias conti¬ 
 gisse a puero seditiosus et foro gravis. Disputatur, 
 an ipse sibi manus adtulerit: subito enim volnere per 
 inguen accepto conlapsus est, aliquo dubitante, an mors 
 eius voluntaria esset, nullo, an tempestiva. 3. Super¬ 
 vacuum est commemorare plures qui, cum aliis felicis- 
 simi viderentur, ipsi in se verum testimoniam dixerunt, 
 perosi omnem actum annornm suorum. Sed bis que- 
 relis nec alios mutaverunt nec se ipsos. Kam cum 
 verba erupernnt, adfectus ad consuetudinem relabun- 
 tur. Yestra meliercules vita, licet supra mille annos 
 exeat, in artissimum contrahetur. Ista vitia nullum 
 non seculum devorabunt : hoc vero spatium quod, 
 quamvis natura currit, ratio dilatat, cito vos effugiat 
 necesse est. 4. Non enim adprebenditis nec retinetis 
 nec velocissimae omnium rei moram facitis, sed abire 
 ut rem supervacuam ac reparabilem sinitis. In primis 
 
112 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 autem et illos inimero, qni niilli rei nisi vino ac libidini 
 vacant: niilli enim turpiiis occnpati sunt: ceteri et- 
 iam si vana gloriae imagine teneantiir, speciose tamen 
 errant. 5. Licet avaros mihi, licet vel iracundos enume- 
 res vel odia exercentes iniusta vel bella : omnes isti vi- 
 rilius peccant: in Yenerem ac libidinem proiectorum 
 inbonesta tabes est. Omnia istorum tempora excute: 
 adspice qiiamdiii conputent, quamdiu insidientur, 
 quamdiu timeant, quamdiu colant, quamdiu colantur, 
 quantum vadimonia sua atque aliena occupent, quan¬ 
 tum convivia, quae iarn ipsa officia sunt: videbis, quem- 
 admodum illos respirare non sinant vel mala sua vel 
 bona. 6. Denique inter omnes convenit nullani rem 
 bene exerceri posse ab liomine occupato, non eloquen- 
 tiam, non liberates disciplinas, quando districtus ani¬ 
 mus nihil altius recipit, sed omnia velut inculcata re- 
 spuit. Nihil minus est horn inis occupati quam vivere : 
 nullius rei difficilior scientia est. 
 
 YII. Professores aliariim artium volgo multiqiie 
 sunt: quasdam vero ex his pueri admodum ita perce- 
 pisse visi sunt, ut etiarn praecipere possent: vivere 
 tota vita discendum est et, quod magis fortasse mira- 
 bere, tota vita discendum est mori. Tot maximi viri 
 relictis omnibus inpedimentis, cum divitiis, officiis, 
 voluptatibus renuntiassent, hoc unum in extremam 
 usque aetatem egerunt, ut vivere scirent: plures ta¬ 
 men ex his nondum se scire confessi. vita abierunt; 
 nedum ut isti sciant. 2. Magni, mihi crede, et supra 
 humanos errores emineiitis viri est nihil ex suo tem¬ 
 pore delibari sinere: et ideo eius vita longissima est, 
 quia, quantumcumque patuit, totum ipsi vacavit. Ni¬ 
 hil inde incultum otiosumque iacuit, nihil siib alio 
 
DE BEEVITATE VITAE. CAP. VII. 
 
 113 
 
 fait : neqne enim qnicquam reperit dignum, quod 
 cum tempore suo permutaret custos eius parcissimus. 
 Itaque satis illi f uit: liis vero necesse est defuisse, ex 
 quorum vita multnm populns tulit. 3. Nec est quod 
 pntes liiiic illos aliquando iiitellegere damnum suum: 
 plerosque certe audios ex Ins, quos magna felicitas 
 gravat, inter clientium greges aut causaruni actiones 
 aut ceteras honestas miserias exclarnare interdum, Yi- 
 vere inihi non licet. Quidni non liceat ? omnes illi, 
 qui te sibi advocant, tibi abducunt. Ille reus quot 
 dies abstulit ? quot ille candidatiis ? quot ilia anus ef- 
 ferendis lieredibus lassa ? quot ille ad inritandam ava- 
 ritiam captantium simulatus aeger ? quot ille potentior 
 amicus, qui vos non in amicitiam, sed in adparatu lia- 
 bet ? 4. Dispunge, inquam, et recense vitae tuae dies : 
 
 videbis paucos admodum et reiculos apud te resedisse. 
 Adsecutus ille quos optaverat fasces cupit ponere et 
 subinde dicit, Quando liic annus praeteribit ? Facit 
 ille ludos, quorum sortem sibi obtingere magno aesti- 
 mavit: Quando, inquit, istos effugiam ? Diripitur ille 
 toto foro patronus et magno concursu omnia ultra, 
 quam audiri potest, couplet: Quando, inquit, res pro- 
 ferentur ? 5. Praecipitat quisque vitam suam et fu- 
 
 turi desiderio laborat, pi-aesentinm taedio. At ille qui 
 nullum non tempus in usiis suos confert, qui omnes 
 dies tamquam vitam ordinat, nec optat crastinum nec 
 timet. Quid enim est, quod iam ulla bora novae vo- 
 luptatis possit adferre ? omnia nota, omnia ad satieta- 
 tem percepta sunt. De cetero fors fortuna, ut volet, 
 ordinet: vita iam in tuto est: liuic adici potest, de- 
 trahi nihil: et adici sic, quemadmodum saturo iam ac 
 pleno aliquid cibi: qui quod nec desiderat capit. 
 
114 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 yill. Non est itaque qnod quernqnara propter ca¬ 
 ll os aut rugas putes diu yixisse: [non ille din vixit, 
 sed] din fuit. Quid enim, si ilium multum putes na- 
 vigasse, quern saeva tempestas a portu exceptum hue 
 et illuc tulit ac vicibus ventorum ex diverse furen- 
 tium per eadein spatia in orbem egit ? non ille mul¬ 
 tum navigavit, sed multum iactatus est. Mirari soleo, 
 cum video aliquos tempus petentes et eos, qui rogan- 
 tur, facillimos. 2. Illud uterque spectat, propter quod 
 tempus petitum est; ipsum quidem neuter. Quasi 
 nihil petitur, quasi nihil datur, res omnium pretiosissi- 
 ma luditur. Fallit autem illos, quia res incorporalis 
 est, quia sub oculos non venit; ideoque vilissima 
 aestimatur, immo paene nullum eius pretium est. An¬ 
 nua congiaria homines carissime accipiunt et his aut 
 laborem aut operam aut diligentiam suam locant: 
 nemo aestimat tempus : utuntur illo laxius quasi 
 gratuito. 3. At eosdem aegros vide, si mortis peri- 
 culum propius est admotum, medicorum genua tan- 
 gentes: si metuunt capitale supplicium, omnia sua, 
 ut vivant, paratos inpendere: tanta in illis discordia 
 adfectuum est. Quodsi posset quemadmodum prae- 
 teritorum annorum cuiusque numerus proponi, sic fu- 
 turorum: quomodo illi, qui paucos viderent superesse, 
 trepidarent, quomodo illis parcerent? Atqui facile est 
 quamvis exiguum dispensare quod certum est: id de¬ 
 bet servari diligentins, quod nescias quando deficiat. 
 4. Nec est tamen, quod putes illos ignorare, quam 
 cara res sit. Dicere solent eis, quos valdissime di- 
 ligunt, paratos se partem annorum suorum dare. 
 l)aut nec intellegunt: dant autem ita, ut sine illo- 
 rum incremento sibi detrahant : sed hoc ipsum an 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. IX. 
 
 115 
 
 detrahant nesciiint: ideo tolerabilis est illis iactura 
 detrimenti latentis. Nemo restitiiet aimos, nemo 
 iteriim te tibi reddet. 5. Ibit, qua coepit, aetas nec 
 cursiim suum ant revocabit ant supprimet: nihil tu- 
 mnltnabitnr, nihil admonebit velocitatis suae : tacita 
 labetur. Non ilia se regis imperioj non favore populi 
 longius proferet: sicut missa est a primo die, cnrret: 
 nusqnam devertetur, nusqnarn remorabitiir. Quid het? 
 tu occnpatus es, vita festinat: mors interim aderit cui, 
 velis nolis, vacandnm est. 
 
 IX. Potestne quisquam, dico hominum eorum qui 
 prudentiam iactant operosius occupati sunt, quam ut 
 melius possint vivere ? Inpendio vitae vitam in- 
 struunt, cogitationes siias in longum ordinant. Maxi¬ 
 ma porro vitae iactura dilatio est: ilia primum quem- 
 que extrahit diem, ilia eripit praesentia, dum ulterio- 
 ra promittit. Maximum vivendi inpedimentum est 
 exspectatio, quae pendet ex crastino. Perdis hodier- 
 num : quod in manu fortunae positum est, disponis, 
 quod in tua, dimittis. Quo spectas, quo te extendis? 
 omnia quae ventura sunt, in incerto iacent: protinus 
 vive. 2. Clamat ecce maximus vates et velut divino 
 ore instinctus salutare carmen canit: 
 
 Ojptima qiiaeque dies miseris mortalibus aevi 
 
 Prima fugit. 
 
 Quid cunctaris, inquit, quid cessas? Nisi occupas, fu¬ 
 git, et cum occupaveris, tameii fugiet. Itaque cum 
 celeritate temporis utendi velocitate certandum est et 
 velut ex torrenti rapido nec semper ituro cito haurien- 
 dum. Hoc quoqiie pulcherrime ad exprobrandam in- 
 linitam cogitationem, quod non optimam quamque 
 
116 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 aetateiri, sed diem dicit. 3. Quid securns et in tanta 
 teinporiim fiiga lentus menses tibi et aim os et Ion- 
 gam seriem, utciimqiie aviditati tiiae \dsiim est, ex- 
 porrigis? de die tecum locpiitur et de lioc ipso fugi- 
 eiite. Non du.bium est ergo, quin prima quaeque 
 optima dies fugiat mortalibus miseris, id est occupa- 
 tis : quorum pueriles adliuc animos senectus opprimit, 
 ad quam inparati inermesque perveniunt. 4. Niliil 
 enim provisum est: subito in illam nee opinantes 
 inciderunt : accedere earn cotidie non sentiebant. 
 Quemadmodum aut sermo aut lectio aut aliqua in- 
 tentior cogitatio iter facientis decipit et pervenisse 
 ante sciunt quam adpropinquasse : sic lioc iter vitae 
 adsiduum et citatissimum, quod vigilantes dormientes- 
 que eodem gradu facimus, occupatis non adparet nisi 
 in tine. 
 
 X. Quod proposui si in partes velim et argumenta 
 diducere, multa mihi occurrent, per quae probem bre- 
 vissimam esse occupatorum vitam. Solebat dicere 
 Fabianus, non ex his cathedrariis philosopliis, sed ex 
 veris et antiquis, Contra adfectus injjetti, non snbtili- 
 tate jpugnandiim^ nec minutis volneribns, sed incursu 
 avertendam aciem non jgrobam : cavillationes enim 
 contundi debere^ non vellicari. Tamen ut illis error 
 exprobretur suus, docendi, non tantum deplorandi sunt. 
 2. In tria tempora vita dividitur: quod fuit, quod est, 
 quod futurum est. Ex his quod agimus, breve est, 
 quod acturi sumus, dubium, quod egirnus, certurn. 
 Hoc est enim, in quod fortuna ins perdidit, quod in 
 nullius arbitrium reduci potest. Hoc amittiint occu- 
 pati: nec enim illis vacat praeterita rcspicere, et si 
 vacet, iniucimda est poenitendae rei recordatio. In- 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. X. 
 
 117 
 
 viti itaque ad tempera male exacta animum revocant 
 iieo ancient ea retemptare, quorum vitia, etiam quae 
 alicpio praesentis voluptatis lenocinio subripiebantiir, 
 retractando patescimt. Nemo, nisi a quo omnia acta 
 sunt sub censura sua, quae numquam fallitiir, libenter 
 se in praeteritum retorquet. 3. Ille qui multa am- 
 bitiose concupiit, superbe contempsit, inpotenter vicit, 
 insidiose decepit, avare rapuit, prodige effudit, necesse 
 est memoriam suam timeat. Atqui baec est pars 
 temporis nostri sacra ac dedicata, omnes humanos 
 casus supergressa, extra regnum fortunae subducta, 
 quam non inopia, non metus, non morborum incur- 
 sus exagitet. 4. Ilaec nec turbari nec eripi potest: 
 perpetua eius et intrepida possessio est. Singuli tan- 
 tum dies, et hi per momenta, praesentes sunt: at prae- 
 teriti temporis omnes, cum iusseris, aderunt, ad arbitri- 
 um tuum inspici se ac detineri patientur; quod facere 
 occupatis non vacat. Securae et quietae mentis est 
 in omnes vitae suae partes discurrere: occupatorum 
 animi, velut sub ingo sint, flectere se ac respicere non 
 possunt. 5. Abit igitur vita eorum in profimdum et 
 ut nihil prodest, licet qnantumlibet ingeras, si non 
 subest, quod excipiat ac servet, sic niliil refert quan¬ 
 tum temporis detur, si non est, ubi subsidat : per 
 quassos foratosque animos transmittitur. 6 . Praesens 
 tempus brevissimum est, adeo quidem, ut quibusdam 
 nullum videatur: in cursu enim semper est, fluit et 
 praecipitatur: ante desinit esse quam venit; nec ma- 
 gis moram patitur quam mundus aut sidera, quorum 
 inrequieta semper agitatio numquam in eodem ves- 
 tigio manet. Solum igitur ad occupatos praesens 
 pertinet tempus ; quod tarn breve est, ut adripi 
 
 F 
 
118 
 
 L. AHNAEI SENECAE 
 
 non possit, et id ipsum illis districtis in multa snb- 
 diicitiir. 
 
 XL Deniqiie vis scire qnam non diu vivant ? vide 
 quam cupiant din vivere. Decrepiti senes paucornm 
 annornm accessionem votis mendicant: minores natu 
 ipsos esse fingnnt: mendacio sibi blandiuntnr et tarn 
 libenter se fallunt qnam si una fata decipiant. Iain 
 vero cnm ill os aliqna inbecillitas mortal! tatis admo- 
 nuit, qnemadmodum paventes moriuntnr, non tam- 
 qnam exeant de vita, sed tamqnam extrahantur ? 
 stnltos se fnisse, ut non vixerint, clamitant et, si 
 modo evaserint ex ilia valitndine, in otio victnros. 
 2. Time qnam frnstra paraverint, qnibus non frn- 
 erentnr, quam incassnm omnis ceciderit labor, cogi- 
 tant. At qiiibus vita procnl ab omni negotio agitnr, 
 qiiidni spatiosa sit? nihil ex ilia delegatnr, nihil alio 
 atqne alio spargitur, nihil inde fortnnae traditnr, 
 nihil neglegentia interit, nihil largitione detrahitur, 
 nihil snpervacnnm est: tota, nt ita dicam, in reditn 
 est. Qnantnlaenmqne itaqne abunde snfficit et ideo, 
 quandoqne nltimns dies venerit, non ennetabitnr sa¬ 
 piens ire ad mortem certo gradn. 3. Qnaeris fortasse, 
 qnos ocenpatos vocem ? non est quod me solos pntes 
 dicere, qnos a basilica inmissi demnm canes eiciunt, 
 qnos aut in sna vides tnrba speciosins elidi aut in 
 aliena contemptius, quos ofiicia domibus suis evocant, 
 ut alienis foribns inlidant, qnos hasta praetoris infami 
 lucro et qnandoqne suppuraturo exercet. Quorum- 
 dam otium ocenpatnm est: in villa aut in lecto sno, 
 in media solitudine, quam vis ab omnibus recesserint, 
 sibi ipsi molest! sunt: quorum non otiosa vita dicen- 
 da est, sed desidiosa occupatio. 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. XII. 
 
 119 
 
 XII. Ilium tu otiosnm vocas qui Corintliia, pauco- 
 rum furore pretiosa, anxia subtilitate concinnat et 
 inaiorem dieriim partem in aeruginosis laraellis coii- 
 sumit ? qiii in ceromate (nam, proli facinus, ne Ro¬ 
 manis qnidem vitiis laboramus) sectator puerorum 
 rixantium sedet ? qui vinctorum suornm greges in 
 aetatiiim et colorum paria diducit ? qui atbletas no- 
 vissimos pascit ? Quid ? illos otiosos vocas, quibus 
 apiid tonsorem multae tiorae transmittuntur, dum 
 decerpitur, si quid proxima nocte succrevit, dum de 
 singulis capillis in consilium itur, dum aut disiecta 
 coma restituitur aut deficiens bine atque illinc in 
 frontem conpellitur ? 2. Quomodo irascuntur, si ton- 
 
 sor paulo neglegentior fuit, tamquam virum tonde- 
 ret ? Quomodo excandescunt, si quid ex iuba sua 
 decisum est, si quid extra ordinem iacuit, nisi otimia 
 in aimlos sues reciderunt ? Quis est istorum qui non 
 malit rempublicam suam turbari quam comam ? qui 
 non sollicitior sit de capitis sui decore quam de sa¬ 
 lute ? qui non comptior esse malit quam lionestior? 
 IIos tu otiosos vocas inter pectinem speculumque 
 occupatos ? 3. Quid illi qui in conponendis, audi- 
 
 endis, dicendis canticis operati sunt; dum vocem, cu¬ 
 ius rectum cursum natura et optimum et simplicissi- 
 mum fecit, inflexu modulationis inertissimae torquent ? 
 Quorum digiti aliquod intra se carmen metientes 
 semper sonant ; quorum, cum ad res serias, saepe 
 etiani tristes adhibiti sunt, exauditur tacita modula- 
 tio ? non liabent isti otium, sed iners negotium. 4. 
 Convivia mebercules liorum non posuerim inter va¬ 
 cantia tempora, cum videam, quam solliciti argen¬ 
 tum ordinent, quam diligeiiter exoletorum suorurn 
 
120 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 tunicas succingaut, quam suspeusi siut qiiomodo aper 
 a coco exeat, quanta celeritate signo date glabri ad 
 ministeria discurrant, quanta arte scindantur aves in 
 frusta non enormia, quam curiose infelices pueruli 
 ebriorum sputa detergeant. Ex bis elegantiae lau- 
 titiaeque fama captatur et usque eo in omnes vitae 
 secessus mala sua illos sequuntur, ut nec bibant sine 
 ambitione nec edant. 5. Ne illos quidem inter otio- 
 sos numeraveris, qui sella se et lectica hue et illuc 
 ferunt et ad gestationum suarum, quasi deserere illas 
 non liceat, boras occurrunt: quos quando lavari de¬ 
 bean t, quando natare, quando coenare, alius admonet;- 
 et usque eo nimio delicati animi languore solvuntur, 
 ut per se scire non possint, an esuriant. 6. Audio 
 quemdam ex delicatis (si modo deliciae vocandae sunt 
 vitam et consuetudinem humanam dediscere), cum ex 
 balneo inter manus elatus et in sella positus esset, 
 dixisse interrogando, lam sedeo f Hunc tu ignoran- 
 tem, an sedeat, putas scire an vivat, an videat, an 
 otiosus sit ? non facile dixerim, utrum magis miserear, 
 si hoc ignoravit, an si ignorare se finxit. 7. Multa- 
 rum quidem rerum oblivionem sentiunt, sed multarum 
 et imitantur: quaedam vitia illos, quasi felicitatis ar- 
 giimenta, delectant. Nimis bumilis et contempt! bo- 
 minis videtur scire quid faciat. I nunc et mimos 
 multa mentiri ad exprobrandam luxuriam puta. Plu- 
 ra mehercules praetereunt quam fingunt et taiita in- 
 credibilium vitiorum copia ingenioso in hoc unum 
 seculo processit, ut iam mimorum arguere possimus 
 neglegentiam. Esse aliquem, qui usque eo deliciis 
 interierit, ut an sedeat alteri credat? 
 
 XIII. Non est ergo bic otiosus: aliud nomen in- 
 
DE BEEVITATE VITAE. CAP. XIII. 121 
 
 ponas: aeger est, immo mortniis est. Ille otiosus est, 
 cui otii STii et sensns est: hie vero semivivnSj ciii ad 
 intellegendos corporis siii habitus indice opus est: 
 quomodo potest hie ullius temporis dominus esse ? 
 Persequi singulos longum est, quorum aut latrunculi 
 aut pila aut excoquendi in sole corporis cura con- 
 sumpsere vitam. 2. E^on sunt otiosi, quorum volupta- 
 tes multum negotii habent. I^am de illis. nemo du- 
 bitabit, quin operose nihil agant, qui literarum inu- 
 tilium studiis detinentur; quae iam apud Eomanos 
 quoque magna manus est. Graecorum iste morbus 
 fuit quaerere, quern numerum Ulixes remigum ha- 
 buisset: prior scripta esset, Ilias an Odyssea: praeter- 
 ea an eiusdem esset auctoris : alia deinceps huius 
 notae; quae sive con tineas, nihil tacitam conscientiam 
 iuvant, sive proferas, non doctior videaris, sed moles- 
 tior. 3. Ecce Romanos quoque invasit inane studium 
 supervacua discendi. Ilis diebus audivi quemdam 
 referentem, quae primus quisque ex Romanis ducibus 
 fecisset. Primus navali proelio Duillius vicit, primus 
 Curius Dentatus in triumpho duxit elephantos. Et- 
 iamnunc ista, etsi ad veram gloriam non tendunt, circa 
 civilium tamen operum exempla versantur. 4. Ron 
 est profutura talis scientia; est tamen, quae nos spe- 
 ciosa rernm vanitate detineat. Hoc quoque quae- 
 rentibus remittamus, quis Romanis primus persuaserit 
 navem conscendere? Claudius is fuit, Caudex ob hoc 
 ipsiim adpellatus, quia plurium tabularum contextus 
 caudex apud antiques vocatur; unde publicae tabulae 
 codices dicuntur et naves nunc quoque, quae ex anti- 
 qua consuetudine commeatus per Tiber!m subvehunt, 
 codicariae vocantur. 5. Sane et hoc ad rem^ pertineat, 
 
122 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 quod Valerius Corvimis primus Messanam yicit et 
 primus ex f am ilia Valeriornm iirbis captae in se 
 translate nomine Messana adpellatus est panlatim- 
 que volgo permntante ,literas Messalla dictus. l^urn 
 et hoc ciiiqnam curare permittes, quod primus L. 
 Sulla in circo leones solntos dedit, cum alioquin ad- 
 ligati darentur, ad conficiendos eos missis a rege 
 Boccho iaculatoribus ? et hoc sane remittatur. 6. 
 Num et Pompeium primum in circo elephantornm 
 duodeviginti pngnam edidisse commissis more proelii 
 noxiis hominibus ad ullam rem bonam pertinet ? 
 Princeps civitatis et inter antiques principes, ut 
 fama tradidit, bonitatis eximiae, memorabile putavit 
 spectaculi genus novo more perdere homines. De- 
 pngnant ? parum est: lancinantur ? parum est: in- 
 genti mole animalium exterantur. Satius erat ista 
 in oblivionem ire, ne quis postea potens disceret in- 
 videretque rei minime humanae. 
 
 XIV. O quantum caligiuis mentibus nostris obicit 
 magna felicitas ! Ille se supra reruni naturam esse 
 tunc credidit, cum tot miserorum hominum catervas 
 sub alio coelo natis beluis obiceret, cum bellum inter 
 tarn disparia animalia committeret, cum in conspectu 
 populi Romani multum sanguinis funderet mox plus 
 ipsum fundere coacturus. At idem postea Alexandri- 
 na pertidia deceptus ultimo mancipio transfodiendum 
 se praebuit, turn demum intellecta inani iactatione 
 cognominis sui. 2. Sed ut illo revertar, unde decessi, 
 et in eadem materia ostendam supervacuam quorum- 
 dam diligentiam : idem narrabat Metellum victis in 
 Sicilia Poenis triumphantem unum omnium Romano- 
 rum ante ^currum centum et viginti captivos elephan- 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. XIV. 12^ 
 
 tos duxisse. Siillam nltimiim Romanorum protulisse 
 pomoeriiim, quod nmnquam provinciali, sed Italico 
 agro adquisito proferre moris apiid antiques fuit. 3. 
 Hoc scire magis prodest, quam Aventinum montem 
 extra pomoerium esse, ut ille adfirmabat, propter al- . 
 teram ex diiabiis causis, aut quod plebs eo secessis- 
 set, aut quod Remo auspicaiite illo loco aves non 
 addixissent. Alia deinceps innumerabilia, quae aut 
 farta sunt mendaciis aut similia. Ham ut concedas 
 omnia eos fide bona dicere, ut ad praestationem 
 scribant : tamen cuius ista errores minuent ? cuius 
 cupiditates prement ? quern fortiorem, quern iustio- 
 rem, quern liberaliorem facient. 4. Dubitare se in¬ 
 terim Fabianus noster aiebat, an satius esset nullis 
 studiis admoveri quam *his inplicari. Soli omnium 
 otiosi sunt qiii sapientiae vacant : soli vivunt : nec 
 enim suam tantum aetatem bene tiientur : omne 
 aevuin suo adicinat. Quicquid annonmi ante illos 
 actum est, illis adquisitum est. Hisi ingratissimi 
 
 sumus, illi clarissimi sacrarum opinioniim conditores 
 nobis nati sunt, nobis vitam praeparaveriint. 5. Ad 
 res pulcherrimas ex tenebris ad lucem erutas alieno 
 labore deducimur : nullo nobis seculo interdictum 
 est, in omnia admittimur et, si magnitudine animi 
 egredi humanae inbecillitatis angustias libet, multiim, 
 per quod spatiemur, temporis est. Disputare cum 
 Socrate licet, dubitare cum Carneade, cum Epicuro 
 quiescere, hominis naturam cum Stoicis vincere, cum 
 Cynicis excedere, cum rerum natura in consortium 
 oninis aevi patiatur incedere. 6. Quidni ab hoc exi* 
 giio et caduco temporis transitu in ilia toto nos de¬ 
 mos anirno, quae inmensa, quae aeterna sunt, quae 
 
124 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 cum melioribiis commiinia ? Isti, qni per officia dis- 
 cnrsant, qui se aliosqiie inquietant, cum bene insanie- 
 rint, cum omnium limina cotidie perambulaverint nec 
 ullas apertas fores praeterierint, cum per diversissi- 
 mas domos meritoriam salutationem circumtulerint; 
 quotum quemque ex tarn inmensa et variis cupiditati- 
 bus districta urbe poterunt videre ? quam multi erunt, 
 quorum illos aut somnus aut luxuria aut inhumanitas 
 submoveat? 7. Quam multi qui illos, cum diu torse- 
 rint, simulata festinatione transcurrant ? quam multi 
 per refertum clientibus atrium prodire vitabunt et 
 per obscuros aedium aditus profugient ? quasi non 
 inhumanius sit decipere quam excludere: quam multi 
 liesterna crapula semisomnes et graves, illis miseriis 
 somnum suum rumpentes, ut alienum exspectent, vix 
 adlevatis labris insusurratum millies nomen oscitatione 
 superbissima reddent? 8 . Hos in veris officiis morari 
 licet dicamus, qui Zenonem, qui Pjthagoran cotidie et 
 Democritum ceterosque antistites bon arum artium, qui 
 Aristotelem et Theoplirastum volent habere quam fa- 
 miliarissimos: nemo horum non vacabit, nemo non 
 venientem ad se beatiorem amantioremque sui dimit- 
 tet: nemo quemquam vacuis a se manibus abire pa- 
 tietur. 9. Kocte conveniri et interdiu ab omnibus 
 mortalibus possunt. Horum te mori nemo coget, 
 omnes docebunt: horum nemo annos tuos conterit, 
 suos tibi contribuit: nullius ex his sermo periculosus 
 erit, nullius amicitia capitalis, nullius sumptuosa ob- 
 servatio. 
 
 XY. Feres ex illis, quicquid voles: per illos non 
 stabit, quo minus plurimum quantum ceperis haurias. 
 Quae ilium felicitas, quam pulchra senectus manet, 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. . CAP. XV. 
 
 125 
 
 qui se in horiim clientelam contiilit ? habebit, cum qui- 
 bus de minimis maximisque rebus deliberet, quos de se 
 cotidie consulat. a quibus audiat verum sine contume- 
 lia, laudetur sine adulatione, ad quorum se similitudi- 
 nem effingat. Solemus dicere non fuisse in nostra 
 potestate, quos sortiremur parentes, forte nobis datos: 
 nobis vero ad nostrum arbitrium nasci licet. 2. Ko- 
 bilissimorum ingeniorum familiae sunt; elige in quam 
 adscisci velis: non in nomen tantum adoptaberis, sed 
 in ipsa bona: quae non erunt sordide nec maligne 
 custodienda; maiora fient, quo ilia pluribus diviseris. 
 Hi tibi dabunt ad aeternitatem iter et te in ilium lo¬ 
 cum, ex quo nemo deicitur, sublevabunt; haec una 
 ratio est extendendae mortalitatis, immo in inmortali- 
 tateni vertendae. Honores, monumenta, quicquid aut 
 decretis ambitio iussit aiit operibus exstruxit, cito sub- 
 ruitur: nihil non longa demolitur vetustas et movet. 
 3. At iis, quae consecravit sapientia, noceri non potest: 
 nulla abolebit aetas, nulla diminuet: sequens ac deinde 
 semper ulterior aliquid ad venerationem coiifert; quo- 
 niam quidem in vicino versatur invidia ; simplicius 
 longe posita miramur. Sapientis ergo multum patet 
 vita: non idem ilium qui ceteros terminus cludit: so¬ 
 lus generis liumani legibus solvitur: omnia illi secula 
 ut deo serviunt. 4. Transit tempus aliquod ? hoc re- 
 cordatione conprehendit: instat ? hoc utitur: ventii- 
 rnm est? hoc praecipit. Longam illi vitam facit om¬ 
 nium temporum in unum conlocatio. Illorum bre- 
 vissima ac sollicitissima aetas est, qui praeteritorum 
 obliviscuntur, praesentia neglegunt, de future timent: 
 cum ad extrema venerunt, sero intellegunt miseri, 
 tamdiu se, dum nihil agunt, occupatos fuisse. 
 
 F 2 
 
126 
 
 L. 'ANNAEI SEI^ECAE 
 
 XYL Xec cst, quod hoc argumeuto probari putes 
 loiigam illos agere vitam, quia interdum mortem in- 
 Yocant. • Yexat illos inprudentia incertis adfectibus 
 et iucurrentibus in ipsa quae metuunt: mortem saepe 
 ideo optaiit, quia timent. Illud quoque argumeutum 
 non est, quod putes, diu viventium, quod saepe illis 
 longus yidetur dies, quod, dum veniat condicdum tern- 
 pus coenae, tarde ire boras queruntur: nam si quando 
 illos deseruerunt occupationes, in otio relicti aestuant, 
 nec quomodo id disponant aut extrahant, sciunt. 2. 
 Itaque ad occupationem aliquam tendunt et quod in- 
 teriacet omne tempus grave est, tarn meliercule, quam 
 cum dies muneris gladiatorii edictus est, aut cum ali- 
 cuius alterius vel spectaculi vel voluptatis exspectatur 
 constitutum, transilire medios dies volunt. Omnis illis 
 speratae rei longa dilatio est ad illud tempus, quod 
 amanti breve est et praeceps breviusque multo suo vi- 
 tio: aliunde enim alio transfugiunt et consistere in 
 una cupiditate non possunt: non sunt illi longi dies. 
 Bed invisi. 3. At contra quam exiguae noctes viden- 
 tur, quas in conplexu scortorum aut vino exigunt ? 
 Inde etiam poetarum furor fabulis humanos errores 
 alentium, quibus visus est lupiter voluptate concubi- 
 tus delenitus duplicasse noctem. Quid aliud est vitia 
 nostra incendere quam auctores illis inscribere deos et 
 dare morbo exemplo divinitatis excusatam licentiam ? 
 4. Possunt istis non brevissimae videil noctes, quas 
 tarn care mercantur ? diem noctis exspectatioiie per- 
 dunt, noctem lucis metu. Ipsae volu})tates eorum 
 trepidae et vaiiis terroribus inquietae sunt subitque 
 cum maxime exsultaiitis sollicita cogitatio, Ilaec quam 
 diu? Ab hoc adfectu reges suam flevere potentiam; 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. XVII. 127 
 
 11 ec illos magnitude fortunae suae delectavit, sed ven- 
 turns aliquando finis exterruit. 5. Cum per magna 
 camporum spatia porrigeret exercitum nec numerum 
 eius, sed mensuram conprehenderet Persarum rex in- 
 solentissimus, lacrimas profudit, quod intra centum an- 
 nos nemo ex tanta iuventute superfuturus esset. At 
 illis admoturus erat fatum ipse, qui fiebat, perditurus- 
 que alios in niari, alios in terra, alios proelio, alios fuga 
 et intra exiguum tempus consumpturus illos, quibus 
 centesimum annum timebat. 
 
 XYII. Quid, quod gaudia quoque eorum trepida 
 sunt ? non enim solidis causis innituntur, sed eadern, 
 qua oriuntur, vanitate turbantur. Qualia autem putas 
 esse tempera etiam ipsorum confessione misera, cum 
 baec quoque, quibus se adtollunt et super hominem 
 efferunt, parum sincera sunt ? Maxima quaeque bona 
 sollicita sunt nec ulli fortunae minus bene quam opti- 
 mae creditur. Alia felicitate ad tuendam felicitatem 
 opus est et pro ipsis, quae successere, votis vota faci- 
 enda snnt. 2. Omne enim, quod fortuito obvenit, insta¬ 
 bile est: quod altius surrexerit, opportunius est in oc- 
 casum : neminem porro casura delectant: Miserrimam 
 ergo necesse est, non tantum brevissimam vitam eorum 
 esse, qui magno parant labore, quod maiore possideant; 
 operose adsequuntur, quae volunt, anxii tenent, quae 
 adsecuti sunt. Xulla interim numquam amplins re- 
 dituri temporis ratio est. 3. Novae occupationes ve- 
 teribus substituuntur, spes spem excitat, ambitionem 
 ambitio : miseriarnm non finis quaeritnr, sed materia 
 mutatur. Nostri nos lionores torserunt? plus temporis 
 alieni aufenmt. Candidati laborare desimus ? suffra- 
 gatores incipimus. Accusandi deposiiimus molestiam ? 
 
r28 
 
 L. ANNAEI SP^NECAE 
 
 iudicaiidi nandscimnr. Index desiit esse ? quaesitor 
 est. Alieiioriim bonoriim mercenaria procnratione 
 conseniiit ? suis opibns detinetur. Marium caliga di- 
 misit ? consnlatiis exercet. 4. Quintius dictaturam 
 properat praevadere ? ab aratro revocabitur. Ibit in 
 Poenos nondum tantae maturns rei Scipio, victor Plan- 
 nibalis, victor Antiocbi, sni consiilatus decus, fraterni 
 sponsor, ni per ipsnm mora sit, cum love reponetur ? 
 civiles servatorem agitabunt seditiones et post fastidi- 
 tos a invene dis aequos honores iam senem contnma- 
 cis exilii delectabit ambitio. Nnmquam deerunt vel 
 felices vel miserae sollicitudinis cansae: per occnpa- 
 tiones vita rodetnr otium: numqnam agetur, semper 
 optabitur. 
 
 XYIII. Excerpe itaqiie te volgo, Pauline carissime, 
 et in tranquilliorem portum non pro aetatis spatio 
 iactatus tandem recede. Cogita, quot, fluctus subieris, 
 qnot tempestates partim privatas sustinueris, partim 
 publicas in te converteris. Satis iam per laboriosa et 
 inquieta documenta exhibita virtus est: experire, quid 
 in otio faciat. Maior pars aetatis, certe melior reipnb- 
 licae data sit : aliquid temporis tui sume etiam tibi. 
 Xec te ad segnem aut inertem quietem voco: non ut 
 somno et caris turbae voluptatibus, quicquid est in te 
 indolis vivae, demergas. 2. Non est istud adquiescere : 
 invenies maiora omnibus adhuc strenue tractatis ope- 
 ribus, quae repositus et securus agites. Tu quidem 
 orbis terrarum rationes administras tain abstinenter 
 quam alieiias, tarn diligenter quam tuas, tarn religiose 
 quam publicas : in officio amorem cousequeris, in quo 
 odium vitare difficile est: sed tamen, milii crede, satins 
 est vitae suae rationem quam frumenti public! nosse. 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. XIX. 
 
 129 
 
 3. Istum animi vigorern, rerum maximarum capacissi- 
 mum, a ministerio lioiiorifico quidem, sed parum ad 
 beatam vitam apto ad te revoca et cogita non id egisse 
 te ab aetate prima omni cultu studiorum liberalium, ut 
 tibi multa milia frumenti bene committerentur: ma- 
 ius quiddam et altius de te promiseras. Kon deerunt 
 et frugalitatis exactae homines et laboriosae operae. 
 Tanto aptiora exportandis oneribus tarda imnenta sunt 
 quam nobiles equi; quorum generosam pernicitatem 
 quis umquam gravi sarcina pressit ? Cogita praeterea, 
 quantum sollicitudinis sit ad tantam te molem obicere: 
 cum ventre tibi liumano negotium est. 4. Nec ratio- 
 nem patitur nec aequitate mitigatur nec ulla prece 
 flectitur populus esuriens. Modo intra paucos illos 
 dies, quibus C. Caesar periit, si quis inferis sensus est, 
 lioc gravissime ferens, quod decedebat populo Romano 
 superstite, septem aut octo certe dierum cibaria super- 
 esse ? dum ille pontes navibus iungit et viribus impe- 
 ri ludit, aderat ultimum malorum obsessis quoque, ali- 
 mentorum egestas. 5. Exitio paene ac fame constitit 
 et, quae famem sequitur, rerum omnium ruina furiosi 
 et externi et infeliciter superbi regis imitatio. Quern 
 tunc animum habuerunt illi, quibus erat mandata fru¬ 
 menti publici cura ? saxa, ferrum, ignes, Caium excep- 
 turi summa dissimulatione tantum inter viscera laten- 
 tis mali tegebant, cum ratione scilicet: quaedam enim 
 ignorantibus aegris curanda sunt: causa multis mori- 
 endi fuit morbum suum nosse. 
 
 XIX. Recipe te ad haec tranquilliora, tutiora, maio- 
 ra. Simile tu putas esse, utrum cures, ut incorruptum 
 et a fraude advehentium et a neglegentia frumentum 
 transfundatur in horrea, ne concepto humore vitietur 
 
130 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 et concalescat, iit ad mensiiram pondnsque respondeat, 
 an ad haec sacra et sublirnia accedas sciturns, quae 
 materia sit dis, quae voluptas, quae condicio, quae for¬ 
 ma ? quis anirnum tuum casus exspectet, ubi nos et a 
 corporibus dimissos natiira coupon at ? quid sit quod 
 buius mundi. gravissima quaeque in medio sustineat, 
 supra levia suspendat, in summum ignem ferat, sidera 
 vicibus suis excitet ? cetera dein ceps ingentibus plena 
 miraculis. 2. Yis tu relicto solo mente ad ista respi- 
 cere ? nunc, dum calet sanguis, vigentibus ad meliora 
 eundum est. Exspectat te in hoc genere vitae.multurn 
 bonarum artium, amor virtutum atque usus, cupidita- 
 tum oblivio, vivendi ac moriendi scientia, alta rerum 
 quies. Omnium quidem occupatorum condicio misera 
 est; eorum tamen miserrima, qui ne suis quidem labo- 
 rant occupationibus, ad alienum dormiunt somnum, ad 
 alienum ambulant gradum, amare et odisse, res omni¬ 
 um liberrimas, iubentur. 3. Hi si volent scire quam 
 brevis ipsorum vita sit, cogitent ex quota parte sua sit. 
 Cum videris itaque praetextam saepe iam sumptam, 
 cum celebre in foro nomen, non invideris. Ista vitae 
 damno parantur: ut unus ab illis numeretur annus, 
 omnis annos suos conterent. Quosdam, antequam in 
 summum ambitionis eniterentur, inter prima luctantis 
 aetas reliquit: quosdam cum in consurnmationem dig¬ 
 nitatis per mille ihdignitates erupissent, misera subit 
 cogitatio laborasse ipsos in titulurn sepulcri: quorum- 
 dam ultima senectus, dum in novas spes ut iuventa 
 disponitur, inter conatus magnos et inprobos invalida 
 defecit. 
 
 XX. Foedus ille, quern in iudicio pro ignotissimis 
 litigatoribus grandem natu et inperitae coronae ad- 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. CAP. XX. 
 
 131 
 
 sensiones captantem spiritus liquit: turpis ille, qiii vi- 
 vendo lassus citius qnam laborando inter ipsa officia 
 conlapsus est: turpis, quern accipiendis inmorientem 
 rationibus diu tractus risit heres. Praeterire quod 
 mihi occurrit exemplum non possum: 2. Turannius 
 fuit exactae diligentiae senex, qui post annum nona- 
 gesimum, cum vacationem procurationis ab C. Caesare 
 ultro accepisset, conponi se in lecto et velut exani- 
 mem a circumstante familia plangi iussit. Lugebat 
 domus otium domini senis nec finivit ante tristitiam, 
 quam labor illi suus restitutus est. Adeone iuvat 
 occupatum mori ? Idem plerisque animus est: diuti- 
 us ciipiditas illis laboris quam facultas est: cum in- 
 becillitate corporis pugnant: senectutem ipsam nullo 
 alio nomine gravem indicant, quam quod illos seponit. 
 3. Lex a quinquagesimo anno militem non legit, a sex- 
 agesimo senatorem non citat: difficilius homines a se 
 otium inpetrant quam a lege. Interim durn rapiuntur 
 et rapiunt, dum alter alterius quietem rumpit, dum 
 mutuo miseri sunt, vita est sine fructu, sine voluptate, 
 sine ullo profectu animi: nemo in conspicuo mortem 
 habet, nemo non procul spes intendit. 4. Quidam vero 
 disponunt etiam ilia, quae ultra vitam sunt, magnas 
 moles sepulcrorum et operum publicorum dedicationes 
 et ad rogum munera et ambitiosas exsequias. At me- 
 hercule istorum funera, tamquam minimum vixerint, 
 ad faces et cereos ducenda sunt. 
 
1 
 
 
 L 
 
 One Roman Mile, 
 
 i 
 
L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 AD GALLIONEM 
 
 DE VITA BEATA 
 
 LIBER UNUS. 
 
By undeceiving, enlarging, and informing the intellect. Philosophy 
 sought to purify and to elevate the moral cliaracter, . , . Across the 
 night of Paganism, Philosophy flitted on, like the lantern-fly of the 
 Tropics, a light to itself, and an ornament, but, alas, no more than an 
 ornament, of the surrounding darkness. Coleridge. 
 
AD GALLIONEM 
 
 DE VITA BEATA. 
 
 I. Yivere, Gallic f rater, omnes beate voliint, sed ad 
 pervidendnm, quid sit quod beatam vitam efficiat, cali-i 
 gant: adeoque non est facile consequi beatam vitam, 
 ut eo quisque ab ea longius recedat, quo ad illam con- 
 citatius fertur, si via lapsus est; qua6 ubi in contra- 
 riuTn ducit, ipsa velocitas maioris intervalli causa fit. 
 Proponendum est itaque primum, quid sit quod adpe- 
 tamus: tunc circumspiciendurh, qua contendere illo 
 celerrime possimus, intellecturi in ipso itinere, si mode 
 rectum erit, quantum cotidie profiigetur quantoque 
 propius ab eo simus, ad quod nos cupiditas naturalis 
 inpellit. 2. Quamdiu' quidern passim vagamur non 
 ducem secuti, sed fremitum et clamorem dissonum in 
 diversa vocantium, conteretur vita inter errores brevis, 
 etiam si dies noctesque' bon^ menti laboremus. De- 
 cernatur itaqne, et quo tendamus et qua, non sine peri- 
 to aliquo, cui explorata sint ea, in quae procedirnus; 
 quoniam quidern non eadem hie quae in ceteris pere- 
 grinationibus condicio est. In illis conprensus aliquis 
 limes et interrogati incolae non patiuntur^errare: at 
 hie tritissima quaeque via et celeberrima maxime de- 
 cipit. 3. Nihil ergo magis praestandum est, quam ne 
 
136 
 
 L. ANNA El SENECAE 
 
 pecoriim ritii seqiiamnr antecedentiiim gregem, per- 
 geiites lion quo eundiim est, sed quo itiir. Atqui nulla 
 res nos maioribus mails inplicatj quam quod ad rumo- 
 rem conponiinur, optima rati ea, quae magno adsensu 
 recepta sunt quorumque exempla nobis multa sunt, 
 nec ad rationem, sed ad similitudinem vivimus; inde 
 ista tanta coacervatio aliorum super alios ruentium. 
 
 4. Quod in strage liominum rnagna evenit, cum ipse 
 se populus premit, nemo ita cadit, ut non et alium in 
 se adtraliat, primique exitio sequentibus sunt, hoc in 
 omni vita accidere videas licet: nemo sibi tantummo- 
 do errat, sed alien! erroris et causa et auctor est. No- 
 cet eniin adplicari antecedentibus, et dum unusquisque 
 mavult credere quam iudicare, numquam de vita iu- 
 dicatur, semper creditur versatque nos et praecipitat 
 traditus per manus error : alienis perimus exemplis. 
 
 5. Sanabimur, si modo separemur a coetu: nunc vero 
 stat contra rationem defensor mali sui populus. Ita- 
 que id evenit quod in %iiiitiis, in quibus eos factos 
 esse praetores^iidem qui fecere^mirantur, cum se mo- 
 bilis favor circumegit. Eadem probamus, eadem re¬ 
 prehen dim us : hie exitus est omnis iudicii, in quo se¬ 
 cundum plures datur. 
 
 II. Cum de beata vita agetur, non est quod mihi il- 
 lud discessionum more respondeas: Haec pars maior 
 esse videtur. Ideo enim peior est. Non tarn bene 
 cum rebus humanis agitur, ut meliora pluribus pla- 
 ceant: argumentum pessimi turbk est. Quaeramus 
 ergo, quid optimum factu sit, non quid usitatissimum : 
 et quid nos, in possessione felicitatis aeteriiae consti- 
 tuat, non quid volgo, veritatis pessimb interpreff^proba- 
 tum sit. Volgum autem tarn chlamydatos quam co- 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. III. 
 
 137 
 
 roiiatos voco. 2. Non enim colorem vestium, qnibns 
 praetexta simt corpora, adspicio: oculis de homine 
 non credo: habeo melius et certius lumen, quo a 
 falsis vera diiudicem. Animi bonum animufi inve- 
 niat: hie, si umquam respirare illi et recedere in se 
 vacaverit, q quam sibi ipse verum tortus a se fate- 
 bitur ac dicet : Quicquid feci adliiic, infectum esse 
 inallem : quicquid dixi cum recogito, in multis ri- 
 deo : quicquid optavi, inimicorum exsecrationem puto: 
 quicquid timni, di boni, quanto levins fuit quam quod 
 concupivi ? 3. Cum multis inimicitias gessi et in gra- 
 
 tiam ex odio, si modo ulla inter males gratia est, re- 
 dii : mihi ipsi nondum amicus sum. Omnem ope- 
 ram dedi, ut me multitudini educerem et aliqua dote 
 notabilem facerem: quid aliud quam telis me oppo- 
 sui et malivolentiae quod morderet ostendi ? Yides 
 istos qui eloquentiam laudaiit, qui opes sequuntur, qui 
 gratiae adulantur, qui potentiam extollunt ? omnes aut 
 sunt hostes aut, quod in aequo est, esse possunt. Quam 
 magnus mirantium tarn magnus invidentium populus 
 est. 
 
 III. Quin potius quaere aliquod usu bonum, quod 
 sentiam, non quod ostendam: ista quae spectantur, 
 ad quae consistitur, quae alter alter! stupens monstrat, 
 foris nitent, introrsus misera sunt. Quaeramus ali- 
 quid non in speciem bonum, sed solidum et aequale 
 et a secretiore parte formosiiis. Hoc eruamus: nec 
 longe positnm est; invenietur: scire tanturn opus est 
 quo manum porrigas. Nunc velut in tenebris vici- 
 na transirniis offensantes ea ipsa quae desideramus. 
 2. Sed ne te per circumitus traliam, aliorum quidem 
 opiniones praeteribo : nam et enumerare illas longum 
 
138 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 est et coarguere : nostram accipe : nostram autem cum 
 dico, uon adligo me ad imum aliquem ex Stoicis pro- 
 ceribus: est et mihi censendi ius. Itaque aliquem se- 
 quar, aliquem iubebo sententiam dividere.: fortasse et 
 post omnes citatus nihil inprobabo ex iis, quae priores 
 decreverint, et dicam, Hoc am,jpli'iis censeo. Interim 
 quod inter omnis Stoicos convenit, rerum naturae ad- 
 sentior: ab ilia non deerrare et ad illius legem exem- 
 plumque formari sapientiS, est. 3. Beata est ergo vita 
 conveniens naturae suae : quae non aliter contingere 
 potest, quam si^primum sana mens est et in perpetua 
 possessione sanitatis suae, deinde fortis ac veheraens, 
 tunc pulcherrima et patiens, apta temporibus, corporis 
 sui pertinentiumque ad id curiosa non anxie : turn ali- 
 arurn rerum. quae vitam instruunt, diligent, sine admi- 
 ratione cuiusquam usura fortunae muneribus, non ser- 
 vitura. / 4. Intellegis, etiam si non adiciam, sequi per- 
 petuam tranquillitatem, libertatem ^depulsis iis' quae 
 aut inritant nos aut territant. Nam voluptatibus et 
 pro illis quae parva ac fragilia sunt et in ipsis flagitiis 
 noxid ingens gaudium subit, inconcussum et aequale : 
 turn paX et concordia animi et magnitude) cum man- 
 suetudine : omnis enim ex infirrnitate feritafe est. 
 
 TV. Potest aliter quoque detiniri boimm nostrum, id 
 est eadem sententia, non iisdem conprehendi verbis. 
 Quernadmodum idem exercitus mode latius panditnr, 
 mode in angustum coartatur et aut in cornua ,sinuata 
 media' parte, curvatur aut recth front'e explicatur, vis 
 illi, utcnmque ordinatus est, eadem est et voluntas pro 
 iisdem partibus standi; ita finitio summi boni alias’ 
 diffimdi potest et exporrigi, alias colligi et in se cogi. 
 2. Idem itaque erit, si dixero : Summum bouum est 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. V. 
 
 139 
 
 animus fortuita despiciens, virtute laetus, aut, Invicta 
 vis aiiimi, perita rerimij placida in actu, cum liumani- 
 tate multa et conversantium cura. Libet et ita finire, 
 ut beatum dicamus liominem eum, cui nullum bonum 
 malumque sit nisi bonus malusque animus: honesti 
 cultor, virtute contentus, quern nec extollant fortuita 
 nec frangant; qui nullum mains bonum eo quod sibi 
 ipse dare potest noverit, cui ver^ voluptas erit volupta- 
 tum contemptio. 3. Licet, si evagari veils, idem in ali- 
 am atque aliam faciem salva et Integra potestate trans- 
 ferre. Quid enim probibet nbs beatam vita'm dicere 
 liberum animum et erectum et interritum ac stabilem, 
 extra metum, extra cupiditatem positun^, cui unum b^ 
 num sit honestas, unum malum turpitudb ? 4. Cetera^ 
 
 vilis turba rerum nec detraliens quicquam beatae vitae 
 nec adiciens, sine auctu ac detrimento summi boni ve- 
 niens- ac recedens. Hoc ita fundatum necesse est, ve- 
 lit nolit, sequatur hilaritas continua et laetitia alta at¬ 
 que ex alto veniens, ut quae suis gaudeat nec maiora 
 domesticis cupiat. Quidni ista bene penset cum mi¬ 
 ll utis et frivolis et non perseverantibus corpusculi mo- 
 tibus ? quo die infra voluptatem fuerit, et infra dolo- 
 rem erit. 
 
 Y. Tides autem, quam malam et noxiosam servitu- 
 tem, serviturus sit, quern voluptates doloresque, incer- 
 tissima dominia inpotentissimaque, alternis posside- 
 bunt. Ergo exeundum ad libertatem est: banc non 
 alia res tribuit quam fortunae neglegentia. Turn illud 
 orietur inaestimabile bonum, quies mentis in tuto con- 
 locata et sublimitas expulsisque terroribus ex cogniti- 
 one veri gaudiuin grande et inmotum comitasque et 
 diffusio animi: quibus delectabitur non ut bonis, sed ut 
 
140 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 ex bono sno ortis. 2. Quoniam liberaliter agere coe- 
 pi, potest beatiis dici, qui nec cupit nec timet benefi- 
 cio ratioiiis. Quoniam et saxd timore et tristitia carent 
 nec minus pecudes; non ideo tamen quisquani felicia' 
 dixerit, quibus non est felicitatis intellectus. Eodem 
 loco pone homines, quos in numerum pecorum et ani¬ 
 mal ium redegit hebes natura et ignoratio sui. 3. Ni¬ 
 hil interest inter hos et ilia, quoniam illis null^^ratio 
 est, his prava et malo suo atque in perversum sellers. 
 Beatus enim nemo dici potest extra veritatem proiec- 
 tus: beata ergo vita est in recto certoque iudicio sta- 
 bilita et inmutabilis. Tunc enim pura mens est et so- 
 luta omnibus malis, cum non tantum lacerationes, sed 
 etiam vellicationes effugerit, statura semper ubi consti- 
 tit ac sedem suara etiam irata' et infestante fortiina 
 vindicatura. 4. Nam quod ad voluptatem pertinet, 
 licet circurafundatur undique et per omnes vias influ- 
 at animumque blandimentis suis leniat aliaque ex aliis 
 admoveat, quibus totos partesque nostri sollicitet: quis 
 mortalium, cui ullum superest homiuis vestigium, per 
 diem noctemque titillari velit, deserto animo corpori 
 operam dare ? 
 
 YI. Sed animus quoque, inquit, voluptates habebit 
 suas. Habeat sane sedeatque luxuriae et voluptatum 
 arbiter, inpleat se eis omnibus, quae oblectare sensus 
 solent: deinde praeterita respiciat et exoletarum vo¬ 
 luptatum memor exsultet prioribus futurisque iam in- 
 mineat ac spes suas ordinet, et dum corpus in prae- 
 senti sagina iacet, cogitationes ad futura praernittat: 
 lioc mihi videbitur miserior, quoniam mala pro bonis 
 legere dementia est. 2. Nec sine sanitate quisquani 
 beatus est nec sanus cui futura pro optimis adpetuntur. 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. VII. 
 
 141 
 
 Beatu^ ergo est Tiidicii rectus : beatus est praesentibus, 
 cpialiacuinqiie sunt, contentus amicusqiie rebus siiis: 
 beatus est is, cui omiiem habitum rerum suarum ratio 
 commendat. Yidet et in illis qui siimmum boniiin dix- 
 erint, qnam turpi illud loco posuerint. Itaque negant 
 posse voluptateni a virtute deduci,et aiunt nec lioneste 
 quemquam vivere, ut non iuciinde vivat, nec iucunde, 
 ut non lioneste quoque. 3. Non video quoniodo ista 
 tarn diversa in eamdem copulam coniciantur. Quid 
 est, oro VOS, cur separari volnptaS a virtute non possit ? 
 videlicet quia omne bonis ex virtute principium est: 
 ex liuius radicibus etiam ea, quae vos et amatis et 
 expetitis, oriuntur. Sed si ista indiscreta essent, non 
 videreinus quaedam iucunda, sed lionesta ; quaedam 
 vero lionestissima, sed aspera, per dolores exigenda. 
 
 YII. Adice nunc, qnod voliiptas etiam ad vitam tur- 
 pissimam venit; at virtns malam vitam non admittit: 
 et infelices quidam non sine voluptate, imrno ob ipsam 
 voluptatem sunt: qnod non eveniret, si virtuti se vo- 
 luptas inmiscuisset, qua virtus saepe caret, numquam 
 indiget. Quid dissimilia, immo diversa conponitis ? 
 Altiim quiddam est virtus, excelsum et regale, invic- 
 tum, infatigabile : voluptas liumile, servile, inbecillum, 
 caducnm, cuius statio ac domicilium fornices et popi- 
 nae sunt. 2. Yirtiitem in templo convenies, in foro, 
 in curia, pro muris stantem, pulvernlentam, coloratam, 
 callosas liabentem manus: voluptatem latitantem sae- 
 pius ac tenebras captantem circa balinea ac sudatoria 
 ac loca aedilem metuentia, mollem, cnervem, mero at- 
 qne unguento madentem, pallidam aiit fucatam et me- 
 dicamentis pollinctam. 3. Summum boniim inmor- 
 tale est, nescit exire: nec satietatem habet nec poeni- 
 
 O 
 
142 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 tentiam : numqnam enira recta mens vertitnr nee sibi 
 odio est: nec quicqiiam mutavit optima. At voliiptas 
 tunc, cum maxime delectat, exstinguitur : non multuni 
 loci habet; itaque cito inplet et taedio est et post pri- 
 mum inpetum marcet. J^ec id nmquam certum est, 
 cuius in motu natura est: ita ne potest quidem ulla eius 
 esse substantia, quod venit transitve celerrime in ipso 
 usu sui perituruni. Eo enim pervenit ubi desinat, et 
 duni incipit, spectat ad finem. 
 
 VIII. Quid, quod tarn bonis quam malis voluptas 
 inest? nec minus turpes dedecus suum quam hones- 
 tos egregia delectant., Ideoque praeceperunt veteres 
 optimam sequi vitam, non iucundissimam, ut rectae 
 ac bonae voluntatis non dux, sed comes sit voluptas. 
 Hatura enim duce utendum est: hanc ratio observat, 
 banc consulit. ^Idem est ergo beate vivere et secun¬ 
 dum naturam. 2. IIo6 quid sit, iam aperiam: si cor¬ 
 poris dotes” et apta' naturae conservabimiis diligenter 
 et inpavide tamquam in diem data et fugacia, si non 
 subierimus eorum servitutem nec nos aliena possede- 
 rint, si corpori grata et adventicia eo nobis loco 
 fuerint, quo sunt in castris auxilia et armaturae 
 leves.^ Serviant ista, non imperent: ita demum uti- 
 lia sunt menti. Incorruptus vir sit externis et insu- 
 perabilis miratorque tantum sui, fidens animo atque 
 in utrumque paratus artifex vitae. Fiducia eius non 
 sine scientia sit, scientia non sine constantia : mane- 
 ant illi semel placita nec ulla in decretis eius litura 
 sit. 3. Intellegitur, etiam si non adiecero, conposi- 
 t^m ordinatumque fore talem virum et in iis quae 
 aget, cum comitate maguificum. j Erit vera ratio sen- 
 sibus insita et capiens inde principia: nec enim habet 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. IX, 
 
 .'i ‘> 
 ^±o 
 
 alind, uiide coiietur aiit unde ad veruin iiipetum ca¬ 
 piat; in se revertatur, Nam mundum quoque, cuncta 
 conplectens rectorque universi deus in exterioi’a qni- 
 dem tendit, sed tamen in totum undique in se redit. 
 4. Idem nostra mens faciat, cum secuta sensus suos 
 per illos se ad externa porrexerit: et illorum et sui 
 potens sit. Hoc modo una efficietur vis ac potestas 
 concors sibi et ratio ilia certa nascetur non dissidens 
 nec liaesitans in opinionibus conpreliensionibusque nec 
 in persuasione. Quae cum se disposuit et partibus 
 suis cousensit et, ut ita dicam, concinuit, summum 
 bonum tetigit. 5. Nihil enim pYaH;, nihil lubrici su- 
 perest: nihil in quo arietet aut labet. Omnia faciet 
 ex imperio suo nihilque inopinatum accidet; sed quic- 
 quid agetur, in bonum exibit facile et parate et sine 
 tergiversatione agentis. Nam pigritia et haesitatio 
 pugnam et inconstantiam ostendit. Qiiare aiidaciter 
 licet profitearis summum bonum esse animi concor- 
 diam. Yirtutes enim ibi esse debebunt, ubi consen¬ 
 sus atque unitas erit: dissident vitia. 
 
 IX. Sed tu quoque, inquit, virtutem non ob aliud 
 colis, quam quia aliquam ex ilia speras voluptatem. 
 Prinium non, si voluptatem praestatura virtus est, 
 ideo propter banc petitur : non enim hanc praestat, 
 sed et hanc, nec huic laborat, sed labor eius, quamvis 
 aliud petat, hoc quoque adsequetur. Sicut in arvo, 
 quod segeti prpscissum est, aliqiii flores internascun- 
 tur: non tamen 'liuic herbulae, qnamvis delectet ocu- 
 los, tantum operis insumptum est. 2. Aliud fuit se- 
 renti propositum, hoc supervenit: sic c| v.olupta^ non 
 est merces nec causa virtutis, sed accessio: nec quia 
 delectat, placet,, sed si placet, et delectat. Summum 
 
144 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 boimm in ipso iudicio est et habitu optimae mentis; 
 quae cum suum inplevit et finibus se suis cinxit, con- 
 summatum est summum bonum nec quicquam am- 
 plius desiderat. Niliil enim extra totum est, non 
 magis quam ultra finem. Itaque erras, cum interro- 
 gas, quid sit illud, propter quod virtutem petam : quae- 
 ris enim aliquid supra summum. 3. Interrogas, quid 
 petam ex virtute ? ipsam: nihil enim liabet melius, 
 ipsa pretium sui. An hoc^parum magnum est? Cum 
 tibi dicam, Summum bonum est infragilis animi rigor 
 et providentia et subtilitas et sanitas et libertas et Con¬ 
 cordia et decor: aliquid etiamnunc exigis maius, ad 
 quod ista referantur ? Quid mihi voluptatem nomi- 
 nas? Hominis bonum quaero, non ventris, qui pecu- 
 dibus ac beluis laxior est. 
 
 X. Dissimulas, in quit, quid a me dicatur: ego enim 
 nego quemquam posse iucunde vivere, nisi simul et ho- 
 neste vivit: quod non potest mutis contingere animali- 
 bus nec bonum suum cibo metientibus. Clare, inquit, 
 ac palam tester banc vitam, quam ego iucundam voco, 
 non sine adiecta virtute contingere. Atqui quis igno- 
 rat plenissimos esse voluptatibus vestris stultissimos 
 quosque ? et nequitiam abundare iucundis animum- 
 que ipsum non tantum genera voluptatis prava, sed 
 multa suggerere? 2. In primis insolentiara et nimiam 
 aestimationem sui tumoremque elatum super ceteros et 
 amorem rerum suarurn caecum et inprovidum, delicias 
 fluentis et ex minimis ac puerilibus causis exsultatio^ 
 nem, iam dicacitatem ac superbiam contumeliis gau- 
 dentem, desidiam dissolutionemque segnis animi indor- 
 mientis sibi. 3. Ilaec omnia virtus discutit et aurem 
 pervellit et voluptates aestimat, antequain admittat: 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XI. 
 
 145 
 
 nec.qiias probavit^nfegill'p&(5it (utiqiie enim admittit), 
 nec HSU eariini, sed temperantia laeta est: tempemntia 
 autem cum voluptates minuat, summi boni iniuria est. 
 Tu voluptatem conplecteris, ego coiipesco: tu voluptate 
 frueris, ego utor : tu illam summum bonum putas, ego 
 uec bonum: tu omnia voluptatis t^usa facis, ego nihil. 
 Cum dico me nihil voluptatis causa facere, de illo lo- 
 quor sapiente/cui soli concedis voluptatem. 
 
 XI. Xon voco autem sapientem, supra quern quic- 
 quam est, nedum voluptas. Atqui ab hac occupatus 
 quomodo resistet labor! et periculo, egestati et tot hu- 
 manam vitam circumstrepentibus minis? quomodo con- 
 spectum mortis, quomodo doloris feret ? quomodo rnun- 
 di fragores et tantum acerrimorum hostium? an molli 
 adversario victus? Quicquid , voluptas suaserit yfaciet. 
 Age, non vides quam multa suasura sit ? Nihil, inquit, 
 poterit turpiter suadere, quia adiuncta virtuti est. Non 
 vides iterum, quale sit summum bonum, cui custode 
 opus est, ut bonum sit ? 2. Yirtus autem quomodo vo¬ 
 
 luptatem reget, quam sequitur, cum sequi parentis sit, 
 regere imperantis ? a tergo ponis quod imperat? Egre- 
 giuiri autem habet virtus apud vos officiuni voluptates 
 praegustare. Sed videbimus, an apud quos tarn con- 
 tumeliose tractata virtue est, adhuc virtus sit: quae ha¬ 
 bere nomen suum non potest, si loco cessit: interim, de 
 quo agitur, multos ostendam voluptatibus obsesses, in 
 quos fortuna omnia munera sua ehudit, quos fatearis 
 necesse est, males. 3. Adspice Nomentanum et Api- 
 cium, terrarum ac maris, ut isti vocant, bona conqui- 
 rentis et super mensam recognoscentis omnium gen¬ 
 tium animalia. Vide hos eosdem e suggestu rosae 
 spectantis popinam suam, aures vocum sono, spectacu- 
 
146 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 lis oculos, eaporibus palatum suiim delectantes: molli- 
 bus lenibusque fomentis totiiiA lacessitur eorum corpus 
 et, ne nares interim cessent, odoribus variis inficitur lo- 
 cuS ipse, in quo luxuriae parentatur. Hoc esse in vo- 
 luptatibus dices; nec tamen illis bene erit, quia non 
 bono gaudeiit. 
 
 XII. Male, inquit, illis erit, quia multa interveniunt, 
 quae perturbent animum, et opiniones inter se contra- 
 riae mentem inquietabunt: quod ita esse concede : sed 
 nihilominus illi ipsi stulti et inaeqiiales et, sub ictu poe- 
 nitentiae positi magnas percipient voluptates, ut faten- 
 dum sit tarn longe turn illos ab omni molestia abesse 
 quam a bona mente et, quod plerisque contingit, liila- 
 rem insaniam insanire ac per risum furere. 2. At con¬ 
 tra sapientium remissae voluptates et modestae ac pae- 
 ne languidae sunt conpressaeque et vix notabiles, ut 
 quae neque accersitae veniant nec, quamvis per se ac- 
 cesserint, in bonore sint neque ullo gaudio percipien- 
 tium exceptae: miscent enim illas et interponunt vitae 
 ut ludum iocumque inter seria. Desinant ergo incon- 
 venientia iungere et virtuti voluptatem inplicare, per 
 quod vitium pessimis quibusque adulantur. 3. Hie 
 effusus in voluptates, ructabundus semper atque ebri- 
 us, quia scit se cum voluptate vivere, credit et cum 
 virtute: audit enim voluptatem separari a virtute non 
 posse: deinde vitiis snis sapientiam inscribit et abscon- 
 denda profitetur. Itaque non ab Epiciiro inpulsi Inxu- 
 riantur, sed vitiis dediti luxuriam suam in pbilosopliiae 
 sinu abscondnnt et eo concnrrunt, ubi audiant laudari 
 voluptatem. '4. Xec aestimatur voliiptas ilia Epicuri 
 (ita enim mehercules sentio) quam sobria ac sicca sit: 
 sed ad nomen ipsum advolant quaerentes libidinibus 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XIII. 
 
 147 
 
 siiis patrocininm aliqiiod ac velamentiim. Itaque quod 
 uiiiim habebaiit in inalis bonum perdiiiit, peccaiidi ve- 
 recuiidiam: landant enim ea, quibiis erubescebant et 
 vitio gloriantur: ideoque ne resurgere quidem adii- 
 lescentiae licet, cmn honestus turpi desidiae titulus 
 accessit. 
 
 XIII. Hoc est cur ista voluptatis laudatio perniciosa 
 sit, quia lionesta praecepta intra latent, quod corrumpit 
 adparet. In ea quidem ipsa sententia sum (invitis hoc 
 nostris popularibus dicam) sancta Epicnrum et i*ecta 
 praecipere et, si propius accesseris, tristia: voluptas 
 enim ilia ad parvum et exile revocatur et quam nos 
 virtuti legem dicimus, earn ille dicit volnptati. 2. 
 lubet illam parere naturae: parum est autem luxuriae 
 quod naturae satis est. Quid ergo est? ille.quisquis 
 desidiosum otium et gulae ac libidinis vices, felicitatem 
 vocat, bonum' malae rei quaerit auctoreiri et, dum illo 
 venit blando nomine inductus, sequitnr voluptatem, non 
 quam audit, sed quam adtulit; et vitia sua cum coepit 
 putare similia praeceptis, indulget illis non timide nec 
 obscure: luxuriatur etiam inde aperto capite. Itaque 
 non dico, quod plerique nostrorum,'^ke%ta'ih Epicuri 11a- 
 gitiorum magistram esse, sed illud dico, male audit, in- 
 famis est, et inmerito. 3. Hoc scire quis potest nisi in- 
 terius admissus? Frons eius ipsa dat locum fabulae et 
 ad malam spem inritat. Hoc tale est, quale vir fortis 
 stolam indutus. Constant! tibi pudicitiae veritas salva 
 est ; nulli corpus tuum turpi patientiae vacat, sed in 
 manu tympanum est. Titulus itaque honestus eligatur 
 et inscriptio ipsa excitans animum ad ea depellenda 
 quae statim enervant cum venerunt vitia. 4. Quisquis 
 ad virtutem accessit, dedit generosae indolis spem: qui 
 
148 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 volnptatem seqnitur, videtur enervis, fractiis, degene- 
 rans vir, perveiituras in tnrpia, nisi aliqnis distinxerit 
 illi volnptates, nt sciat, qnae ex eis intra natnrale desi- 
 derium desistant, qnae praeceps ferantnr^ infinitaeque 
 sint et, qno magis inplentnr, eo magis inexplebiles. 
 Agednm, virtus antecedat : tntnm erit omne vestigi¬ 
 um. Et voluptas nocet nimia; in virtute non est ve- 
 rendum, ne quid nimium sit, quia in ipsa est modus. 
 Non est bonum, quod magnitudine laborat sua. 
 
 Xiy. Kationabileni porro sortitis naturam quae me¬ 
 lius res quam ratio proponitur? et si placet ista iunc- 
 tura [si hoc placet ad beatam vitam ire comitatu], vir¬ 
 tus antecedat, comitetur voluptas et circa corpus ut 
 umbra versetiir. Virtutem quidem, excelsissimam om¬ 
 nium, voluptati tradere ancillam nihil magnum animo 
 capientis est. Prima virtus sit, haec ferat signa: ha- 
 bebimns nihilominus voluptatem, sed domini eius et 
 temperatores erimus: aliquid nos exorabit, nihil coget. 
 2 . At ei, qui voluptati tradidere principia, utroque ca- 
 riiere: virtutem enim amittunt: ceterum non ipsi vo¬ 
 luptatem, sed ipsos voluptas habet, cuius ant inopia tor- 
 qnentur ant copia strangulantiir. Miseri, si deseruntur 
 ab ilia, miseriores, si obruuntur! sicut deprensi mari 
 Syrtico modo in sicco relinquuntur, modo torrente 
 nnda fluctuantur. 3. Evenit autem hob nimia intem- 
 perantia et amore caecae rei: nam mala pro bonis^pe- 
 tenti periculosum est adsequi. Ut feras cum labore 
 periculoque venamur et captarum quoque illarum solli- 
 cita possessio est (saepe enim laniant dominos): ita ha- 
 bentes magnas voluptates in magnum malum evasere 
 captaeque cepere. Quae quo plures maioresque sunt, 
 eo ille minor ac plurium servus est, quern felicem vol- 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP, XV. 
 
 149 
 
 gus aclpellat. 4. Permanere libet in hac etiamnnnc 
 Imiiis rei imagine: qnemaiimodiim qiii bestiaram cnbi- 
 lia indagat et laqueo cajqtare feras magno aestimat et 
 latos canibus circiimdare saltus^ lit illarum vestigia 
 premat, potiora deserit miiltisqiie officiis reniintiat: ita 
 qni sectatur volnptatem, omnia postponit et primam 
 libertatem neglegit ac pro ventre dependit; nec vo- 
 luptates sibi emit, sed se voluptatibus vendit. ^ 
 
 Xy. Quid tamen, inqnit, prohibet in iinum virtntem 
 voluptatemque confiindi et effici snmmum bonum, nt 
 idem et honestum et iucnndum sit ? Quia pars honesti 
 non potest esse nisi honestum: nec summum bonum 
 liabebit sinceritatem suam, si aliquid in se viderit dis- 
 simile meliori. Ne gaudium quidem quod ex virtute 
 oritur, quamvis bonum sit, absoluti tamen boni pars est, 
 non magis quam laetitia' et tranquillitas, quamvis ex 
 pulcherrimis causis nascantnr. 2. Sunt enim ista bona, 
 sed consequeiltia summum bonum, non consummantia. 
 Qiii vero virtutis voluptatisque societatem facit et ne 
 ex aeqno qiiidem, fragilitate alterius boni, quicquid in 
 altero vigoris est^ hebetat,^ libertatemque illam, ita de- 
 mnm, si niliil se pretiosius novit, invictam, sub iugnm 
 mittit. Xam, quae maxima servitus est, incipit illi 
 opus esse fortnna : sequitnr vit^ anxia, susj)iciosa, tre- 
 pida, casum pavens: temporum suspensa momenta sunt. 
 3. Xon das virtiiti fundamentum grave, inmobile, sed 
 iubes illam in loco volubili stare. Quid autem tarn 
 volubile est, quam fortuitorum exspectatio et corporis 
 rerumque corpus adficientiuih varietas? Quomodo liic 
 potest deo parere et quicquid evenit, bono animo exci- 
 pere nec de fato queri casuum suorum benign us inter- 
 pres, si ad voluptatum dolorumque,punctiunculas con- 
 
 G 2 
 
150 
 
 L. ANNAEI BENEOAE 
 
 cutitur ? Sed ne patriae qnidem bonus tutor aut vin- 
 dex est nee ainicorum propngnator, si ad voluptates 
 vergit. 4. Illo ergo sun^mum bonum adscendat, unde 
 nulla vi detrabitur; quo neque dolori neque spei nee 
 timori sit aditus nee ulli rei, quae deterius surami boni 
 ius faciat. Escendere autem illo sola virtus potest: 
 illius gradu clivus iste frangendus est: ilia fortiter sta- 
 bit et quicquid evenerit, feret non patiens tantunq sed 
 etiam volens : omnemque temporum dilScultatein sciet 
 legem esse naturae. 5. Et, ut bonus miles feret vol- 
 
 nera, enumerabit ci6afnces et transverberatus telis mo- 
 riens amabit eum, pro quo cadet, imperatorem: liabe- 
 bit illud in animo vetus praeceptum, deum sequere. 
 Quisquis autem queritur et plorat et gemit, imperata 
 facere vi cogitur et invitus rapitur ad iussa nihilomi- 
 nus. Quae autem dementia est potius train quain se- 
 qui ? 6. Tam meliercules quam stultitia et ignorantia 
 ' condicionis est suae dolere, quod aliquid tibi incidit 
 durius, aut mirari aut indigne ferre ea, quae tarn bonis 
 accidunt quam malis : morbos dico, funei’a, debilitates 
 et cetera ex transverse in vitam humanam incurrentia. 
 Quicquid ex universi constitutione patiendum est, mag- 
 no usurpetur animo : ad hoc sacramentum adacti su- 
 mus, ferre mortalia nec perturbari iis, quae vitare non 
 est nostrae potestatis. In regno nati sumus: deo pa- 
 rere libertas est. 
 
 XYI. Ergo in virtute posita est verd felicita^. Quid 
 haec virtus tibi suadebit? ne quid aut bonum aut ma¬ 
 lum existimes, quod nec virtute nec malitia contiiiget: 
 deinde,’ ut sis inmobilis et contra malum ex bono, ut 
 qua fas est, deum efSngas. Quid tibi pro hac expedi- 
 tione promittit? ingentia et aequa divinis. Niliil co- 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XVII. 
 
 151 
 
 geris; niillo indigebis ; liber eris, tutus, indemnis : ni¬ 
 hil frustra temptabis, nihil prohibeberis; omnia tibi ex 
 sententia cedent: nihil adversiim accidet, nihil contra 
 opinionem ac volimtatem. 2. Quid ergo ? virtus ad 
 beate vivendum sufficit? Perfecta ilia et divina quidni 
 sufSciat, imrao superfluat ? Quid enim deesse potest 
 extra desiderium omnium.posito? quid extrinsecus opus 
 est ei, qui omnia sua in se collegit ? Sed ei, qui ad vir- 
 tutem tendit, etiam si multum processit, opus est aliqua 
 fortunae indiilgentia adhuc inter humana luctanti, dum 
 nodum ilium exsolvit et oinne vinculum mortale. Quid 
 ergo interest ? quod alii adligati sunt, alii adstricti, alii 
 destricti qiioque. Ilic, qui ad superiora progressus est 
 et se altius extulit, laxam catenam trahit nondum liber, 
 iam tamen pro libero. 
 
 XYII. Si quis itaque ex istis, qui philosophiam con- 
 latraiit, quod solent, dixerit: Quare ergo tu fortius lo- 
 queris quam vivis ? Quare superiori verba submittis et 
 pecuniam necessarium tibi instrumentum existimas et 
 damno moveris et lacrimas audita coningis aut amici 
 morte' demittis et respicis famam et malignis sermoni- 
 bus tangeris ? 2. Quare cultius rus tibi est quam natu- 
 
 ralis usus desiderat? cur non ad praescriptum tuum coe- 
 nas? cur tibi nitidior supellex est? cur apud te vinum 
 aetate .tua vetustius bibitur ? cur annuum disponitur ? 
 cur arbores nihil praeter umbram daturae conservan- 
 tur ? quare uxor tua locupletis domus censum auribus 
 gerit? quare paedagogium pretiosa veste subcingitur? 
 quare ars est apud te ministrare nec temere et ut libet 
 conlocatur argentum, sed perite servitur et est aliquis 
 scindendi obsonii magister ? 3. Adice, si vis, cur trans 
 
 mare possides? cur plura quam nosti ? turpiter aut tarn 
 
152 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 neglegens es, iit non noveris paiicnlos servos, ant tarn 
 Inxnriosiis, ut plures habeas qnam quorum notitiae me- 
 moria sufficiat. Adiuvabo postmodo, convicia et plura 
 milii quam putas obiciam, nunc hoc respondeo tibi: Non 
 sum Sapiens et, ut malivolentiam tuam pascam,nec ero. 
 4. Exige itaque a me, ut non optimis par sim, sed ut 
 malis melior: hoc mihi satis est, cotidie aliquid ex vi- 
 tiis meis demere et errores meos obiurgare. Non per- 
 veni ad sanitatem, ne perveniam quidem : delenimenta 
 magis quam remedia podagrae meae conpono, conten- 
 tus, si rarius accedit et si minus verminatur. Vestris 
 quidem pedibus conparatus debilis cursor sum. 
 
 XVIII. Ilaec non pro me loquor; ego enim in alto 
 vitiorum omnium sum; sed pro illo, cui aliquid acti 
 est. Aliter, inquit, loqueris, aliter vivis. Hoc, malig- 
 nissima capita et optimo cuique inimicissima, Plato- 
 ni obiectum est, obiectum Epicure, obiectum Zenoni. 
 Omnes enim isti dicebant non quemadmodum ipsi vi- 
 verent, sed quemadmodum esset ipsis yivendum. De 
 virtute, non de me loquor, et cum vitiis convicium fa¬ 
 cie, in primis meis facio : cum potuero, vivam quomo- 
 do oportet. 2. Nec malignitaS me ista multo veneno 
 tincta deterrebit ab optimis: ne yirus quidem istud, 
 quo alios spargitis, quo vos necatis, me inpediet, quo 
 minus perseverem laudare vitam, non quam ago, sed 
 quam agendam scio, quo minus virtutem et ex inter- 
 vallo ingenti reptabundus sequar. 3. Exspectabo scili¬ 
 cet, ut quicquam malivolentiaeinviolatum sit, cui sacer 
 nec Rutilius fuit nec Cato ? Cur et aliqui non istis ni- 
 mis diveS videatur, quibus Demetrius Cynicus parum 
 pauper est ?. virum acerrimum et contra omnia naturae 
 desideria pugnantem, hoc pauperioi’em quam ceteros 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XIX. 
 
 153 
 
 Cynicos, quod, cum sibi interdixerit habere, interdixit 
 et poscere, negant satis egere. Yides eniin ? non vir- 
 tutis scientiam, sed egestatis professus est. 
 
 XIX. Diodorum, Epicureum pliilosophum, qui intra 
 paucos dies finem vitae suae manu sua inposuit, uegant 
 ex decreto Epicuri fecisse, quod sibi gulam praesecuit: 
 alii dementiam videri volunt factum hoc eius, alii te- 
 meritatem: ille interim beatus ac plenus bona consci- 
 eiitia reddidit sibi testimonium vita excedeiis laudavit- 
 que aetatis in portu et ad an coram actae quietem et 
 dixit, quod vos inviti audistis, quasi vobis quoque faci¬ 
 endum sit: 
 
 Vixi et quern dederat cursum fortuna peregi. 
 
 2. De alteriiis vita, de alterius morte disputatis et ad 
 nomen magnorum ob aliquam eximiam laudem viro- 
 rum, sicut ad occursum ignotorum hominum minuti 
 canes, latratis. Expedit enim vobis neminem videri 
 bonum, quasi aliena virtus exprobratio delictorum 
 vestrorum sit. Invidi splendida Qum sordibus vestris 
 confertis nec intellegitis, quanto id vestro detrimento 
 audeatis. Xam si illi, qui virtutem sequuntur, avari, 
 libidinosi, ambitiosique sunt ; quid vos estis, quibus 
 ipsum nomen virtutis odio est? Xegatis quemquam 
 praestare, quae eloquitur, nec ad exemplar orationis 
 suae vivere. 3. Quid mi rum, cum loquantur fortia, 
 ingentia, omnes humanas tempestates evadentia ? cum 
 refigere se crucibus conentur, in quas unusquisque 
 vestrum clavos suos ipse adicit ? ad suppliciurn tamen 
 acti stipitibus singulis pendent. Hi, qui in se ipsi ani- 
 mum advertunt, quot cupiditatibus tot crucibus distra- 
 liuntur: aut maledicl in alienam contumeliam venusti 
 
154 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 sunt. Crederem illis hoc vacare, nisi qnidam ex pati- 
 bulo siios spectatores conspiierent. 
 
 XX. Non praestant philosoplii quae loquuntur. 
 Multum tamen praestant quod loquuntur, quod hon- 
 esta mente concipiunt. Nam quidem si et paria dictis 
 agerent, quid esset illis beating ? interim non est quod 
 contemnas bona verba et bonis cogitationibus plena 
 praecordia. Studiormn salutarium etiam citra effec- 
 tum laudanda tractatio est. Quid mirum, si non escen- 
 dunt in altum. ardua adgressi? sed si vir es, suspice, et- 
 iain si decidunt, magna cOnantis. 2. Generosa res est re- 
 spicientem non ad suas, sed ad naturae suae vires cona- 
 ri alta, temptare et mente. maiora concipere, quam quae 
 etiam ingenti animo adornatis effici possunt. Qui sibi 
 hoc proposuit: Ego mortem eodem voltu audiam quo 
 videbo : ego laboribus, quanticnmque illi erunt, parebo 
 animo fulciens corpus: ego divitias et praesentes et ab- 
 sentes aeque conternnam nec, si alicubi iacebunt, tris- 
 tior nec, si circa me fulgebunt, animosior. Ego fortu- 
 nam nec venientem sentiam nec recedentem: ego ter¬ 
 ras ornnes tamquam meas videbo, meas tamquam om¬ 
 nium : ego sic vivarn quasi sciam^'aliis me natum et 
 naturae*" rerum hoc nomine gratias again. 3. Quo 
 enim melius genere negotiurn meum agere potuit ? 
 unum me donavit omnibus, uni mihi omnis : quicquid 
 habebo, nec sordide custodiam nec prodige spargam: 
 nihil magis possidere me credam quam bene donata: 
 non numero nec pondere beneficia nec ulla nisi acci- 
 pientis aestimatione perpendam: numquam id mihi 
 multum erit, quod dignus accipiet: nihil opinionis 
 causa, omnia conscientiae faciam : populo spectante 
 fieri credam, quicquid me conscio faciam. 4. Edendi 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XXI. 
 
 155 
 
 mihi erit bibeiidiqiie finis desideria naturae restingu- 
 ere, non inplere alvum et exinanire : ego amicis iucun- 
 dus, inimicis mitis et facilis exorabor antequam roger : 
 honestis precibus occiirram : patriam meam esse mun- 
 durn sciam et praesides deos; bos supra me circaque 
 me stare factorum dictorumque c^sbres'r* quandoque 
 aut natura spiritum repetet aut ratio dimittet, testatus 
 exibo bonam me conscientiam amasse, bona studia, 
 nullius per me libertatem deminutam, minime meam. 
 
 XXI. Qui haec facere proponet, voletj temptabit, ad 
 deos iter faciet: nae ille, etiam si non tenuerit, magnis 
 tamen excidit ausis. Yos quidem, quod virtutem cul- 
 toremque eius odistis, nihil novi facitis: nam et solem 
 lumina aegra formidant et aversantur dieni splendi- 
 dum nocturna animalia, quae ad primum eius ortum 
 stupent et latibula sua passim petunt, abduntur in ali- 
 quas rimas timida lucis. Gemite et infelicem linguam 
 bonorum exercete convicio; hiscite, conmordete: citius 
 multo frailgetis dentes quam inprimetis. 2. Quare ille 
 pliilosophiae studiosus est et tarn di\'es vitam agit ? 
 quare opes contemnendas dicit et habet ? vitam con- 
 temnendam putat et tamen vivit ? valitudinem con- 
 temnendam et tamen illam diligentissime tuetur at- 
 que optimam mavult ? et exilium vanum nomen pu¬ 
 tat et ait, quid enim est mali mutare regiones ? et 
 tamen, si licet, senescit in patria ? et inter longius 
 tempus et brevius nihil interesse iudicat; tamen, si ni¬ 
 hil prohibet, extendit aetatem et in multa senectute 
 placidus viret ? 3. Ait ista debere contemni; non, ne 
 
 habeat, sed ne sollicitus habeat: non abigit ilia a se, 
 sed abeuntia securus prosequitur. Divitias quidem 
 ubi tutius fortuna deponet quam ibi, unde sine querela 
 
156 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 reddentis receptura est ? M. Cato cum laudaret Curi¬ 
 um et Coruncanium et illud seculumj4n quo censorium 
 crimen erat paucae argenti lamellae, possidebat ipse 
 quadragies sestertium, minus sine dubio quam Crassus, 
 plus quam Censorius Cato. Maiore spatio, si conparen- 
 tur, proavum vicerat, quam a Crasso vinceretur. Et, si 
 maiores illi obvenissent opes, non sprevisset: nec enim 
 se sapiens indignum ullis muneribus fortuitis putat. 
 ]^on amat divitias, sed mavult: non in animum illas, 
 sed in domum recipit: nec respuit possessas, sed conti- 
 net et maiorem virtuti suae materiam subministrari vult. 
 
 XXII. Quid autein dubii est, quin haec maior mate¬ 
 ria sapienti viro sit animum explicandi suum in divitiis 
 quam in paupertate ? cum in liac unum genus virtutis 
 sit non inclinari nec deprimi, in divitiis et temperantia 
 et liberalitas et diligentia et dispositio et magnificentia 
 campum habeat patentem. Xon contemnet se sapiens, 
 etiam si fuerit rninimae staturae ; esse tamen se proce- 
 rum volet: et exilis corpore ac amisso oculo valebit; 
 malet tamen sibi esse corporis robur. 2. Et hoc ita, 
 ut sciat esse aliud in se valentius : malam valitudinem 
 tolerabit, bonam optabit. Quaedam enim, etiam si in 
 summam rei parva sunt, et subduci sine ruina princi¬ 
 palis boni possunt, adiciunt tamen aliquid ad perpetu- 
 am laetitiam et ex virtute nascentem. Sic ilium adfi- 
 ciunt divitiab et exliilarant, ut navigantem^ secundus 
 et ferens ventus, ut dies bonus et in bruma ac frigore 
 apricus locus. 3. Quis porro sapientum, nostrorum dico, 
 quibus unum est bonum virtus, negat etiam haec, quae 
 indillerentia ,vocamus, habere in se aliquid pretii et 
 ali^ aliis esse potiora ? Quibusdanqex iis tribuitur ali¬ 
 quid honoris, quibusdam niultum. Xe erres itaque, 
 
DE VITA BE AT A. CAP. XXIH. 
 
 157 
 
 inter potiora divitiae snnt. 4. Quid ergo, inqiiis, me 
 derides, cum eumdem apud te locum liabeant, quern 
 apud me ? Yis scire, quam non liabeant eumdem lo¬ 
 cum ? mibi divitia6 si elfluxerint, nibil auferent nisi 
 semetipsas: tu stupebis et videberis tibi sine te re- 
 lictus, si illae a te recesserint: apud me divitiae ali- 
 quem locum babent, apud te sum mum ac postremum : 
 divitiae meae sunt, tu divitiarum es. 
 
 XXIII. Desine ergo |)bilosopbis pecunia interdicere : 
 nemo sapientiam paupertate damnavit. Habebit pbi- 
 losopbu^ amplas opes, sed nulli detractas iiec alieno san¬ 
 guine cruentas, sine cuiusquam iniuria partas, sine sor- 
 didis quaestibus, quarum tarn bonestus sit exitus quam 
 introitus, quibus nemo ingemiscat nisi malignus. In 
 quantum vis exaggera illas, honestae sunt: in quibus 
 cum multa sint, quae sua quisque dici velit, nibil est, 
 quod quisquam suum possit dicere. 2. Ille vero fortu- 
 nae benignitatem a se non submovebit et patrinidriio 
 per bonesta quaesito nec gloriabitur nec erubescet. 
 Habebit tamen etiam quo glorietur, si aperta domo et 
 admissa in res suas civitate poterit dicere : Quod quis¬ 
 que agnoverit, tollat. O magnum virum, optime divi- 
 tem,si post banc vocem tantiimdem babuerit! ita dico, 
 si tuto et securuS scrutationem populo praebuerit, si 
 nibil quisquam apud ilium invenerit, quo manus ini- 
 ciat; audacter et propalam erit dives. 3. Sapiens nul¬ 
 lum denarium intra limen suum admittet male intran- 
 tem: idem magiias opes, inunus fortunae fructumque 
 virtutis, non repudiabit nec excludet. Quid enim est 
 quare illis bono loco invideat ? veniant, hospitentpr. 
 Nec iactabit illas nec abscondet: alterum infruniti 
 animi est, alterum timidi et pusilli velut magnum bo- 
 
158 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 num intra siimm continentis: nec, ut dixi, eiciet illas 
 e domo. Quid enim dicet? utriimne, Inutiles estis, an, 
 Ego nti divitiis nescio ? 4. Quemadmodum etiam pedi- 
 bus suis poterit iter conficere, escendere tamen vehicn- 
 lum malet: sic pauper, si poterit esse dives, volet, et 
 liabebit ntique opes, sed tamquam leves et avolaturas: 
 nec ulli alii nec sibi graves esse patietnr. Quid ? Do- 
 nabit: quid erexistis aures ? quid expeditis siiium ? 
 donabit aut bonis ant eis, quos facere poterit bonos: 
 donabit cum summo consilio dignissimos eligens, ut 
 qui meminerit tain expensorum quam acceptorum ra- 
 tionem esse reddendam: donabit ex recta et probabili 
 causa: nam inter turpes lac^uras malum munus est. 
 Habebit sinum facilem, non perforatum, ex quo multa 
 exeant et nihil excidat. 
 
 XXIY. Errat, si quis existimat facilem rem esse do- 
 nare. Plurimuni ista re^ habet difficultatis, si modo 
 consilio tribuitur, non casu et inpetu spargitur. Hunc 
 promereor, illi reddo: nuic succurro, hums misereor: 
 ilium instrup dignum quern non deducat paupertas nec 
 occupatum teneat: quibusdam non dabo, quamvis de¬ 
 sit ; quia, etiam si dedero, erit defuturum: quibusdam 
 offeram, quibusdam etiam inculcabo. Xon possum in 
 hac re esse neglegens : numquam magis nomina facio, 
 quam cum dono. 2 . Quid ? tu, inquis, recepturus do¬ 
 nas ? Immo non perditurus. Eo loco sit donatio, unde 
 repeti non debeat, reddi possit. Beneficium conlocetur, 
 quemadmodum thesaurus alte obrutus; quern non eruas, 
 nisi fuerit necesse. Quid? domus ipsa divitis viri quan- 
 tam habet benefaciendi materiam ? Quis enim liberali- 
 tatem tantum ad togatos vocat ? hominibus prodesse 
 natura iubet: servi liberine sint hi, ingcnui an libertini, 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XXV. 
 
 159 
 
 iustae libertatis an inter amicos datae, quid refert? nbi- 
 cumqne homo est, ibi benehcii locus est. 3. Potest ita- 
 que pecuniam etiam intra limen siium diffundere et li- 
 beralitatem exercere; quae non quialiberis debetur,sed 
 quia a libero animo proficiscitur, ita nominata est. Haec 
 apud sapientem nec umquam in turpes indignosque in- 
 pingitur nec umquam ita defatigata errat, ut non, quo- 
 tiens dignum invenerit, quasi ex pleno fluat. Non est 
 ergo, quod perperarn exaudiatis, quae honeste, fortiter, 
 animose a studiosis sapientiae dicuntur: et hoc primum 
 adtendite. 14. Aliud est studiosus sapientiae, aliud iam 
 adeptus sapientiam. Ille tibi dicet; Optime loquor, sed 
 adhuc inter mala volutor plurima: non est, quod me ad 
 formulam meam exigas: cum maxime facio me et for- 
 mo et ad exemplar ingens adtollo: si processero quan- 
 tumcumque proposui, exige ut dictis facta respondeant. 
 Adsecutus vero humani boni summa aliter tecum aget 
 et dicet; Primum non est, quod tibi permittas de meli- 
 oribus ferre sententiam : mihi iam, quod argumentum 
 est recti, contingit malis displicere. 5. Sed, ut tibi ra- 
 tionem reddarn, qua nulli mortalium invideo, audi quid 
 promittam et quanti quaeque aestimem. Divitias nego 
 bonum esse : nam si essent, bonos facerent; nunc quon- 
 iam, quod apud malos deprehenditur, dici bonum non 
 potest, hoc illis nomen nego: ceterum et habendas esse ^ 
 et utiles et magna commoda vitae adferentis fateor. / 
 XXy. Quid ergo est? quare illas non in bonis nume- 
 rem et quid praestem in illis aliud quam vos, quoniam 
 inter utrosque convenit habendas, audite. Pone in opu- 
 lentissima me domo, pone ubi auruin argentumque^in 
 promiscuo usu sit: non suspiciam me ob ista quae, et¬ 
 iam si apud me extra me, tamen sunt. In sublicium 
 
160 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE 
 
 pontem me transfer et inter egentes abige: non ideo 
 tamen me despiciam, quod in illorum numerOj conse- 
 derOj qui manum ad stipem porrigiint: quid'6nim ad 
 rem, an frustum panis desit, cui non deest mori posse? 
 Quid ergo est? domum illam splendidam malo quam 
 pontem. 2. Pone in instrumentis splendentibus et 
 delicate adparatu: nihilo me feliciorem credam, quod 
 mibi molle erit amiculum, quod purpura convivis meis 
 substernetur. Nihilo miserius ero, si lassa cervix mea 
 in manipulo foeni adquiescet, si super Circense tomen- 
 tum per sartufas veteris lintei effluens incubabo. Quid 
 ergo est ? malo, quid mihi animi sit, ostendere praetex- 
 tatus et chlamydatus quam niidis scapulis aut semitec- 
 tis. 3. Omne6 mihi ex vote dies cedant; novae gratu- 
 lationes prioribus subtexantur : non ob hoc mihi place¬ 
 bo. Muta, in contrarium hanc indulgentiarn temporis; 
 hinc illinc percutiatur animus damno, luctu, incursioni- 
 bus variis, nulla bora sine aliqua querela sit: non ideo 
 me dicam inter miserrima miserum, non ideo aliquem 
 exsecrabor diem: provisum est enim a me, ne quis 
 mihi atef die^ esset. Quid ergo est? malo gaudia tem- 
 perare, quam dolores conpescere. 4. Hoc tibi ille So¬ 
 crates dicet; Fac me victorem imiversarum gentium: 
 delicatus ille Liberi currus triumphantem usque ad 
 Thebas a soils ortu vehat: iura reges Penatium pe- 
 tant: me hominem esse maxime cogitabo, cum deus 
 undique consalutabor. Hide tarn sublinii fastigib con- 
 iunge protinus praecipitem mutationem: in alienum 
 inponar fericulum exornaturus victoris superbi ac feri 
 pompam : non humilior sub alieno curru agar quam in 
 meo steteram. 6. Quid ergo est ? vincere tamen quam 
 capi malo. Totum fortunae regnum despiciam: sed ex 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XXVI. 
 
 IGl 
 
 illo, si dabitur electio, meliora siimam. Quicqui'd ad me 
 venerit, boniim fiet; sed male faciliora ae iucundiora 
 veniant et minus vexatura tractautem. Non est enim, 
 quod existimes ullam esse sine labore virtutem: sed quae- 
 dam virtutes stimulis, quaedam frenis egent. Quem- 
 admodurn corpus in proclivi retineri debet, ad versus 
 ardua inpelli; ita quaedam virtutes in proclivi sunt, 
 quaedam clivum subeunt. 6. An dubium sit, quin es- 
 cendat, nitatur, obluctetur patientia, fortitude, perseve- 
 rantia et quaecum'que alid duris opposita virtus est et 
 fortunam subigit ? Quid ergo ? non aeque manifes- 
 tum est per devexum ire liberalitatern, temperantiam, 
 mausuetudinem ? In liis continemus anirnum, ne pro- 
 labatur; in illis exhortarnur incitamusque. Acerrimas 
 ei’go paupertati adbibebimus, illas quae pngnare sciunt, 
 fortiores : divitiis illas diligentiores, quae suspensum 
 gradum ponunt et pondus suum sustinent. 
 
 XXYI. Cum lioc ita divisum sit, malo has in usu. 
 milii esse, quae exercendae tranquillius sunt, quam eas, 
 quarum experimentuni sanguis et sudor est. Ergo non 
 ego aliter, inquit sapiens, vivo quam loquor, sed vos 
 aliter auditis. Sonus tantummodo verborum ad aures 
 vestras pervenit: quid significet non quaeritis. Quid 
 ergo inter me stultum et te sapientem interest, si uter- 
 que habere volumus ? Plurimum. Divitiae enim apud 
 sapientem virum in servitute sunt, apud stultum in im- 
 perio : saj)iens divitiis nihil permittit, vobis divitiae 
 omnia. 2. Yos, tarn quam aliqui^ vobis aeternam pos¬ 
 sessionem earum promiserit, adsuescitis illis et cohaere- 
 tis; sapient tunc maxime paiipertatem meditatur, cum 
 in mediis divitiis constitit. Numquam imperator ita 
 paci credit, ut non se praeparet bello; quod etiam si 
 
162 
 
 L. ANNA El 8ENE0AE 
 
 lion geritur, indictiim est. Yos domiis forraosa, tam- 
 qnain nec ardere nec mere possit, insoleiites, vos opes, 
 tainquam periculum omne transcenderint maioresque 
 sint vobis qnam quibns consiimendis satis virium lia- 
 beat fortnna, obstiipefaciunt. 3. Otiosi divitiis luditis 
 nec providetis illamm periculum ; sicut barbari ple- 
 rumque, inclusi et ignari machinarum, segues laborem 
 obsideiitiurn spectant nec quo ilia pertineant, quae ex 
 longinquo struuntur, intellegunt. Idem vobis evenit: 
 marcetis in vestris rebus nec cogitatis, quot casus undi- 
 que inmineant iam iamque pretiosa spolia laturi. Sapi¬ 
 ent! quisquis abs^Je.rit divitias, omnia illi sua relinquet: 
 vivit eiiirn praesentibus laetus, futuris securus. 4. ISii- 
 liil magis, inquit ille Socrates aut aliquis alius, cui idem 
 ius adversus liumana atque eadem potestas est, persuasi 
 mihi, quam ne ad opiniones vestras actum vitae rneae 
 flecterem. Solita conferte undique verba : non convi- 
 ciari vos putaboysed vagire velut infantes miserrimos. 
 Ilaec dicet ille, cui sapientia contigit, quern animus viti- 
 orum in munis increpare alios, non quia odit, sed in re¬ 
 medium iubet. 5. Adiciet his ilia: Existimatio me ves- 
 tra non meo nomine, sed vestro movet, quia calamitates 
 odisse, et lacessere virtutem bonae spei eiuratio est. 
 Kullam mihi iniuriam facitis : sed ne dis quidem hi 
 qui aras evertunt. Sed malum propositum adparet 
 malumque consilium etiam ibi, ubi nocere non potuit. 
 6. Sic vestras hallucinationes fero quemadmodum lu- 
 piter optimus maximus ineptias poetarum; quorum ali¬ 
 us illi alas inposuit, alius cornua, alius adulterum ilium 
 induxit et al]nqctantcm, alius saevum in deos, alius ini- 
 quum in homines, alius raptoriim ingenuorum corrupto- 
 rem et cognatorum quidem, alius pai’ricidam et regni 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XXVII. 
 
 163 
 
 alieni paternique expugnatorem : quibns nihil aliud 
 actum estj quam ut pudor hominibus peccandi demere- 
 tur, si tales decs credidissent. Sed quamquam ista me 
 nihil laedant, vestra vos moneo causa: 7. Suspicite vir- 
 Jtutem: credite iis, qui illam diu secuti magnum quid- 
 dam ipsos et quod in dies mains adpareat, sequi cla¬ 
 mant ; et ipsam ut deos, et professores eius ut antistites 
 colite : et quotiens mentio sacra literarum intervenerit, 
 favete linguis. Hoc verbum non, ut plerique existi- 
 mant, a favore trahitur ; sed imperatur silentium, ut 
 rite peragi possit sacrum nulla voce mala obstrepente. ^ 
 XXYII. Quod mill to magis necessarium est impe- 
 rari vobis, ut quotiens aliquid ex illo proferetur ora- 
 culo, intent! et conpressa voce audiatis. * Cum sistrum 
 aliquid concutiens ex imperio mentitur, cum aliquis se- 
 candi lacertos suos artifex brachia atque humeros sus- 
 pensa manu cruentat, curp,.ab 2 ^is .genibus per viam re 
 pens ululat laurumque linteatus senex et medio lucep 
 nam die praeferens conclamat iratum aliquem deorum; 
 concurritis et auditis et divinum esse eum, invicem mu 
 tuum alentes stuporem, adfirraatis. 2. Ecce Socrates 
 ex illo carcere, quern intrando purgavit omnique ho 
 nestiorem cui^ reddidit, proclamat: Quis iste furor ? 
 qua^ ista inimica dis horninibusque natura est infamare 
 virtutes et malignis sermonibus sancta violare ? Si po- 
 testis, bonos laudate: si minus, transite. Quod> si vobis 
 exercere tetram istam licentiam placet, alter in alterum 
 incursitate: nam cum in coelum insanitis, non dico sa- 
 crilegium facitis, sed operam perditis. Praebui ego ali- 
 quando Aristophani materiam iocorum : tota ilia comi- 
 corum poetarum manus in me venenatos sales suos effu- 
 dit. 3. Inlustrata est virtus mea per ea ipsa, per quae 
 
164 
 
 L, ANNAEI SENECAE- 
 
 petebatiir; produci enim illi et temptari expedit; iiec 
 idli iiiagis intellegunt, quanta sit, quam qui vires eius 
 lacesseiido senserunt. Dnritia silicis^nullis magis quam 
 ferientibus nota est. Praebeo me non aliter quam ru- 
 pes aliqua in vadoso mari destituta, quam fluctus non* 
 desinunt, undecumque moti sunt ^verberare: nec ide'o 
 aut loco earn movent aut per tot aetates crebro incursu 
 suo consumunt. 4. Adsilite, facite inpetnm : ferendo 
 VOS vincam. In ea, quae firma et inexsuperabilia sunt, 
 quicqnid incurrit, inalo suo vim suam exercet. Pro- 
 inde quaerite mollem cedentemque materiam, in qua 
 tela vestra figantur. Tobis autem vacat aliena scrutari 
 mala et seiitentias ferre de quoquam ? Quare liic pbilo- 
 soplius laxius habitat, quare hie lautius coenat ? Pa- 
 pulas observatis alienas, obsiti plurimis ulceribus? 5. 
 Hoc tale est quale si quis pulcherrimorum corporum 
 naevos aut veiTtfcas derideat, quern fera scabies depas- 
 citur. Obicite Platoni, quod petierit pecuniam, Aristo- 
 teli, quod acceperit, Democrito, quod neglexerit, Epi- 
 curo, quod consumpserit : mihi ipsi Alcibiadem et 
 Phaedrum obiectate. 6. O vos usu maxime felices, 
 cum primum vobis imitari vitia nostra contigerit ! 
 Quin potius mala vestra circumspicitis, quae vos ab 
 Omni parte confodiunt, alia grassantia extrinseens, alia 
 in visceribus ipsis ardentia? I^on eo loco res huma- 
 nae sunt: etiam si staturn vestrum parum nostis, et vo¬ 
 bis tantum otii supersit, ut in probra meliorum agitare 
 linguam vacet ? 
 
 XXYIII. Hoc vos non intellegitis et alienum fortu- 
 nae vestrae voltum geritis; sicut plurimi, quibus in cir- 
 co aut theatre desidentibus iam fiinesta domus est nec 
 adnuntiatuin malum. At ego ex alto prospiciens video, 
 
DE VITA BEATA. CAP. XXVIII. 165 
 
 quae tempestates aut inmineant vobis paulo tardius 
 rupturae nimbum suum, aut iam vicinae vds ac ves- 
 tra rapturae propius accesserint. Quid porro? nonne 
 nunc quoque, etiam si parum sentitis, turbd quidam 
 animos vestros rotat et involvit, fugientes petentesque 
 eadem et nunc in sublime adlevatos nunc in infima 
 adlisos ^ 
 
 Palace of the Caesars at Rome. 
 
 II 
 

 f . 
 
 The Forum from the Capitol, 
 
 «! 
 
 
L. ANNAEI SENECAS 
 
 AD LUCILIUM 
 
 EPISTULAE SELECTAE 
 
 ET 
 
 EPIGRAMMATA. 
 
Tlie teaching of Seneca, which drew all its interest from Greek phi¬ 
 losophy, was alien from the old Roman sentiments. His doctrines were 
 essentially cosmopolite. He sought to refer questions of honor and 
 justice to general and eternal principles, rather than to solve them by 
 the tests of precedents and political traditions. The educated men of 
 the later Republic, as well as of the early Empire, had opened their arms 
 wide to enibrace these foreign speculations; and whether they had re¬ 
 signed themselves to Epicurism, as was the fashion under Julius arid 
 Augustus, or had cultivated Stoicism, which was now more generally in 
 vogue, they equally abandoned the ground of their unpolished fathers, 
 which asserted the pre-eminence of patriotism above all the virtues, the 
 subordination of every claim of right and duty to national interest and 
 honor. ... As yet. Stoicism, in the ranks of Roman society, was mere¬ 
 ly a speculative creed; and the habit now prevalent there, of speculat¬ 
 ing on the unity of mankind, the equality of races, the universality of 
 justice, the subjection of prince and people, of masters and slaves, of 
 conqueror and conquered, to one rule of Right, tended undoubtedly to 
 sap the exclusive and selfish spirit of Roman antiquity. 
 
 Merivale. 
 
EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 EPISTTJLA II. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 rE X liis quae milii scribis, et ex bis quae audio, bonam spem 
 de te concipio. Non discurris nec locorum mutationibus in- 
 quietaris. Aegri animi ista iactatio est. Primum argumen- 
 tum conpositae mentis existimo, posse consistere et secum 
 morari. I|lud autem vide^ ne ista lectio auctorum multorum 
 et omnis generis voluminum babeat aliquid vagum et insta¬ 
 bile. Certis ingeniis inmorari et innutriri oportet, si velis 
 aliqqid trabere, quod in animo fideliter sedeat. Nusquam est 
 qui ubique est.-l^. Vitam in peregrinatione exigentibus boc 
 evenit, ut multa bospitia babeant, nullas amicitias. Idem ac- 
 cidat necesse est bis, qui nullius se ingenio familiariter adpli- 
 cant, sed omnia cursim et properantes transmittisint. Non 
 prodest cibus nec corpori accedit, qui statim sumptus emitti- 
 tur. Nibil aeque sanitatem inpedit quam remediorum crebra 
 mutatio. Non venit volnus ad cicatricem, in quo medica- 
 menta temptantur: non convalescit planta, quae saepe trans- 
 fertur : nibil tain utile est, ut in transitu prosit: distringit li- 
 brorum multitudo. 3. Itaque cum legere non possis, quantum 
 babueris, satis est babere, quantum legas. Sed modo, inquis, 
 bunc librum evolvere volo, modo ilium. Fastidientis stomacbi 
 est multa degustare, quae ubi varia sunt et diversa, inquinant, 
 non alunt. Probatos itaque semper lege, et si quando ad al¬ 
 ios diverti libuerit, ad priores redi. Aliquid cotidie adversiis 
 paupertatem, aliquid advcrsus mortem auxilii conpara, nec mi- 
 
170 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 nus adversns ceteras pestes: 4. et cum multa percurreris, unum 
 excerpe, quod illo die concoquas. Hoc ipse quoque facio : ex 
 pluribus, quae legi, aliquid adpreliendo. Hodiernum hoc est, 
 quod apud Epicurum nanctus sum : (soleo enim et in aliena 
 castra transire, non tamquam transfuga, sed tamquam explora- 
 tor:) Honesta, inquit, res est laeta paupertas. Ilia vero non 
 est paupertas, si laeta est. Non qui parum hahet, sed qui 
 plus cupit, pauper est. 5. Quid enim refert, quantum illi in 
 area, quantum in horreis iaceat, quantum pascat, quantum fe- 
 neret, si alieno inminet, si non adquisita, sed adquirenda con- 
 putat ? Quis sit divitiarum modus, quaeris : primus, habere 
 quod necesse est, proximus, quod sat est. Yale. 
 
 EPISTHLA VI. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Intellego, Lucili, non emendari me tantum, sed transfigurari. 
 Nec hoc promitto iam aut spero, nihil in me superesse, quod 
 mutandum sit. Quidni multa habeam, quae debeant colligi, 
 quae extenuari, quae attolli ? Et hoc ipsum argumentum est 
 in melius translati animi, quod vitia sua, quae adhuc ignora- 
 bat, videt. Quibusdam aegris gratulatio fit, cum ipsi aegros 
 se esse senserunt. 2. Cuperem itaque tecum communicare 
 tarn subitam mutationem mei: tunc amicitiae nostrae certi- 
 orem fiduciam habere coepissem, illius verae, quam non spes, 
 non timor, non utilitatis suae cura divellit: illius, cum qua 
 homines moriuntur, pro qua moriuntur. Multos tibi dabo, 
 qui non amico, sed amicitia caruerunt. Hoc non potest acci- 
 dere, cum animos in societatem honesta cupiendi par voluntas 
 trahit. 3. Quidni non possit? Sciunt enim ipsos omnia ha¬ 
 bere communia, et quidem magis adversa. Concipere animo 
 non potes, quantum momenti adferre mihi singulos dies vide- 
 am. Mitte, inquis, et nobis ista, quae tarn efficacia expertus 
 es. Ego vero omnia in te cupio transfundere, et in hoc ali- 
 
EPI8TULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 171 
 
 quid gaudeo discere, ut doceam : nec me ulla res delectabit, 
 licet sit eximia et salutaris, quam mihi uni sciturus sum. 4. 
 Si cum hac exception e detur sapientia, ut illam inclusam tene- 
 am nec enuntiem, reiciam. Nullius boni sine socio iucunda 
 possessio est. Mittam itaque ipsos tibi libros : et ne multum 
 operae inpendas, dum passim profutura sectaris, inponam no- 
 tas, ut ad ipsa protinus, quae probo et miror, accedas. Plus 
 tarn on tibi et viva vox et convictus quam oratio proderit. 5. 
 In rein praesentem venias oportet: primum, quia homines 
 amplius oculis quam auribus credunt: deinde, quia longum 
 iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla. Zeno- 
 nem Cleanthes non expressisset, si tantummodo audisset. 
 Vitae eius interfuit, secreta perspexit, observavit ilium, an ex 
 formula sua viveret. Platon et Aristoteles et omnis in diver- 
 sum itura sapientium turba plus ex moribus quam ex verbis 
 Socratis traxit. 6. Metrodorum et Hermarchum et Polyaenum 
 magnos viros non schola Epicuri, sed contubernium fecit. 
 Nec in hoc te accerso tantum, ut proficias, sed ut prosis : plu- 
 rimum enim alter alteri conferemus. Interim quoniam di- 
 urnam tibi mercedulam debeo, quid me hodie apud Hecato- 
 nem delectaverit dicam. Quaeris, inquit, quid profecerim ? 
 amicus esse mihi. Multum proficit: numquam erit solus. 
 Scito hunc amicum omnibus esse. Yale. 
 
 EPISTULA X. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Sic est, non muto sententiam : fuge multitudinem, fuge 
 paucitatem, fuge etiam unum. Non habeo cum quo te com- 
 municatum velim. Et vide, quod indicium meum habeas: 
 audeo te tibi credere. Crates, ut aiunt, huius ipsius Stilbonis 
 auditor, cuius mentionem priori epistula feci, cum vidisset 
 adulescentulum secreto ambulantem, interrogavit, quid illic 
 solus faceret ? Mecum^ in quit, loquor. Cui Crates: Cave, in- 
 
172 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 quit, rogo^ et diligenter adtende^ ne cum homine malo loquaris. 
 
 2. Lugentem timentemque custodlre solemus, ne solitudine 
 male utatur: nemo est ex inprudentibus, qui relinqui sibi de¬ 
 beat. Tunc mala consilia agitant: tunc aut aliis aut ipsis fu- 
 tura pericula struunt: tunc cupiditates inprobas ordinant: tunc 
 quicquid aut metu aut pudore celabat, animus exponit: tunc 
 audaciam acuit, libidinem inritat, iracundiam instigat. De- 
 nique quod unum solitudo habet commodum, nihil ulli com- 
 mittere, non timere indicem, perit stulto: ipse se prodit. 3. 
 Vide itaque, quid de te sperem, immo quid spondeam mihi 
 (spes enim incerti boni nomen est) : non invenio cum quo 
 te malim esse quam tecum. Repeto memoria, quam magno 
 animo quaedam verba proieceris, quanti roboris plena. Gra- 
 tulatus sum protinus mihi et dixi: non a summis labris ista 
 venerunt, habent hae voces fundamentum: iste homo non est 
 unus e populo, ad salutem spectat. 4. Sic loquere, sic vive: 
 vide ne te ulla res deprimat. Votorum tuorum veterum licet 
 deis gratiam facias, alia de integro suscipe : roga bonam men- 
 tem, bonam valitudinem animi, deinde corporis. Quidni tu 
 ista vota saepe facias ? Audacter deum roga : nihil ilium de 
 alieno rogaturus es. Sed ut more meo cum aliquo munusculo 
 epistulam mittam, verum est, quod apud Athenodorum inveni: 
 
 5. Tunc scito esse te omnibus cupiditatihus solutum, cum eo 
 perveneris, ut nihil deum roges^ nisi quod rogare possis palam. 
 Nunc enim quanta dementia est hominum ! turpissima vota 
 dis insusurrant: si quis admoverit aurem, conticescent: et 
 quod scire hominem nolunt, deo narrant. Vide ergo, ne hoc e, 
 praecipi salubriter possit: Sic vive cum hominibus, tamquam 
 deus videat: sic loquere cum deo, tamquam homines audiant. 
 Vale. 
 
EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 173 
 
 EPISTULA XXIII. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Putas me tibi scripturum, quam humane nobiscum biems 
 egerit, quae et remissa |uit et brevis, quam malignum ver 
 sit, quam praeposterum frigus, et alias ineptias verba quae- 
 rentium. Ego vero aliquid, quod et mibi et tibi prodesse 
 possit, scribam. Quid autem id erit, nisi ut te exborter ad 
 bonam mentem ? Huius fundamentum quod sit quaeris ? Ne 
 gaudeas vanis. Fundamentum boe esse dixi: culmen est. 
 Ad summa pervenit, qui scit, quo gaudeat, qui felicitatem 
 suam in aliena potestate non posuit. 2. Sollicitus est et in- 
 certus sui, quern spes aliqua proritat, licet ad manum sit, licet 
 non ex difficili petatur, licet numquam ilium sperata decepe- 
 rint. Hoc ante omnia fac, mi Lucili: disce gaudere. Existi- 
 mas nunc me detrabere tibi multas voluptates, qui fortuita sub- 
 moveo, qui spes, dulcissima oblectamenta devitanda existimo ? 
 immo contra nolo tibi umquam deesse laetitiam. Yolo illam 
 tibi domi nasci: nascitur, si domus intra te ipsum sit. 3. Ce- 
 terae bilaritates non inplent pectus : frontem remittunt, leves 
 sunt: nisi forte tu iudicas eum gaudere qui ridet. Animus 
 esse debet alacer et fidens et super omnia erectus. Mibi 
 crede, yerum gaudium res severa est. An tu existimas quem- 
 quam soluto voltu et, ut isti delicati loquuntur, bilariculo mor¬ 
 tem contemnere ? paupertati domum aperire ? voluptates te- 
 nere sub freno ? meditari dolorum patientiam ? Haec qui 
 apud se versat, in magno gaudio est, sed parum blando. 4. In 
 buius gaudii possessione esse te volo : numquam deficiet, cum 
 semel unde petatur inveneris. Levium metallorum fructus in 
 summo est.: ilia opulentissima sunt, quorum in alto latet vena 
 adsidue plenius responsura fodienti. Haec, quibus delectatur 
 volgus, tenuem babent ac perfusoriam voluptatem, et quodcum- 
 que inventicium gaudium est, fundamento caret: boc, de quo 
 
 H 2 
 
174 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 loquor, ad quod te conor perdiicere, solidum est, et quod plus 
 pateat introrsus. 5. Fac, oro te, Lucili carissime, quod unum 
 potest te praestare felicem : disice et conculca ista, quae ex- 
 trinsecus splendent, quae tibi promittuntur ab alio : ad verum 
 bonum specta et de tuo gaude. Quid est autem hoc de tuo ^ 
 Te ipso et tui optima parte. Corpusculum quoque, etiam si 
 nihil fieri sine illo potest, magis necessariam rem crede quam 
 magnam : vanas subgerit voluptates, breves, poenitendas, ac 
 nisi magna moderation e temperentur, in contrarium abituras. 
 6. Ita dico : in praecipiti voluptas ad dolorem vergit, nisi mo- 
 dum tenuit: modum autem tenere in eo difficile est, quod bo¬ 
 num esse credideris. Veri boni aviditas tuta est. Quid sit 
 istud, interrogas, aut unde subeat ? Dicam : ex bona consci- 
 entia, ex honestis consiliis, ex rectis actionibus, ex contemptu 
 fortuitorum, ex placido vitae et continue tenore unam pre- 
 mentis viam. Nam illi, qui ex aliis propositis in alia transsi- 
 liunt aut ne transsiliunt quidem, sed casu quodam trans- 
 mittuntur, quomodo habere quicquam certum mansurumve 
 possunt suspensi et vagi? 7. Pauci sunt, qui consilio se sua- 
 que disponant: ceteri eorum more, quae fluminibus innatant, 
 non eunt, sed feruntur. Ex quibus alia lenior unda detinuit 
 ac mollius vexit, alia vehementior rapuit, alia proxima ripae 
 cursu languescente deposuit, alia torrens inpetus in mare eie- 
 cit. Ideo constituendum est, quid velimus, et in eo perseve- 
 randum. Hie est locus solvendi aeris alieni. Possum enim 
 vocem tibi Epicuri tui reddere et hanc epistulam liberare: 8. 
 Molestum est semper vitam inchoare: aut si hoc modo magis 
 sensus potest exprimi: Male vivunt, qui semper vivere incipi- 
 unt. Quare ? inquis. Desiderat enim explanationem ista vox. 
 Quia semper illis inperfecta vita est. Non potest autem stare 
 paratus ad mortem, qui modo incipit vivere. Id agendum est, 
 ut satis vixerimus : nemo hoc putat, qui orditur cum maxime 
 vitam. Non est quod existimes paucos esse hos : propemo- 
 dum omnes sunt. Quidam vero tunc incipiunt, cum desinen- 
 dum est. Si hoc iudicas mirum, adiciam quod magis admire- 
 ris : quidam ante vivere desierunt quam inciperent. Yale, 
 
EPISTULAE SELEOTAE. 
 
 175 
 
 EPISTULA XLI. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Facis rem optimam et tibi salutarem, si, ut scribis, perseveras 
 ire ad bonam mentem, quam stultum est op tare, cum possis a te 
 inpetrare. Non sunt ad coelum elevandae manus nee exorandus 
 aedituus, ut nos ad aurem simulacri, quasi magis exaudiri possi- 
 mus, admittat: prope est a te deus, tecum est, intus est. Ita 
 dico, Lucili: sacer intra nos spiritus sedet, malorum bonorumque 
 nostrorum observator, et custos : hie prout a nobis tractatus 
 est, ita nos ipse tractat. 2. Bonus vero vir sine deo nemo est. 
 An potest aliquis supra fortunam nisi ab illo adiutus exsur- 
 gere ? Ille dat consilia magnifica et erecta. In unoquoque 
 virorum bonorum 
 
 quis deus incertum est, habitat deus. 
 
 Si tibi occurrerit vetustis arboribus et solitam altitudinem 
 egressis frequens lucus et conspectum coeli densitate ramorum 
 aliorum alios protegentium submovens : ilia proceritas silvae 
 et secretum loci et admiratio umbrae in aperto tarn densae at- 
 que continuae fidem tibi numinis facit. 3. Et si quis specus 
 saxis penitus exesis montem suspenderit, non manu factus, sed 
 naturalibus causis in tantam laxitatem excavatus, animum 
 tuum quadam religionis suspicione perciitiet. Magnorum 
 fluminum capita veneramur: subita ex abdito vasti amnis 
 eruptio aras habet: coluntur aquarum calentium fontes, et 
 stagna quaedam vel opacitas vel inmensa altitude sacravit. 4. 
 Si hominem videris interritum periculis, intactum cupiditati- 
 bus, inter adversa felicem, in mediis tempestatibus placidum, 
 ex superiore loco homines videntem, ex aequo deos: non 
 subibit te eius veneratio ? non dices: Ista res maior est 
 altiorque quam ut credi similis huic, in quo est, corpusculo 
 possit? Vis istuc divina descendit. Animum excellentem. 
 
17G 
 
 L. ANl^AEI SENECAE 
 
 moderatiim, omnia tamquam minora transeuntem quicquid 
 timemus optamusque ridentem, coelestis potentia agitat. 5. 
 Non potest res tanta sine adminiculo numinis stare: itaque 
 maiore sui parte illic est, unde descendit. Quemadmodum 
 radii solis contingunt quidem terram, sed ibi sunt, unde mit- 
 tuntur: sic animus magnus ac sacer et in hoc demissus, ut pro- 
 pius divina nossemus, conversatur quidem nobiscum, sed hae- 
 ret origini suae: illinc pendet, illuc spectat ac nititur, nostris 
 tamquam melior interest. 6. Quis est ergo hie animus ? qui 
 nullo bono nisi suo nitet. Quid enim est stultius quam in ho- 
 mine aliena laudare ? quid eo dementius, qui ea miratur, quae 
 ad alium transferri protinus possunt ? Non faciunt meliorem 
 equum aurei freni. Aliter leo aurata iuba mittitur, dum con- 
 tractatur et ad patientiam recipiendi ornamenti cogitur fatiga- 
 tus, aliter incultus, integri spiritus. Hie scilicet inpetu acer, 
 qualem ilium natura esse voluit, speciosus ex horrido, cuius hie 
 decor est, non sine timore adspici, praefertur illi languido et 
 bracteato. Nemo gloriari nisi suo debet. 7. Vitem laudamus, 
 si fructu palmites onerat, si ipsa pondera ad terram eorumque 
 tnlit, adminicula deducit. Num quis huic illam praeferret vi¬ 
 tem, cui aureae uvae, aurea folia dependent ? Propria virtus 
 est in vite fertilitas : in homine quoque id laudandum est, 
 quod ipsius est. Familiam formosam hab.et et domum pul- 
 chram, rnultum serit, multum fenerat: nihil horum in ipso 
 est, sed circa ipsum. 8. Lauda in ipso, quod nec eripi potest 
 nec dari, quod propium hominis est. Quaeris quid sit ? Ani¬ 
 mus et ratio in animo perfecta. Rationale enim animal est 
 homo : consummatur itaque eius bonum, si id inplevit, cui 
 nascitur. Quid est autem, quod ab illo ratio haec exigat ? 
 Rem facillimam ; secundum naturam suam vivere. Sed hanc 
 difficilem facit communis insania: in vitia alter alterum tru- 
 dimus : quomodo autem revocari ad salutem possunt, quos 
 nemo retinet, populus inpellit ? Yale. 
 
EPISTULAE SELEOTAE. 
 
 177 
 
 EPISTULA LXXXVI. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 In ipsa Scipionis African! villa iacens haec tibi scribo ado- 
 ratis manibus eius et area, quam sepulcbrum esse tanti viri 
 snspicor. Animum quidem eius in coelum, ex quo erat, re- 
 disse persuadeo mihi, non quia magnos exercitus duxit (bos 
 enim et Cambyses furiosus ac furore feliciter usus babuit), sed 
 ob egregiam moderationem pietatemque, quam magis in illo 
 admiror, cum reliquit patriam, quam cum defendit. Aut 
 Scipio Pomae deesse debebat aut Roma in libertate. 2. .Ni¬ 
 hil, inquit, volo derogare legihus, nihil institutis: aequum 
 inter omnes cives ius sit: utere sine me heneficio meo, patria : 
 causa tibi libertatis fui, ero et argumentum. Exeo, si plus 
 tibi quam expedit, crevi. Quidni ego admirer banc magnitu- 
 dinem animi, qua in exilium voluntarium secessit et civitatem 
 exoneravit ? Eo perducta res erat, ut aut libertas Scipioni aut 
 Scipio libertati faceret iniuriam. Neutrum fas erat: itaque 
 locum dedit legibus et se Litemum recepit tarn suum exilium 
 reipublicae inputaturus quam Hannibalis. 3. Vidi villam struc- 
 tam lapide quadrato, murum circumdatum silvae, turres quo- 
 que in propugnaculum villae utrimque subrectas, cisternam 
 aedificiis ac viridibus subditam, quae sulRcere in usum vel 
 exercitus posset, balneolum angustum, tenebricosum ex con- 
 suetudine antiqua (non videbatur maioribus nostris caldum 
 nisi obscurum). 4. Magna ergo me voluptas subiit contemplan- 
 tem mores Scipionis ac nostros. In boc angulo ille Cartba- 
 ginis borror, cui Roma debet, quod tantum semel capta est, 
 abluebat corpus laboribus rusticis fessum : exercebat enim 
 opere se terramque, ut mos fuit priscis, ipse subigebat. Sub 
 boc ille tecto tarn sordido stetit: boc ilium pavimentum tarn 
 vile sustinuit. 5. At nunc quis est, qui sic lavari sustineat ? 
 pauper sibi videtur ac sordidus, nisi parietes magnis et preti- 
 
178 
 
 L. a 2^NAEI SliNEOAE 
 
 osis orbibus refulserunt, nisi Alexandrina marmora Numidicis 
 crustis distincta sunt, nisi illis undique operosa et in picturae 
 modum variata circumlitio praetexitur, nisi vitro absconditiir 
 camera, nisi Tbasius lapis, quondam rarum in aliquo spectacu- 
 lum templo, piscinas nostras circumdedit, in quas multa suda- 
 tione corpora exsaniata demittimus, nisi aquam argentea epi- 
 tonia fuderunt. 6. Et adbuc plebeias fistulas loquor: quid, 
 cum ad balnea libertinorum pervenero ? quantum statuarum, 
 quantum columnarum est nibil sustinentium, sed in ornamen- 
 tum positarum inpensae causa I quantum aquarum per gradus 
 cum fragore labentium ! Eo deliciarum pervenimus, ut nisi 
 gemmas calcare nolimus. In boc balneo Scipionis minimae 
 sunt rimae magis quam fenestrae muro lapideo exsectae, ut 
 sine iniuria munimenti lumen admitterent. 7 . At nunc blat- 
 taria vocant balnea, si qua non ita aptata sunt, ut totius diei 
 solom fenestris amplissimis recipiant, nisi et lavantur simul et 
 colorantur, nisi ex solio agros et maria prospiciunt. Itaque 
 quae concursum et admirationem babuerant, cum dedicarentur, 
 in antiquorum numerum reiciuntur, cum aliquid novi luxuria 
 commcnta est, quo ipsa se obrueret. 8. At olim et pauca 
 erant balnea nec ullo cultu exornata: cur enim ornaretur res 
 quadrantaria et in usum, non oblectamentum reperta ? Non 
 subfundebatur aqua nec recens semper velut ex calido fonte 
 currebatnec referre credebant, in quam perlucida sordes de- 
 ponerent. Sed, di boni, quam iuvat ilia balnea intrare obscura 
 et gregali tectorio inducta, quae scires Catonem tibi aedilem 
 aut Fabium Maximum aut ex Corneliis aliquem manu sua tem- 
 perasse ? 9. Nam boc quoque nobilissimi aediles fungebantur 
 
 otficio intrandi ea loca, quae populum receptabant, exigendi- 
 que munditias et utiletn ac salubrem temperaturam, non banc, 
 quae nuper inventa est similis incendio, adeo quidem, ut con- 
 victum in aliquo scelere servum vivum lavari oporteat. Nibil 
 mibi videtur iam interesse, ardeat balneum an caleat. Quan- 
 tae nunc aliquis rusticitatis damnat Scipionem, quod non in 
 caldarium suum latis specularibus diem admiserat? quod non 
 in multa luce decoquebatur et exspectabat, ut in balneo con- 
 coquoret. 10 . 0 bominem calamitosum 1 nesciit vivere. Non 
 
EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 179 
 
 saccata aqua lavabatur, sed saepe turbida et, cum plueret vebe- 
 mentius, paene lutulenta: nec multum eius intererat, an sic la- 
 varetur: veniebat enim ut sudorem illic ablueret, non nt un- 
 gnentura. Quas nunc quorumdam fnturas voces credis ? Non 
 invideo Scipioni: vere in exilio vixit, qui sic lavabatur. Immo, 
 si scias, non cotidie lavabatur. 11. Nam, ut aiunt, qui priscos 
 mores Urbis tradiderunt, bracbia et crura cotidie abluebant, 
 quae scilicet sordes opere collegerant: ceterum toti nundinis 
 lavabantur. Hoc loco dicet aliquis : Liquet mihi inmundissi- 
 mos fuisse. Quid putas illos oluiSse ? Militiam, laborem, vi- 
 rum. Postquam munda balnea inventa sunt, spurciores sunt. 
 12. Descripturus infamem et nimiis notabilem deliciis Horatius 
 Flaccus quid ait ? 
 
 Pastillos Rujillus oleL 
 
 Dares nunc Rufillum : perinde esset, ac si bircum oleret. Gor- 
 gonii loco esset, quern idem Horatius Rufillo obposuit. Parum 
 est sumere unguentum, nisi bis die terque renovatur, ne evane- 
 scat in corpore. Quid, quod hoc odore tamquam suo glorian- 
 tur ? 13. Haec si tibi nimium tristia videbuntur, villae inputa- 
 
 bis, in qua didici ab Aegialo, diligentissimo patrefamiliae (is 
 enim huius agri nunc possessor est), quamvis vetus arbustum 
 posse transferri. Hoc nobis senibus discere necessarium est, 
 quorum nemo non olivetum alteri ponit: quod vidi ilium arbo- 
 nim trimum et quadrimum fastidiendi fructus autumno depo- 
 nere. 14. Te quoque proteget ilia, quae 
 
 Tarda venit, seris factura nepotihus umhram^ 
 
 ut ait Yergilius noster, qui non quid verissime, sed quid de- 
 centissime diceretur adspexit nec agricolas docere voluit, sed 
 legentes delectare. 15. Nam, ut alia omnia transeam, hoc quod 
 mihi hodie necesse fuit deprehendere, adscribam : 
 
 Vere fahis satio est: tunc te quoque, medica,putres 
 Accipiunt sulci et milio venit annua, cura. 
 
 An uno tempore ista ponenda sint et an utriusque verna sit 
 satio, bine aestimes licet. lunius mensis est, quo tibi scribo, 
 
180 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECA E 
 
 iam proclivus in lulium : 16. eodem die vidi fabam metentes, 
 milium serentes. Ad olivefum revertar, quod vidi duobus 
 modis dispositum. Magnarum arborum truncos circumcisis 
 ramis et ad unum redactis pedem cum rapo suo transtulit am- 
 putatis radicibus, relicto tantum capite ipso, ex quo illae pe- 
 penderant. Hoc fimo tinctum in scrobem demisit; deinde 
 terrain non adgessit tantum, sed calcavit et pressit. 17. Negat 
 quicquam esse liac, ui ait, spissatione efficacius: videlicet frigus 
 excludit et ventum: minus praeterea movetur et 6b hoc na- 
 scentes radices prodire patitur ac solum adprehendere, quas 
 necesse est cereas adliuc et precario liaerentes, levis quoque re- 
 vellat agitatio : parum autem arboris, antequam obruat, radix. 
 Ex Omni enim materia, quae nudata est, ut ait, radices exeunt 
 novae. 18. Non plures autem super terram eminere debet 
 truncus quam tres aut quatuor pedes : statim enim ab imo 
 vestietur nec magna pars quemadmodum in olivetis vete- 
 ribus arida et retorrida erit. Alter ponendi modus hie 
 fuit: ramos fortes nec corticis duri, quales esse novellarum 
 arborum solent, eodem genere deposuit. Hi paulo tardius 
 surgunt; sed cum tamquam a planta processerint, nihil ha^ 
 bent in se horridum aut triste. 19. Illud etiamnunc vidi, vh 
 tem ex arbusto suo annosam transferri: huius capillamenta 
 quoque, si fieri potest, colligenda sunt: deinde liberalius ster^ 
 nenda vitis, ut etiam ex corpore radicescat. Et vidi non tan¬ 
 tum mense Februario positas ; sed etiam Martio exacto tenent 
 et conplexae sunt non suas ulmos. Omnes autem istas arbo- 
 res, quae, ut ita dicam, grandiscapiae sunt, ait aqua adiuvandas 
 cisternina; quae si prodest, habemus pluviam in nostra potes- 
 tate. Plura te docere non cogito ne, quemadmodum Aegialus 
 me sibi adversarium paravit, sic ego parem te mihi. Yale. 
 
EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 181 
 
 EPISTULA evil. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Ubi ilia pmdentia tua ? ubi in dispiciendis rebus subtilitas ? 
 ubi magnitude^? Tam pusilla te res angit ? Servi occupa- 
 tiones tuas occasionem fugae putaverimt. Si amici decipe- 
 rent ? (babeant enim sane nomen, quod illis noster Epicurus 
 inposuit, et vocentur, quo turpius desint omnibus rebus tuis) 
 desunt illi, qui et operam tuam conterebant et te aliis mole- 
 stum esse credebant. 2. Nihil horum insolitum, nihil inex- 
 spectatum est. Offendi rebus istis tarn ridiculum est quam 
 queri, quod spargaris in publico aut inquineris in Into. Ea- 
 dem vitae condicio est, quae balnei, turbae, itineris : quaedam 
 in te mittentur, quaedam incident. Non est delicata res vivere. 
 Longam viam ingressus es: et labaris oportet et arietes et ca- 
 das et lasseris et exclames : 0 mors ! id est mentiaris. Alio 
 loco comitem relinques, alio efferes, alio timebis. Per eius- 
 modi offensas emetiendum est confragosum hoc iter. Mori 
 vult ? 3. Praeparetur animus contra omnia: sciat se venisse, 
 
 ubi tonat fulmen : sciat se venisse ubi 
 
 Liictus et ultrices posuere cuhilia curae 
 Pallentesque habitant morhi tristisque senectus. 
 
 In hoc contubernio vita degenda est. Effugere ista non po- 
 tes: contemnere potes: contemnes autem, si saepe cogitaveris 
 et futura praesumpseris. 4. Nemo non fortius ad id, cui se diu 
 conposuerat, accessit et duris quoque, si praemeditata erant, 
 obstitit. At contra inparatus etiam levissima expavit. Id 
 agendum est, ne quid nobis inopinatum sit: et quia omnia 
 novitate graviora sunt, hoc cogitatio adsidua praestabit, ut 
 nulli sis malo tiro. 5. Servi me reliquerunt. Alium conpila- 
 verunt, alium accusaverunt, alium occiderunt, alium prodide- 
 runt, alium calcaverunt, alium veneno, alium criminatione pe- 
 
182 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 tierunt. Quicqiiid dixeris, multis accidit. Deinceps, quae 
 multa et varia sunt in nos diriguntur. Quaedam in nos fixa 
 sunt, quaedam vibrant et cum maxime veniunt, quaedam in 
 alios perventura nos stringunt. 6. Nihil miremur eorum, ad 
 quae nati sumus, quae ideo nulli querenda, quia paria sunt 
 omnibus. Ita dico, paria sunt: nam etiam quod effugit ali- 
 quis, pati potuit: aequum autem ius est non quo omnes usi 
 sunt, sed quod omnibus latum est. Imperetur aequitas animo 
 et sine querela mortalitatis tributa pendamus. •Hiems frigora 
 adducit: algendum est: aestas calores refert: aestuandum 
 est. 7. Intemperies coeli valitudinem temptat: aegrotandum 
 est. Et fera nobis aliquo loco occurret et homo perniciosior 
 feris omnibus. Aliud aqua, aliud ignis eripiet. llanc rerum 
 condicionem mutare non possumus : id possumus, magnum 
 sumere animum et viro bono dignum, quo fortiter fortuita 
 patiamur et naturae consentiamus. 8. Natura autem hoc, quod 
 vides, regnum mutationibus temperat. Nubilo serena succe- 
 dunt: turbantur maria, cum quieverunt: flant invicem venti: 
 noctem dies sequitur: pars coeli consurgit, pars mergitur: con- 
 trariis rerum aeternitas constat. Ad hanc legem animus no- 
 ster aptandus est: hanc sequatur, huic pareat: et quaecumque 
 hunt, debuisse fieri putet nec velit obiurgare naturam. 9. Op¬ 
 timum est pati, quod emendare non possis, et deum, quo auc- 
 tore cuncta proveniunt, sine rnurmuratione comitari. Malus 
 miles est, qui imperatorem gemens sequitur. Quare inpigri 
 atque alacres excipiamus imperia nec deseramus hunc operis 
 pulcherrimi cursum, cui quicquid patimur, intextura est. 10. 
 Et sic adloquaraur lovem, cuius gubernaculo moles ista dirigi- 
 tur, quemadmodum Cleanthes noster versibus disertissimis 
 adloquitur, quos mihi in nostrum sermonem mutare permitti- 
 tur Ciceronis, disertissimi viri, exemplo. Si placuerint, boni 
 consules: si displicuerint, scies me in hoc secutum Ciceronis 
 exemplum. 
 
 11. 0 parens celsique dominator poli, 
 
 Quocnmque placuit: nulla parendi mora est. 
 
 Adsum inpiger. Fac nolle, comitahor gemens 
 
 Malusque patiar, quod pati licuit bono. 
 
 Ducunt volentein fata, nolentem trahunt. 
 
EPISTULAE SELEOTAE. 
 
 183 
 
 Sic vivamus, sic loquamur: paratos nos inveniat atqiie inpi- 
 gros fatum. Hie est magniis animus, qui se deo tradidit: at 
 contra ille pusillus et degener, qui obluctatur et de ordine 
 mundi male existimat et emendare mavult deos quam se. 
 Vale. 
 
 - EPISTHLA CXVIII. 
 
 Seneca Lucilio suo salutem. 
 
 Exigis a me frequentiores epistulas. Eationes conferamus: 
 solvendo non eris. Convenerat quidem, ut tua priora essent: 
 tu scriberes, ego rescriberem. Sed non ero difficilis : bene 
 credi tibi scio: itaque in antecessum dabo. Nec faciam, quod 
 Cicero, vir disertissimus, facere Atticum iubet, ut^ etiam si rem 
 nullam hahehit, quod in buccam venerit, scrihat. 2. Numquam 
 potest -deesse, quod scribam, ut omnia ilia, quae Ciceronis in- 
 plent epistulas, transeam: quis cqndidatus lahoret: quis alienis, 
 quis suis viribus pugnet: quis consulatum fiducia Caesaris, 
 quis Pompeii^ quis arcae petal: quam durus sit fenerator Cae- 
 cilius, a quo minoris centesimis propinqui nummum movere 
 non possint. Sua satius est mala quam aliena tractare, se ex- 
 cutere et videre, quam multarum rerum candidatus sit, et non 
 suffragari. 3. Hoc est, mi Lucili, egregium, hoc securum ac 
 liberum, nihil petere et tota fortunae comitia transire. Quam 
 putas esse iucundum tribubus vocatis, cum candidati in tem- 
 plis suis pendeant et alius nummos pronuntiet, alius per se- 
 questrem agat, alius eorum manus osculis conterat, quibus 
 designatus contingendam manum negaturus est, omnes ad- 
 toniti vocem praeconis exspectant, stare otiosum et spectare 
 illas nundinas nec ementem quicquam nec vendentem? 4. 
 Quanto hie maiore gaudio fruitur, qui non praetoria aut con- 
 sularia comitia securus intuetur, sed magna ilia, in quibus alii 
 honores anniversaries petunt, alii perpetuas potestates, alii bel- 
 lorum eventus prosperos triumphosque, alii divitias, alii matri- 
 monia ac liberos, alii salutem suam suorumque! Quanti animi 
 
184 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 res est solum nihil petere, niilli supplicare et dicere: Nihil 
 mihi tecum^ fortuna. Non facio mei tibi copiam: scio apud 
 te Catones repelli, Vatinios fieri: nihil rogo. Hoc est priva- 
 tam facere .fortiinam. 5. Licet ergo haec invicem scribere et 
 banc integram semper egerere materiam circumspicientibiis 
 tot milia bominiim inquieta, qui ut aliquid pestiferi consequan- 
 tur, per mala nituntur in malum petuntque mox fugienda aut 
 etiam fastidienda. Cui enim adsecuto satis fuit, quod optanti 
 nimium videbatur ? 6. Non est, ut existimant homines, avida 
 
 felicitas, sed pusilla: itaque neminem satiat. Tu ista credis 
 excelsa, quia longe ab illis iaces: ei vero, qui ad ilia pervenit, 
 humilia sunt. Mentior, nisi adbuc quaerit escendere: istuc, 
 quod tu summum putas, gradus est. Omnes autem male babet 
 ignorantia veri. 7. Tamquam ad bona feruntur decepti ru- 
 moribus:, deinde mala esse aut inania aut minora quam spera- 
 verint, adepti ac multa passi vident: maiorque pars miratur 
 ex intervallo fallentia et volgo magna pro bonis sunt. Hoc 
 ne nobis quoque eveniat, quaeramus, quid sit bonum. Yaria 
 eius interpretatio fuit: alius illud aliter expressit. 8. Quidam 
 ita finiunt: Bonum est quod invitat animos, quod ad se vocat, 
 Huic statim obponitur: Quid ? si invitat quidem, sed in per- 
 niciem? scis quam multa mala blanda sint. Yerum et veri- 
 simile inter se differunt. Ita quod bonum est, vero iungitur: 
 non est.enim bonum nisi verum est: at quod invitat ad se et 
 adlicefacit, verisimile est: subripit, sollicitat, adtrabit. 9. Qui¬ 
 dam ita finierunt: Bonum est, quod adpetitionem sui movet : 
 vel, quod inpetum animi tendentis ad se movet. Et huic idem 
 obponitur: multa enim inpetum animi movent, quae petantur 
 petentium malo. Melius illi, qui ita finierunt: Bonum est, 
 quod ad se inpetum ■ animi secundum naturam movet et ita 
 demum petendum est. Cum coepit esse expetendum, iam et 
 honestum est: hoc enim est perfecte petendum. 10. Locus 
 ipse me admonet, ut, quid intersit inter bonum honestumque, 
 dicam. Aliquid inter se mixtum habent et inseparabile: nec 
 potest bonum esse, nisi cui aliquid bonesti inest, et honestum 
 utique bonum est. Quid ergo inter duo interest ? Honestum 
 est perfectum bonum, quo beata vita conpletur, cuius contactu 
 
EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 185 
 
 alia quoque bona fiunt. Quod dico, tale est: sunt quaedam 
 neque bona neque mala, tamquam militia, legatio, iurisdictio. 
 11. Haec cum boneste adminislrata sunt, bona esse incipiunt 
 et ex dubio in bonum transeunt. Bonum societate honesti fit, 
 honestum per se bonum est. Bonum ex bonesto fluit, bonestum 
 ex se est. Quod bonum est malum esse potuit: quod bonestum 
 est, nisi bonum esse non potuit. Hanc quidam finitionem red- 
 diderunt: Bonum est quod secundum naturam est. Adtende, 
 quid dicam: quod bonum est secundum naturam est: non pro- 
 tinus quod secundum naturam est etiam bonum est. 12. Mul- 
 ta naturae quidem consentiunt, sed tarn pusilla sunt, ut non 
 conveniat illis boni nomen. Levia enim sunt, contemnenda: 
 nullum est minimum contemnendum bonum. Nam quamdiu 
 exiguum est, bonum non est: cum bonum esse coepit, non est 
 exiguum. IJnde adgnoscitur bonum ? si perfecte secundum 
 naturam est. 13. Fateris, inquis, quod bonum est secundum na¬ 
 turam esse: baec eius proprietas est: fateris et alia secundum 
 naturam quidem esse, sed bona non esse. Quomodo ergo illud 
 bonum est, cum baec non sint ? quomodo ad aliam proprieta- 
 tem pervenit, cum utrique praecipuum illud commune sit, 
 secundum naturam esse? Ipsa scilicet magnitudine. 14. Nec 
 boc novum est quaedam crescendo mutari. Infans fuit, factus 
 est pubes: alia eius proprietas fit: ille enim inrationalis est, 
 bic rationalis. Quaedam incremento non tantum in maius 
 exeunt, sed in aliud. Non fit, inquit, aliud, quod maius fit: 
 utrum lagenam an dolium inpleas vino, nihil refert: in utroque 
 proprietas vini est: et exiguum mellis pondus ex magno sa- 
 pore non differt. Diversa ponis exempla: in istis enim eadem 
 qualitas est: quamvis augeantur, manent. 15. Quaedam ampli- 
 ficata in suo genere et in sua proprietate perdurant: quaedam 
 post multa incrementa ultima demum vertit adiectio et novam 
 illis aliamque quam in qua fuerunt, condicionem inprimit. 
 Unus lapis facit fornicem, ille, qui latera inclinata cuneavit et 
 interventu suo vinxit. Summa adiectio quare plurimum facit 
 vel exigua ? Quia non auget, sed inplet. Quaedam processu 
 priorem exuunt formam et in novam transeunt. 16. Ubi ali- 
 quid animus din protulit et magnitudinem eius sequendo lassa- 
 
186 L. ANNAEI SENECAE EPISTULAE SELECTAE. 
 
 tiis est, infinitum coepit vocari: quod longe aliud factum est 
 quam fuit, cum magnum videretur, sed finitum. Eodem modo 
 aliquid difficulter secari cogitavimus: novissime crescente hac 
 difficultate insecahile inventUm est. Sic ab eo quod vix et 
 aegre movebatur processimus ad inmohUe. Eadem ratione 
 aliquid secundum naturam fuit: boc in aliam proprietatem 
 magnitudo sua transtulit et bonum fecit. Vale. 
 
 
 EPITAPHIUM SENECAE. 
 
 Cura, labor, meritum, sumpti pro munere honores, 
 Ite, alias post hanc sOllicitate animas! 
 
 Me procul a vobis deus evocat: illicet actis 
 Rebus terrenis hospita terra Yale! 
 
 Corpus avara tamen solemnibus'accipe saxis, 
 Namque animam coelo reddimus, ossa tibL^^j^ 
 
L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 EPIGRAMMATA SUPER EXILIO. 
 
 I. Ad Corsicam. 
 
 Corsica Phocaico tellus habitata colono, 
 
 Corsica, quae patrio nomine Cyrnus eras, 
 Corsica Sardinia brevior, porrectior Ilva, 
 
 Corsica piscosis pervia fluminibus, 
 
 Corsica terribilis, cum primum incanduit aestas, 
 Saevior, ostendit cum ferus ora canis, 
 
 Parce relegatis, boc est, iam parce sepultis: 
 Vivorum cineri sit tua terra levis. 
 
 II. De Eadem. 
 
 Barbara praeruptis inclusa est Corsica saxis, 
 Horrida, desertis undique vasta locis. 
 
 Non poma autumnus, segetes non educat aestas, 
 Canaque Palladio munere bruma caret. 
 Umbrarum nullo ver est laetabile foetu, 
 
 Nullaque in infausto nascitur berba solo. 
 
 Non panis, non baustus aquae, non ultimus ignis; 
 Hie sola baec duo sunt, exsul et exsilium. 
 
 III. Querela. 
 
 Occisi iugulum quisquis scrutaris amici, 
 
 Tu miserum necdum me satis esse putas ? 
 Desere confossum : victori volnus iniquo 
 Mortiferum inpressit mortua saepe manus. 
 
188 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 IV. Item. 
 
 Quisquis es,-—et nomen dicam : dolor omnia cogit-« 
 Qui nostrum cinerem nunc, inimice, premis 
 
 Et non contentus tantis subitisque minis 
 Stringis in exstinctum tela cruenta caput: 
 
 Crede mibi, vires aliquas natura sepulcbris 
 Attribuit: tumulos vindicat umbra suos. 
 
 Ipsos crede deos hoc nunc tibi dicere, livor, 
 
 Hoc tibi nunc manes dicere crede meos: 
 
 Res est sacra, miser. Noli mea tangere fata. 
 Sacrilegae bustis abstinuere manus. 
 
 V. Item. 
 
 Carmina mortifero tua sunt suffusa veneno, 
 
 Et sunt criminibus pectora nigra magis. 
 
 Nemo tuos fugiat, non vir, non femina dentes, 
 
 Hand puer, baud aetas undique tuta senis, 
 
 IJtque furens totas immittit saxa per urbes 
 In populum, sic tu verba maligna iacis. • 
 
 Sed solet insanos populus compescere sanus, 
 
 Et repetunt motum saxa remissa caput. 
 
 In te nunc stringit nullus non carmina vates, 
 
 Inque tuam rabiem publica Musa furit. 
 
 Hum sua conpositus nondum bene concutit anna 
 Miles, it e nostra lancea torta manu. 
 
 Bellus homo, et valide capitalia carmina ludis, 
 Deque tuis manant atra venena iocis. 
 
 Sed tu perque iocum dicis vinumque: quid ad rem^, 
 Si plorem, risus si tuus ista facit ? 
 
 Quare tolle iocos: non est iocus esse malignum. 
 Numquam sunt grati, qui nocuere sales. 
 
 VI. Ad Amicum. 
 
 Crispe, meae vires, lassarumque ancora rerum, 
 Crispe, vel antique conspiciende foro: 
 
 Crispe potens numquam, nisi cum prodesse volebas, 
 Naufragio littus tutaque terra meo. 
 
EPIGEAMMATA SUPEE EXILIC. 
 
 189 
 
 Solus honor nobis arx et tutissima nobis 
 Et nunc afflicto sola quies aninio: 
 
 Crispe, fides dulcis, placidique acerriina virtus, 
 Cuius Cecropio pectora melle madent: 
 
 Maxima facundo vel avo vel gloria patri, 
 
 Quo solo careat si quis, in exsilio est: 
 
 An tua, qui iaceo saxis telluris adbaerens, 
 
 Mens mecum est, nulla quae cobibetur bumo ? 
 
 VII. De Qualitate Temporis. 
 
 Omnia tempus edax depascitur, omnia carpit, 
 Omnia sede movet, nil sinit esse diu. 
 
 Flumina deficiunt, profugum mare littora siccat, 
 Subsidunt montes et iuga celsa ruunt. 
 
 Quid tarn parva loquor ? moles pulcberrima coeli 
 Ardebit tlammis tota repente suis. 
 
 Omnia mors poscit. Lex est, non poena, perire : 
 Hie aliquo mundus tempore nullus erit. 
 
 VIII. VOTUM. 
 
 Sic mihi sit frater maiorque minorque superstes, 
 Et de me doleat nil nisi morte mea. 
 
 Sic illos vincam, sic vincar rursus amando : 
 
 Mutuus inter nos sic bene certet amor. 
 
 Sic dulci Marcus, qui nunc sermone fritinnit, 
 Facundo patruos provocet ore duos. 
 
 IX. Ad Cordubam. 
 
 Corduba solve comas et tristes indue voltus : 
 
 Inlacrimans cineri munera mitte meo. 
 
 Nunc longinqua tuum deplora, Corduba, vatem, 
 Corduba, non alio tempore moesta magis : 
 Tempore non illo, quo versi viribus orbis 
 Incubuit belli tota ruina tibi. 
 
 Cum geminis oppressa malis utrimque peribas : 
 Et tibi Pompeius, Caesar et bostis crat. 
 
 I 
 
190 L. ANNAEI SENEOAE EPIGEAMMATA SUPEE EXILIC. 
 
 Tempore non illo, quo ter tibi funera centum 
 lieu nox una dedit, quae tibi summa fuit. 
 Non, Lusitanus quateret cum moenia latro, 
 Figeret et portas lancea torta tuas. 
 
 Ille tuus quondam magnus, tua gloria, civis 
 Infigar scopulo. Corduba solve comas, 
 
 Et gratare tibi, quod te natura supremo 
 Alluit oceano : tardius ista doles. 
 
 Coin of. Agrippina, wife of Claudius, mother of Nero. (It was through her 
 that Seneca was recalled from exile: Introduction, p. 14.) From the British 
 Museum. 
 
EPISTULAE SENECAE, NERONIS IMPERATORIS 
 MAGISTRI, AD PAULDM APOSTOLUM ET 
 PAULI APOSTOLI AD SENECAM.* 
 
 S. Hieronymus de Seneca in Catalogo Sanctorum. 
 
 Lucius Annaeus Seneca Cordubensis, Sotionis stoici discipu- 
 lus et patruus Lucani poetae, continentissimae vitae fuit, quern 
 non ponerem in catalogo sanctorum, nisi me epistulae illae 
 provocarent, quae leguntur a plurimis, Pauli ad Senecam et 
 Senecae ad Paulum. In quibus, cum esset Neronis magister 
 et illius temporis potentissimus, optare se dicit eius esse loci 
 apud suos, cuius sit Paulus apud Cliristianos. Hie ante bien¬ 
 nium quam Petrus et Paulus martyrio coronarentur, a Nerone 
 interfectus est. 
 
 EPISTULA I. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Credo tibi, Paule, nunciatum esse, quod beri [de te] cum 
 Lucilio nostro de jipocrypbis et aliis rebus sermonem habueri- 
 mus. Erant enim quidam disciplinarum tuarum comites me- 
 cum. Nam in liortos Salustianos secesseramus, quo loco occa- 
 sione nostra alio tendentes hi, de quibus dixi, visis .nobis ad- 
 iuncti sunt. Certe quod tui praesentiam optavimus, et hoc 
 scias volo : libello tuo lecto, id est de plurimis aliquas litteras 
 quas ad aliquam civitatem seu caput provinciae direxisti, mira 
 exhortatione vitam moralem continentes, usque refecti sumus. 
 
 * See Introduction, pp. 31, 35. 
 
192 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 Quos sensus non puto ex te dictos sed per te, certe aliquando 
 ex te et per te : tanta enim maiestas earum est rerum tanta- 
 que generositate calens, ut vix sutfecturas putem aetates homi- 
 num, quibus institui perficique possint. Bene te valere, frater, 
 cupio. 
 
 EPISTULA 11. 
 
 Senecae Paulus salutem. 
 
 Litteras tuas bilaris heri accepi, ad quas rescribere statiin 
 potui, si praesentiam iuvpnis, quern ad te eram missurus, lia- 
 buissem. Scis enim, qu^do et per quern et quo tempore et 
 cui quid dari committique debeat. Rogo ergo, non putes [te] 
 neglectum, dum personae qualitatem respicio. Sed quod litte- 
 ris meis vos bene acceptos alicubi scribis, felicem me arbitror 
 tanti viri iudicio. Neque enim hoc diceres, censor, sophista, 
 magister tanti principis et iam omnium, nisi quia vere dicis. 
 Opto te diu bene valere. 
 
 EPISTULA III. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Quaedam volumina ordinavi et divisionihus.^uis statum eis 
 dedi. Ea quoque^Caesari legere sum desfinatus. Si modo 
 sors prospere annuerit, ut novas afferat aures, eris forsan et tu 
 praesens : sin, alias reddam tibi diem, ut hoc opus invicem in- 
 spiciamus. Et possem non prius edere ei earn scripturam, 
 nisi prius tecum conferam, si modo [etiam] impune hoc fieri 
 potuisset, ut scires non te praeteriri. Vale. 
 
 EPISTULA IV. 
 
 Paulus Senecae salutem. 
 
 Quotienscunque litteras tuas audio, praesentiam tui cogito 
 nee aliud existimo quam omni tempore te nobiscum esse. 
 Cum primum itaque venire coeperis, invicem nos et de proxi¬ 
 mo videbimus. Bene te valere opto. 
 
AD PAULUM EPISTULAE. 
 
 193 
 
 EPISTULA V. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Nimio tuo secessu angimur. Quid est ? vel quae res te 
 remo[ra]tum faciunt ? si indignatio dominae, quod a ritu et 
 secta veteri recesseris et alios rursum converteris, erit postu- 
 landi locus, ut ratione factum, non levitate hoc existimetur. 
 
 EPISTULA VI. 
 
 Senecae et Lucilio Paulus salutem. 
 
 De his, quae mihi scripsistis, non licet arundine et atramento 
 eloqui, quarum altera res notat et designat aliquid, altera evi- 
 denter ostendit, praecipue cum sciam inter vos esse, hoc est 
 apud VOS et in vobis, qui me intelligant. Honor omnibus ha- 
 bendus est et tanto magis, quanto indignandi occasionem cap- 
 tant. Quibus si patientiam demus, omni modo eos ex quaqua 
 parte vincemus, si modo hi sunt, qui poenitentiam sui gerant. 
 Bene valete. 
 
 EPISTULA VII. 
 
 Annaeus Seneca Paulo et Theophilo salutem. 
 
 Profiteer bene me acceptum lectione litterarum tuarum, 
 quas Galatis, Corinthiis, Achaeis :^isi^i, et ita invicem viva- 
 mus, ut etiam cum horrore divine esse exhibes. Spiritus enim 
 sanctus in te et super te excelsus^sublimiores sanctis venerabi-. 
 les sensus exprimit. Vellem itaque, cures et cetera, ut mafe- 
 stati earum cultus sermonis non desit. Et ne quid tibi, frater, 
 surripiam aut conscientiae meae debeam, confiteor Augustum 
 sensibus tuis motum. Cui lecto virtutis in te exordio ista vox 
 fuit: mirari eum posse, ut qui non legitime imbutus sit, taliter 
 sentiat. Cui ego respondi, solere deos ore innocentium effari, 
 baud eorum, qui praevaricare doctrin£^ su^ quid possint. Et 
 date ei exemplo Vatieni hominis rusticuli, cui viri duo appa- 
 ruissent in agro Reatino, qui postea Castor et Pollux sunt no- 
 minati, satis instructus videtur. Vale. 
 
194 
 
 L. ANNAEI SENECAE 
 
 EPISTULA VIII. 
 
 Paulus Senecae salutem. 
 
 Licet non ignorem Caesarem nostrarum rerum admirato- 
 rem, si quando deficiet amatorem esse, permittes tamen te non 
 laedi sed admoneri: puto enim te graviter fecisse, quod ei in 
 notitiam perferre voluisti id, quod ritui et disciplinae eius sit 
 contrarium. Cum enim ille gentium deos colat, quid tibi vi¬ 
 sum sit, ut hoc scire cum velles, non video, nisi nimid amore 
 meb facere te hoc existimo. Rogo de futuro, ne id agas. 
 Cavendum est enim, ne dum me diligis, offensum dominae 
 facias, cuius quidem offensa neque oberit, si perseveraverit, ne- 
 que, si non sit, proderit: si est regina, non indignabitur, si 
 mulier est, offendetur. Bene vale. 
 
 EPISTULA IX. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Scio te non tarn tui causa commotum litteris, quas ad te 
 de editione epistolarum tuarum Caesari feci, quam natura 
 [ipsarum] rerum, quae ita mentes hominum ab omnibus arti- 
 bus et moribus rectis revocat, ut non hodie admirer, quippe 
 [ut] qui multis documentis hoc iam notissimum habeam. Igi- 
 tur nove agamus, et si quid facile in praeteritum factum est, 
 veniam irrogabis. Misi tibi librum de verborum copia. “^Vale 
 Paule carissime. 
 
 EPISTULA X. 
 
 Senecae Paulus salutem. 
 
 Quotienscunque tibi scribo et nomen meum tibi subse- 
 cundo, gravem et sectae meae incongruentem rem facio. De- 
 beo enim, ut saepe professus sum, cum omnibus qmnia esse 
 et id observare in tua persona, quod lex Romana honor! se- 
 natus concessit, perlecta epistola^ ultimuih locum' eligere, ne 
 cum aporia et dedecore cupiam [illud] efficere, quod mei ar- 
 
AD PADLUM EPISTULAE. 
 
 195 
 
 bitrii fuerit. Vale, devotissime magister. Data quinto Calen- 
 darum luli^ Nerone IV et Messala consulibus. 
 
 EPISTULA XL 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Ave mi Paule carissime. Si mibi nominique meo vir tan- 
 tus et dilectus omnibus modis non dico fueris iunctus sed ne- 
 cessario mixtus, optime actum erit de Seneca tuo. Cum sis 
 igitur vertex et altissimorum omnium montium cacumen, non 
 ego vis laeter, si ita sim tibi proximus, ut alter similis tui 
 deputer? Hand itaque te indignum prima facie epistolarum 
 nominandum censeas, ne tarn temptare me quam ludere vi- 
 dearis, quippe cum scias civem esse te Romanum. [Utijnam 
 qui meus, tuns apud te locus, qui tuus, velim ut meus. Vale 
 mi Paule carissime. Data X. Cal. April. Aproniano et Capi- 
 tone consulibus. 
 
 EPISTULA XII. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 Ave mi Paule carissime. Putasne me baud contristari et 
 non luctuosum esse, quod de innocentia vestra subinde suppli- 
 cium sumatur? debinc quod tarn duros tamque obnoxios vos 
 reatui omnis populus iudicet, putans a vobis effici, quidquid 
 in urbe contrarium fit? Feramus aequo animo et utamur foro, 
 quod sors concessit, donee invicta felicitas finem malis im- 
 ponat. Tulit et priscorum aetas Macedonem Pbilippi filium 
 et post Darium Dionysium. Nostra quoque Caium Caesarem, 
 quibus quicquid libuit, licuit. Incendium urbs Romana mani¬ 
 festo saepe unde patiatur, constat. Sed si etfari humilitas po- 
 tuisset bumana, quid causae sit, et impune in bis tenebris 
 loqui liceret, iam omnes omnia viderent. Cbristiani et ludaei 
 quasi maebinatores incendii affect! supplicio uri solent. Gras- 
 sator iste, quisquis est, cui voluptas carnificina est et menda’ 
 cium velamentum, tempori suo destinatus est. Ut optimus 
 quisque unum pro multis donatum est caput, ita et bic devo- 
 
196 
 
 L. ANNAEl SENECAE EPISTULAE. 
 
 tus pro omnibus igni cremabitur. Centum triginta duae do- 
 mus, insulae quatuor [in] sex diebus arsere, septimus pausam 
 dedit. Bene te valere frater opto. Data quinto Cal. April. 
 Frugi et Basso consiilibus. 
 
 EPISTULA XIII. 
 
 Seneca Paulo salutem. 
 
 [Ave mi Paule carissime.] Allegorice et aenigmatice multa 
 a te usquequaque opera concluduntur et ideo rerum tanta vis 
 et muneris tibi tributa non ornamento verborum sed cultu 
 quodam decoranda est. Nec vereare, quod saepius te dixisse 
 retineo, multos, qui talia ailectent, sensus corrumpere, virtutes 
 rerum evirare. Ceterum mibi concedas velim latinitati morem 
 gerere, honestis vocibus speciem adbibere, ut generosi muneris 
 concessio digne a te possit expediri. Bene vale. Data V. 
 Non. lul. Leone et Sabino consulibus. 
 
 EPISTULA XIV. 
 
 Paulus Senecae salutem. 
 
 Perpendenti tibi ea sunt revelata, quae paucis divinitas con¬ 
 cessit. Certus igitur ego in agro iam fertili semen fortissi- 
 mum sero, non quidem materiam, quae corrumpi videtur, sed 
 verbum stabile, dei derivamentum crescentis et manentis in 
 aeternum. Quod prudentia tua assecuta [est], indeficiens fore 
 debebit, etlinicorum Israelitarumque observationes censere vi- 
 tandas. Novum te auctorem feceris lesu Cbristi praeconiis 
 ostendendo rhetoricis irreprebensibilem sopbiam, quam pro- 
 pemodum adeptus regi temporali eiusque domesticis atque fidis 
 amicis insinuabis quibus aspera et incapabilis erit persuasio, 
 cum plerique illorum minime flectantur insinuationibus tuis. 
 Quibus vitale commodum sermo dei instillatus, novum bomi- 
 nem sine corruptela perpetuamque animam parit ad deum 
 is'^lnc properantem. Yale Seneca carissime nobis. Data Cal. 
 August! Leone et Sabino consulibus. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 12 
 
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES. 
 
 A. & G., Allen & Greenough’s Latin 
 Grammar. 
 
 A. & S., Andrews & Stoddard’s Latin 
 Grammar. 
 
 abaci., absolute, 
 ad Att., ad Atticum. 
 ad Fam., ad Familiares. 
 
 Ann., Annales, Annals. 
 
 Ars Amat., Ars Amatoria. 
 
 Ars Poet., Ars Poetica. 
 
 B. & M., Bullion & Morris’s Latin Gram. 
 Bell. Gall., Bellum Gallicum, 
 
 Brut., Brutus. 
 
 Catil., Catiliue. 
 cf., confer, consult. 
 
 Cic., Cicero. 
 
 Class. Diet., Classical Dictionary, An- 
 thon’s or Smith’s. 
 
 De Beuef., De Beneficiis. 
 
 De Brev. Vit., De Brevitate Vitae. 
 
 De Civ. Dei, De Civitate Dei. 
 
 De Clem., De dementia. 
 
 De Consol, ad Helv., De Consolatione 
 ad Helviam. 
 
 De Consol, ad Marc., De Consolatione 
 ad Marciam. 
 
 De Consol, ad Polyb., De Consolatione 
 ad Polybium. 
 
 De Const. Sap., De Constautia Sapi- 
 entis. 
 
 De Fin., De Finibus. 
 
 De Leg., De Legibus. 
 
 De Oflic., De Offleiis. 
 
 De Orat., De Oratore. 
 
 De Otio Sap., De Otio Sapientis. 
 
 De Prov., De Providentia. 
 
 De Per. Nat., De Rerum Natura. 
 
 De Senect., De Senectute. 
 
 De Stoic, repug., De Stoicorum repug- 
 nantiis. 
 
 De Tranq., De Tranquillitate Animi. 
 
 De Vit. Beat., De Vita Beata. 
 
 Diet. Antiq., Dictionary of Antiquities, 
 dimin., diminutive. 
 
 Diog. Laert., Diogenes Laertius. 
 
 e. g., exempli gratia, for example. 
 Epig., Epigram. 
 
 Epit., Epitome. 
 
 Florileg., Florilegium. 
 
 Georg., Georgies. 
 
 Germ., Germania. 
 
 H., Harkness’s Latin Grammar. 
 
 Hor., Horace. 
 
 i. e., id est, that is. 
 
 impf., imperfect. 
 
 impers., impersonal. 
 
 in M. Anton., in M. Antouium. 
 
 in Verr., in Verrem. 
 
 lustit. Div., Institutiones Divinae. 
 
 Juv., Juvenal. 
 
 Lips., Lipsius, 
 
 M. , Madvig’s Latin Grammar. 
 
 Memor., Memorabilia. 
 
 N. , note. 
 
 Nat. Quaest., Natural Questions. 
 
 Odys., Odyssey. 
 
 partit., partitive, 
 jiers., personal. 
 
 Physiol. Stoic., Physiologia Stoicorum. 
 Pint., Plutarch, 
 post-Aug., post-Augustan, 
 pred., predicate. 
 
 Quint., Quintilian. 
 
 relat., relative. 
 
 Sat.,- Satire.' 
 
 Saturn. Conviv., Saturnalia Convivia. 
 subst., substantive. 
 
 Suet., Suetonius. 
 
 Tac., Tacitus. 
 
 Tiber., Tiberius. 
 
 Trist., Tristia. 
 
 Tusc. Disp., Tusculan Disputations. 
 
 V. 1., varia lectio, various reading, 
 vid., vide, see. 
 
 Virg., Virgil. 
 
 viz., videlicet, namely. 
 
 Xenoph., Xenophon. 
 
 Z., Zumpt’s Latin Grahimai*. 
 
NOTES 
 
 Fickert gives the title of Dialogues to nine of the shorter 
 philosophical and ethical treatises of feeneca, quoting Quintilian, 
 Be Institutione Oratoria, x. 1, 129, and Seneca, Be Benejlciis, v. 
 19, 8. Haase, in the Teubner edition of Seneca’s Works, adopts 
 the same title, making the number of dialogues to be twelve. 
 They are, however, in no usual or proper sense of the word, 
 dialogues, such as Plato and Cicero wrote, but are rather trea¬ 
 tises or moral essays addressed to different individuals, and en¬ 
 livened by occasional questions and answers, somewhat after the 
 manner of personal discussions. 
 
 DE PROVIDENTIA. 
 
 Argumentum. —I. Seneca affirms that there is a providence, i. e. a 
 ruler and director of the world, and he argues that this must be so from 
 the movement, order, and constancy of all things. One special point, 
 however, his friend Lucilius complains of, viz., “that evils fall upon 
 good men.” Seneca, leaving the general topie, devotes himself to this, 
 and says that the deity loves good men, and so does not send evils upon 
 them to punish them, but as a father, to correct and restrain them. 
 II. Those are not really evils which happen to good men, since evils 
 cannot fall upon these and overcome them. Evils are to be looked 
 upon as chastenings and exercise for good men, just as the athletes are 
 trained for victory in the publie games. Cato’s example is adduced, and 
 his praise celebrated. III., IV. He now proceeds to give his reasons 
 why evils happen to the good. First, it is for their benefit upon whom 
 they fall, as medicine is given to the sick, and to harden them and render 
 them fit for the contest with the world. V. Next, he shows that evils 
 come upon all men; hence the good being thus treated by the deity is 
 a proof that the vulgar notion in regard to good and evil things is false. 
 His third reason is, that good men willingly aceept what is sent upon 
 them, for they offer themselves freely to god and fate. As a fourth 
 
200 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 reason, he avows that fate exists from eternity, and has fixed all things 
 by au eternal decree. VI. Finally, he repeats that these are not really 
 evils; good men are born and trained for exemplars to others; and he 
 brings in the deity, exhorting in a lofty strain, and arousing to strength 
 and endurance. Stoic-like, Seneca’s last words are. If it tries you too 
 much to bear these ills of life, who holds you back ? The door is open: 
 go forth. 
 
 Cap. I.—1. Lucili : Lucilius Junior, procurator of Sicily, was 
 the friend to whom Seneca addresses, not only this treatise, but 
 also his “Epistles” and “Natural Questions.” He is generally 
 thought to have been the author of a poem of some note, entitled 
 “Aetna,” in which an attempt is made to account, on philosoph¬ 
 ical principles, for the physical phenomena presented by the 
 volcano. Very little is known of his life and career. Cf Epist. 
 79.— ita, si, M. 442 a.— accidere: Lips, and others read accide- 
 rent^ tlie subj. being the mood used in indirect, dependent ques¬ 
 tions; H. 529, M. 356. —in contextu operis, in the progress of 
 (i. e. in another part of) the woi'lc. Some critics suppose that a 
 separate work is here referred to.— cum praeesse . . . nobis 
 deum ; this language implies both a general and special provi¬ 
 dence, in accordance with the fuller and clearer Christian view. 
 
 • —contradictiouem, post-Aug., objection, viz., if there is a provi¬ 
 dence, why do so many evils befall good men ?— manente lite 
 integra, the primary question remaining untouched, viz. whether 
 there is a providence ?— agam, I will plead, used in a forensic 
 sense. 
 
 2. non sine aliqiio . . . stare : in Epist. 31 reference is made 
 to the omnipotence of the deity: “ God, the most high and pow¬ 
 erful, himself upholdeth {rehit) all things.” Cf. Heb. i. 3, “ Up¬ 
 holding all things by the word of his power.”— fortuiti inpetus : 
 in opposition to the Epicurean “fortuitous concurrence of atoms.” 
 — et qnae casns, etc. The argument is, that in those things 
 which are the result of chance there is no order, no consistency; 
 that, on the other hand, in the mundus {Konyog) all things happen 
 according to law, and consistently; therefore, they are not the 
 result of chance, but are directed by an overruling mind and 
 purpose.— cito axiaUiXQ = incurrere in se et inpedire, laps. Tliis 
 
DE PEOVIDENTIA. I. 2-4. 
 
 201 
 
 word, arietare^ is frequently used by Seneca in the sense of im- 
 j)eding or hindering; cf. Be Tranq. 1, 7, n, ; Be Vit. Beata^ 8, 5; 
 Bpist. 56,13. The meaning seems to be derived from the man¬ 
 ner in which rams make their attacks upon each other with 
 their horns, or from the use of a battering-ram in demolishing 
 walls in a siege. — inoifensam, uninterrupted. — aeternae legis 
 = fate or providence, according to the Stoic idea.— dispositore : 
 ef depositor ille mundi deus.^ Nat. Quaest. v. 18,5 ; also, Lactantius, 
 Instit. Biv. iv. 9. The whole passage reminds one of the Psalm¬ 
 ist’s words, “ The heavens declare the glory of God, and the 
 firmament showeth his handiwork.” Haase reads, disposito relu- 
 eentium. — non esse . . . ordinem. See note above, on.fortuiti 
 inpetus. — ut . . . sedeat . . . spectet, etc., result clauses. — 
 nec iillum . . . sentiant, i. e. on account of evaporation and 
 absorption; cf. Eccles. i. 7, “ All the rivers run into the sea,” 
 etc. 
 
 3. ilia, subject of accidunt. — elisorum, poet, expression. — 
 incendia . . . effusa, cf Virg. Oeorg. i. 472. — tuniultuosa, tem¬ 
 pestuous., restless .— alienis, strange^ unusual .— miraculo, v. 1. mira- 
 cula .— calentes aquae : cf Pliny, Nat. Hist. ii. 106, where men¬ 
 tion is made of hot springs whose waters were esteemed bene¬ 
 ficial to health.— nova insularum . . . spatia, cf Nat. Quaest: vi. 
 21,1, where is recorded the appearance of an island in the midst 
 of the Aegean Sea in Seneca’s time. Cf. also Pliny, Nat. Hist. ii. 
 86, 89; iv. 12: Livy, Historia., xxxix. 56. — 4. pelago in se rece- 
 dente, i. e. at ebb-tide; pelago is frequently used in post-Aug. 
 prose in the sense of mari. —eadem . . . operiri, i. e. at flood- 
 tide.— volutatione, post-Aug. in sense of restlessness., disquiet; cf. 
 Be Brer. Vit. 2, 3. — ad Iioram ac diem, at a certain hour and 
 day. —subeunt=j^wnt—lunare sidus, i. e. the moon. —suo . . . 
 reserventur, i. e. the exposition of those phenomena in nature 
 which do not take place fortuitously, but are governed by fixed 
 laws. — ista, diiference between iste., ille., hie ? Cf. Eamshorn’s 
 Latin Synonyms, 509. — quaeris : H. C. Michaelis thinks that the 
 following sentence {in gratiam, etc.) indicates some ground of 
 complaint against providence on the part of the person ad¬ 
 dressed ; hence he prefers the reading quereris., which has some 
 MS. authority. 
 
202 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 5. optimos, sc. mros. — immo . . . similitiido : in Seneca’s 
 Epistles these ideas are frequently expressed and enlarged upon; 
 cf. 41,1, 2; 73,16; etc.— necessitudo, post-Aug., very strong ex¬ 
 pression.— aemiilsitor, follower. — vera progenies, cf. Ps. Ixxxvi. 
 6; 1 John iv. 3 ; iii. 1,2; truly one would almost affirm, says 
 Muretus, that this man had handled and tasted of the sacred 
 Word. See Introd. to the present vol. p. 26. —6. escendere, 
 stronger than ascendere; cf. Be Tranq. 15,17. —vernularum, post- 
 Aug. These were slaves born in the master’s house; they were 
 considered valuable for this reason, and are termed by Horace 
 {Sat. ii. 6, 66) mmas procaces., saucy, impudent slaves. Cf. Becker’s 
 “ Callus,” p. 202. —experitur . . . parat: cf. Heb. xii. 6; 1 Cor. 
 iv. 17. 
 
 II.— 1. Nihil . . . mali: an emphatic reply to the opening 
 question of the chapter; as if he had said, “ adversity, I acknowl¬ 
 edge, may befall good men, but evil never.” A Stoical paradox, 
 and affording but small comfort in time of trouble.— tanta . . . 
 fontium, so great oibundance of medicinal fountains., i. e. impreg¬ 
 nated with iron, sulphur, etc.— ne . . . quidem: many prefer 
 nec, as being more usual in later writers, and often found in 
 Seneca.— in snum colorem traliit: he gives to everything the 
 coloring of his own character; i. e. himself a good man, he turns 
 everything to good account. As the red wine assimilates added 
 drops of other color, so the good man, etc.. Lips.— nec hoc dico, 
 non sentit ilia : insensibility to affiiction, Seneca would say, is a 
 vice, though that has been considered one of the moral principles 
 of the Stoics. Lips, says that this apathy, or utter indifference 
 to all external things, belongs to the school of Stilpo, the Mega- 
 rian. Cf. Zeller’s “ Socrates and Socratic Schools,” p. 236. Plato 
 is reported as saying to a person who, nude in the middle of 
 winter, was embracing a marble column for the sake of exhibit¬ 
 ing endurance, “ if you feel, you act foolishly; if you do not feel, 
 you do nothing noble.” 
 
 2. mo^O — dummodo,if only. — fortissimis qnihusqiie; quisque 
 is often used in a universal or general relation in connection 
 with the super!., which always precedes it, M. 495.— per quos : 
 how does per with accus. differ from db with ablat. f M. 254, obs. 
 
DE TROVIDENTTA. IT. 3-8. 
 
 203 
 
 3.—obicinntur, i. e. dbjiciuntur ; cf. § 9, n.— 3. licet, with subj., 
 M. 361.—boni consulant, let them take it in good part^ loe content¬ 
 ed with it. —aliter . . . aliter = dimmiliter., rarely used in this 
 sense.—iii(lnlg“eaiit, a peculiarly appropriate word in reference 
 to love of parents for their children. Cf. Consol, ad Heh. 14, 3; 
 16, 6,—ad studia obeunda: for force of gerundive here, cf. H. 
 544, notes; B. & M. 1338.—feriatis diebus: for the holidays, 
 which were very numerous, ci.feriae, Diet, of Antiq.—siidorem, 
 in the gymnastic exercises.—umbra, in opposition to sudorem ; 
 cf. Cic. Brut. 9. 
 
 4. Patrium deus habet . . . animum: “ like as a father 
 pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,” 
 Ps. ciii. 13.—illos fortiter et . . . iuquit, etc.: “whom the Lord 
 loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiv- 
 eth,” Heb. xii. 6; vid. other parts of the same chapter.—motii, 
 V. 1. mole. —de genu pugnat, alluding to a combatant who has 
 been wounded in his lower limbs, and yet continues to fight on 
 Ins knees. Cf. Epist. 66, 47.—5. Miraris si, A. & G. 333 b. u.— 
 exerceantur, subj. of purpose, H. 497; B. & M. 1212; M. 363 a. 
 — spectaut di: some read spectandi. — interritus, cf. Martial, 
 ' Epig. XV., xxiii., xxvii.—bonestior, cf. Epist. 99,12; Nat. Quaest. 
 vii. 31. 
 
 6. ista, cf. 1, 4, N.— puerilia, some read sed before puerilia. —• 
 respiciat, subj. after dignum^ M. 363 b; H. 503, 2; B. & M. 921; 
 A. & G. 320 f.— operi suo, the universe, the works of the Cre¬ 
 ator, towards which his attention is always directed.— ecce par 
 deo dignum, l)ehold a pair of champions worthy the attention of a 
 god. — conpositus, paired., matched., a common expression with ref¬ 
 erence to gladiators.— quani ut spectet, subj. is used with corn- 
 par. after quam qui, quam ut., when the degree is defined and 
 modified by a sentence implying an innate quality and conse¬ 
 quence, Z. 560; A. & G. 320 c; H. 49, 62. — Catouem, Cato the 
 younger, a man of many noble qualities. See Class. Diet.— parti- 
 bus . . . fractis, alluding to the defeat of Pompey and the re¬ 
 publicans at Pharsalia, and the final overthrow in Africa.— 
 7. Licet, cf. § 3, n.^— inquit, i. e. Cato. His soliloquy extends to 
 the middle of tlie next section, quam ritam. — concesserint, cus- 
 todiaiitur . . . obsidcat, subj. after licet, H. 515, in. ; B. & M. 1282. 
 
204 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 8. Petreius et luba: Petreius was a Roman general at the 
 battle of Thapsus (b.c. 46), when the Pompeian party siifiFered 
 their final defeat. luba was son of Hiempsal, the restored king 
 of Numidia, a supporter of Pompey. When he heard of the 
 death of Cato, it is said that he turned his sword upon Petreius, 
 who had been the companion of his flight, and then desj)atched 
 himself. Seneca makes his death to have occurred previous to 
 that of Cato, but other writers give it as above stated.— fati 
 conventio, a compact between them, swper fato^ about or in re¬ 
 gard to their fate. Lips. Cf. Be Ira, iii. 26, 4.— nostram, i. e. em¬ 
 phatically, for meam, referring to Cato’s dignity and loftiness of 
 soul.— milii, i. e. Seneca.— stadia . . . tractat : it is said by Plu¬ 
 tarch that he read the Phaedo of Plato, on the immortality of the 
 soul.— contaminaretur, cf. § 6, note on respiciat. 
 
 9. revocata : in the games and gladiatorial shows and stage 
 plays, one who had approved himself to the people was frequently 
 recalled.— difficiliore parte, etc. The gladiator who had ac¬ 
 quitted himself well before the people was then matched with a 
 more robust antagonist.— inicitar, i. e. injicitur. The prevailing 
 spelling now is, in compounds of jaceo, to drop the j after the 
 preposition; cf. § 2, obiciuntur. — repetitur, alluding to the cir¬ 
 cumstances of Cato’s death. After having stabbed himself in the 
 breast, his wounds were dressed by his friends; when, however, 
 he recovered consciousness, he sought death a second time by 
 tearing otf the bandages, and letting his entrails protrude.— tarn 
 claro . . . exitu. The Stoic doctrine of suicide is often extolled 
 by Seneca; yet, with a sort of happy inconsistency, he sometimes 
 shows that he appreciates the value and sacredness of human 
 life by injunctions hardly compatible with the usual Stoic doc¬ 
 trine. Cf. Epist. 47, 9,10, etc. Suicide, it is to be borne in mind, 
 is at best but cowardly thing; and the Stoic’s praise of it 
 shows what a compound of pride and audacity that philosophy 
 is which teaches that self-murder is a glorious thing, and to be 
 imitated by all who so choose. 
 
 III.—1. procedente oratione, m the process of my discourse. —• 
 pro ipsis, /or the good of those rery persons; cf. Heb. xii. 11. — 
 adiciaui, cf. 2,9, note, inicitur. — persuadebo, etc. This last propo' 
 
DE PROVIDENTIA. III. 2-6. 
 
 205 
 
 sition is not taken up at the close of the discqprse. Through 
 some mishap, it seems not to have survived the ravages of time.— 
 2. proici, cf. 2, 9, n.— deduci : Lips, (with whom H. C. Michaelis 
 agrees) puts a comma after deduci; this allows liberos to be con¬ 
 strued with ecferre, and the wise man is thus represented as mani¬ 
 festing his greatness of mind under the severest trials—poverty 
 and the loss of wife and children.— iguominia, cf. De Ira^ i. 16,2. 
 — radi ossa, i. e. with the scalpel.— legi, cf. in capite lecta ossa 
 (sunt). Be Benef. v. 24, 3.— extrahi venas : a learned writer, in 
 reference to this passage, says that in pertain diseases, as mrix or 
 a dilated vein, the veins were taken out; but it is probable, as 
 Lips, holds, that the expression is used, by metonymy, for extrac¬ 
 tion of blood from the veins. Cf. Celsus, De Medicina^ vii. 31. 
 
 3. Deinetrii : Demetrius of Sunium, a Cynic philosopher, and 
 pupil of the sophist Khodius. He became distinguished as a 
 teacher of this philosophy at Corinth. He lived during the 
 reigns of the emperors Caligula to Domitian inclusive, and was 
 banished from Rome because of the freedom with which he re¬ 
 proved men in power and office. Cf. Tacitus, Ann. 16, 34; De 
 Benef. Vii. 8, 2.— Mhil, etc.: a similar saying of Bias, one of the 
 seven sages, is recorded: eXeyev aTvxn tov drvx'iav fxiij ^spovra .— 
 tit . . . fluxerint . . . ut, although., etc.; ut takes this meaning 
 from a suppositional force, “ even if we suppose the case.” For 
 subj., cf A. & G. 266 c; M. 440 a, Obs. 4; H. 515, iii.; B. & M. 
 1283.— male, unfavorably, or badly. — vinceretur, for subj., cf 2, 6, 
 '^.respiciat. — quasi dicat: the words oifortuna extend from 
 ergo to vinci parato. — 4. quemque, cf. 2, 2, n. quisque. 
 
 5. Mucio: C. Mucius Scaevola, who, having been threatened 
 with burning by king Porsenna during his siege of Rome (b.c. 
 507), thrust his right hand into the fire, and let it bur^ without 
 flinching. He received the name of Scaevola, or left-handed, 
 from this circumstance; vid. Livy, ii. 12,13; Plutarch’s Publicola; 
 Epist. 66, 51, 53.— Fabricio, vid. Plutarch’s Pyrrhus, and Class. 
 Diet.; cf also § 9, N. tormenti. — Rutilio : P. Rutilius Rufus, a Ro¬ 
 man statesman and orator, who was unjustly banished (b.c. 92) 
 on a charge of malversation; vid. Livy, Epit. lib. Ixx.; Valerius 
 Maximus, ii. 10.— regem, i. e. Porsenna.— exusta, sc. manu. 
 
 6, quod rus suum . . . tbdit? because he cultivated his land 
 
20G 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 while not engaged in public duties ? — tarn . . . qaam, often to be 
 used in inverted order; hence here read as if written, tarn cum 
 dwitiis quam cum Pyrrho. Cf. De Ira., i. 12, 4.— cum divitiis, cf. 
 Epist. 120, 6.— triumphalis seiiex, alluding to his victory over 
 the Samnites, Lucanians, and Bruttians, b.c. 282; cf. Pliny, Nat. 
 Hist, xviii. 3.— aucupia, i. e. ares captas, by metonymy, abstract 
 for concrete.— esset, si . . . congereret? In conditional sen¬ 
 tences when does the impf. subj. refer to past time ? A. & G. 308 a; 
 H. 510 note 2.— si . . . he had stimulated the weakness, 
 
 etc,.] c,f. Nat. Quaest. iv. 13, 7. — pomorum strue . . . feras, etc. 
 Keference is especially to the boar, which was generally the 
 chief dish of a grand coena. It was brought whole to the table, 
 and placed in the centre, with fruits, vegetables, and other dishes 
 surrounding. The cooking of the boar was an expensive affair. 
 Cf.Becker’s “Gallus,” p. l33; Guhl & Koner’s “The Life of the 
 Greeks and Romans,” p. 504; Hor. Sat. ii. 8, 6-9.— pomorum = 
 obsoniorum. 
 
 7. qui ilium damnaverunt. The equestrian order, who were 
 both the farmers of the revenue and sole judges in criminal cases, 
 accused and condemned Rutilius, because, while legatus., he had 
 incurred their hostility by his efforts towards repressing their 
 extortion in the province of Asia.— causam . . . seculis, i. e. shall 
 nerer be acquitted of injustice.— sibi exilium, sc. eripi. He re¬ 
 fused to return to Rome at the invitation of Sulla.— solus aliquid, 
 cf. Epi^. 24,4.-— sed lougius fugit? He first retired to Mitylene, 
 and afterwards to Smyrna.— inquit, i. e. Rutilius, whose answer 
 to Sulla extends to the end of the section.— felicitas, a play on 
 the word, from the cognomen Felix, in which Sulla especially 
 delighted.— Servilianum lacum, a place contiguous to the Ba¬ 
 silica Julia, near the forum, where many of those proscribed by 
 Sulla were slain, and their heads exposed.— spoliarium, cf. Epist. 
 93,12.— vagautis, i. e. mgantes; more recent orthography adopts 
 the termination tis for tes. — multa milia, seven thousand, says 
 Seneca, De Clem. i. 12, 2. Cf Plutarch’s Sulla. — post fidem, after 
 a pledge of protection had been girerk. — per ipsam fldem, he had 
 induced them, after surrendering, to come without arms. 
 
 8. gladio submovetur: Sulla was accompanied, not by the 
 lictors with their rods, but by a body-guard of soldiers with 
 
DE PEOVIDENTIA. III. 8, 9. 
 
 207 
 
 their swords.— pretium caedis : two talents for each of the pro¬ 
 scribed, according to Plutarch. A talent was worth about $1200. 
 —per quaestorem . . . numeral, i. e. he caused the reward to 
 be paid from the public treasury. The number slaughtered is 
 not accurately known, but it probably amounted to many thou¬ 
 sands.— legem Corneliam : the lex de sicariis et veneficis was en¬ 
 acted B.c. 82. One of its provisions was against a magistratus 
 or senator who conspired in order that a person might be con¬ 
 demned in a judicium publicum^ etc. The punishment inflicted 
 by this law upon the convicted offender was, according to some, 
 interdictio aquae et ignis ; according to others, deportatio in insu- 
 lam et bmiorum ademtio. Cf. Diet. Antiq.— tulit : towards the 
 close of B.c. 81 Sulla was appointed dictator. It was while he 
 was absolute master of the Roman world that the horrors of the 
 proscriptix) occurred.— clavi, cf. De Tranq. 15,7.— volneri : writers 
 of the silver age frequently employ effect for cause, wlnus here 
 being used for clavi wlnerantes by metonymy. Tacitus has a 
 similar expression, volnera dirigebant^ i. e. tela volnerantia {Hist. 
 ii. 35). Cf. Virgil, Aeneid., x. 140. 
 
 9. tormeuti: on this story of Regulus, Mommsen remarks : 
 “ Nothing is known with certainty as to fhe end of Regulus; 
 even his mission to Rome — which is sometimes placed in b.c. 
 503, sometimes in 513—is very imperfectly attested. The later 
 Romans, who sought in the fortunes and misfortunes of their 
 forefathers mere materials for school themes, made Regulus the 
 type of heroic misfortune, as they made Fabricius the type of 
 heroic poverty, and circulated a number of anecdotes, invented 
 by way of due accompaniment in his name—incongruous embel¬ 
 lishments, contrasting ill with serious and sober history ” (“ Hist, 
 of Rome,” ii. 59).— qnam non poeniteat, how far he is from repent¬ 
 ing. — eamdem sententiam dicet, i. e. that prisoners should not 
 be exchanged with the Carthaginians, although he was a prison¬ 
 er himself— Maecenatem, the minister and friend of Augustus, 
 the patron of Virgil and Horace, etc.; vid. Class. Diet.— cui: 
 post-Aug. writers use almost any form of the passive with the 
 dat. of the agent, instead of the ablat. with ab; with this differ¬ 
 ence, however, that the dat., with the present tense, denotes that 
 the action is done for the interest of the agent; with the perf 
 
208 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 and pluperf., that it exists for him as completed. Cf. H. 388, 2, 
 3; B. & M. 845 ; M. 250 a; A. & S. 127 c.—uxoris: Terentia, the 
 wife of Maecenas, was said to have been the favorite mistress of 
 Augustus, and consequently to have caused serious coldness be¬ 
 tween the emperor and her husband. Notwithstanding her infi¬ 
 delity and looseness of morals, Maecenas continued deeply enam¬ 
 oured with her until his death. Her temper was morose, and 
 frequent quarrels occurred; but they seldom lasted long, owing 
 to Maecenas’s passionate fondness for her. These numerous 
 petty quarrels and reconciliations drew from Seneca {Epist. 114, 
 C) the remark, that Maecenas married a wife a thousand times, 
 though he never had but one.—aquarum fragoribus, the noise 
 (pleasing, of course) admitted, according to Lipsius, by 
 
 some device into their very sleeping apartments. Seneca fre¬ 
 quently refers to ponds and channels of water in the houses of 
 wealthy and luxurious Romans; as in Nat. Quaest. iii. 17, 2: 
 “ fishes swim in the chamber, and under the very table fish are 
 taken, that are immediately dressed and served.” Cf. Epist. 100, 
 and De Tranq. 1, 5, n. aquas., etc.—ille, i. e. Regulus.—ad caiisam 
 . . . respicit, submissively he has respect to the cause of his suffer¬ 
 ings. 
 
 10. Non usque eo, not to so great an extent. — audeat, for subj., 
 cf H. 501, I.; B. & M. 1218, 1227; A. & G. 320 a.— iste, cf 1, 4, 
 N. ista. — taceat, for subj. with licet., cf 2, 3, n.— paulatim frigore 
 inducto, i. e. from his extremities upwards; cf the Phaedo of 
 Plato at its close.— 11, Quanto . . . est, etc., how much is he to 
 be envied, etc.— illis, sc. invidendum est. — gemma, vessels and 
 drinking-cups ornamented with precious stones and gold were 
 quite frequent. Cf Becker’s “ Gallus,” p. 29; Guhl & Koner’s 
 “The Life of the Greeks and Romans,” p. 451; De Benef. vii. 9, 
 3.— ministratur, inipers. In earlier Latin the pers. construction 
 would be preferred, qui ministrantur. — quibns, dat., cf De Brev. 
 Vit. 17, 1, IS. fortunae. — exoletus, said of beautiful, full-grown 
 youths devoted to that shocking form of prostitution alluded to 
 by St. Paul, Rom. i. 27. Cf. Martial, Epig. iii. 82, 5, etc. Plautus 
 uses the term- scortum exoletum, a male prostitute.— auro = aureo 
 poculo by metonymy, a golden cup.— nivem diluit,snowis here said 
 to be mixed with wine, instead of (as in English) wine with snow. 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. III. 11-IV, 3. 
 
 209 
 
 Cf. Epist. 78, 23 : “ O unhax^py rich man ! Wherefore ? Because 
 he mixes not snow with his wine.”— vomitu, referring to the dis¬ 
 gusting practice of eating and drinking to excess, then vomiting, 
 and then beginning again their gluttony.— Quod ad Catonem 
 pertinet, as touching Cato; literally, that which pertains to Cato. — 
 rerum natura, i. e. the deus of the Stoics; cf. Zeller’s “ Stoics, 
 Epicureans, and Sceptics,” pp. 147-149.— collideret, subj. of pur¬ 
 pose, H. 497; B. & M. 1212. 
 
 12. Inimicitiae, etc. These words, to the end of the section, 
 are supposed to be uttered by natura., i. e. deus (as above).— 
 Yatinio: P. Vatinius, a leading tool of the triumvirate in the 
 party strifes of the last days of the republic. Possessed of no 
 principle, he sold his services to Caesar, when he was tribune of 
 the people, b.c. 59. Six years later, through the combined influ¬ 
 ence of the triumvirs, he was chosen praetor instead of Cato. In 
 jjersonal appearance he was forbidding and repulsive, and Cicero, 
 alluding to this fact, called him struma ciritatis. Cf. Class. Diet. 
 
 sibi maiius adferre? cf. 2, 9, n. on suicide of Cato.— conse- 
 quar ? what shall I (deus) effect ly these things ?— quibus, depend¬ 
 ent on dignum ; cf. H. 421, iii.; B. & M. 919. , 
 
 lY. — 1. vilia ingeaia, mean abilities or low station., such as are 
 not worthy of trials, which belong only to the great, according 
 to Seneca.— calamitates, cf.Virg. Oeorg. ii. 491, 2.— morsu animi, 
 Tcxation of mind. — ignorare est, Z. 597. — rerum . . . partem, 
 another part of nature, i. e. the other side of human life, viz. suf¬ 
 fering. It is intimated that nature consists of diversities—joys, 
 sorrows, etc.— 2. Olyinjiia, the Olympic games, the greatest na¬ 
 tional festival of the Greeks, celebrated at Olympia in Elis. Vid. 
 Class. Diet.— sed nemo praeter te, a good illustration of Seneca’s 
 conciseness of style; cf. 3, 9, refee {tu) ilium et mitte, instead of, 
 si reficias ilium et si mittas, etc.— coronam, the olive wreath, the 
 juize in the Olympic games.— una. Lips, proposes rivam. — osten- 
 deret, subj. in relative clause; cf. 3,11, n. collideret. 
 
 3. Miserum . . . miser; cf. 3, 3, and n. on Demetrius and his 
 saying.— potueris, sc. facere. — lie tu quidem ijise, sc. scies quid 
 potueris, you will not even hnow yourself, etc. Ipse is attached to 
 the nom. when it is intended to exjiress what the subject itself 
 
210 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 does, but it is attached to the pers. or reflex pron. when it is in¬ 
 dicated that the action is exerted upon the subject, and not on 
 other persons. Cf. M, 489, obs. 2 b; Arnold’s Latin Prose Comp. 
 368 b.— ^ad. notitiam : observe the exceptional use of ad with a 
 noun to express purpose, a usage not allowed in earlier Latin; 
 cf. M, 242, obs. 3.— quid quisque . . . didicit, freely, no man has 
 ever learned his own 'powers except l)y trial .— nisi, often joined to 
 negatives in sense of l)ut or except., M. 442, obs, 2.— virtuti : ob¬ 
 serve prolepsis in position and construction of this word. 
 
 4. Gaudent, etc. Lips, quotes from Stobaeus' the words of 
 Diogenes the Cynic, who, having fallen into certain troubles, ex¬ 
 claimed, “Well done, O Fortune! thou hast treated me like a 
 man,” and he sang and rejoiced, — iuquam. Seneca quite fre¬ 
 quently introduces this word to give additional force to an asser¬ 
 tion ; cf E'pist. 90, 27.— milites bellis triiiiiipliant, Haase reads, 
 milites Itellis: Triumphum., connecting the last word with the fol¬ 
 lowing sentence; it is then a proper name,— murmillonem . . . 
 querentem. Lips, gives, from the dissertations on Epictetus, bk, i., 
 a statement that there were some among the gladiators of Caesar 
 ^vho were incensed because they were never matched with foes 
 equal to them.— Avida = audax., Lips.— meliori casu, some prefer 
 causa., but it may be explained clementiore fortuna., to which it is 
 due that the wounds are not deadly; ctNirg. Aeneid, xii. 179, 
 296.— licet, although., rarely used by good writers as a conjunc,, 
 but more frequently with its verbal permissive sense; cf. M. 361, 
 obs. 1; also 2, 3, n. 
 
 5. Ipsis . . . consulit, cf Z. 414.—iuquam, cf n. above, § 4,— 
 
 quam, with super!,, cf B, & M. 1003.—ad quam rem,/(9r the ac¬ 
 complishment of which; cf § 3, N. ad notitiam. —si divitiis diffiuis ? 
 This was a nice question for Seneca himself, who was enormously 
 rich. See Introduction, p. 21; Be Vit. Beat. 17,1, n. ; 21,3, n.— 
 Unde possum scire, quantum, etc, H, C. Michaelis characterizes 
 the repetition, possum scire., as unworthy of Seneca’s vigor and 
 elegance of style; he thinks the repeated words should be omit¬ 
 ted. Qt Be Benef. iv. 6, 3. — populare=^(?j9w?«nww, associates, 
 compatriots,'etc. — is accustomed to follow. — 6. si . . . 
 
 vides? if you always see those whom you have begotten; cf Diet. 
 Antiq. on this subject.—quis, for aliquis; cf Z. 708.—tranquilli- 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. IV. 7-10. 
 
 211 
 
 tas iners = malacia^ a dead calm^ in allusion to tlie detention of 
 a ship by a calm. 
 
 7. iiiciderit, fut. perf.—grave est, etc. Lips, reads, grave est 
 tenerae cervici iugum; and Pincian, estferre teneris cervicU)us 
 iugum .—venturis malis, evils yet to come. —sua, one’s own.—^, di- 
 latus est, is deferred., a reference to the postponement of gladia¬ 
 torial shows, or the appearance of a particular gladiator, not a 
 release or dismissal from service.—aut liictu ; Fickert omits these 
 words, which, on the whole, we have thought best, with Haase, 
 to retain.—qui . . . adgrediaiitur . . . explorent . . . deiciaiit, 
 why subj.? cf. 3, 11, n. collideret.—— dejiciant; cf. 2, 9, 
 
 N. inicitur .—quia . . . imperautur: some read guare for quia., 
 making the sentence interrogative.—Male . . . meruit, the gen¬ 
 eral has not treated me permadescunt, cf. Epist. 20,11; also 
 Plautus {Mostellaria, i. 2, 63), who uses the same figure in refer¬ 
 ence to love.—nisi aliquid intervenit quod . . . admoneat, un¬ 
 less something happen to admonish of the human condition, i. e. the 
 state of human life. 
 
 9. Quern, relat. to hunc, below.—specularia, cf. Epist. 86, 11; 
 Juv. 8at. iv. 20.—parietibus circumfusus: a reference to hot-air 
 pipes encased in the walls, by means of which heat was conveyed 
 through the houses. In Seneca’s time the use of hot-air or vapor 
 baths was also quite frequent. Cf. Baliieae, Diet. Antiq.; also 
 Epist. 86, where Seneca pours out his indignant contempt upon 
 the luxury of the times.—excesserunt modum: observe use of 
 the perf. to denote what is always true. In such cases the action ' 
 of the subordinate is generally supposed to be antecedent to that 
 of the principal sentence; cf. M. 335 b, obs. 1. — felicitatis in- 
 temperantia, unlimited prosperity. 
 
 10. advocata virtute: Lips, and others read, quae advocat ad 
 virtutem .—Lenior ieiunio mors est: a disputed passage. Lips, 
 would insert e before ieiunio, and prefers levior to lenior. He 
 holds that the meaning is, that death is rendered comparatively 
 easy after long fasting and abstinence, such as Atticus and oth¬ 
 ers practised. In our text ieiunio is an ablat. of means.—cru- 
 ditate dissiliunt: reference seems to be to the latter part of 
 the comparison above, infnitis . . . rumpi: dissiliunt, post- 
 Aug., sc. aegri, or dyspeptics;—Numquid, cf. M. 451 b ; H. 351.— 
 
212 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 patres adliortantur, etc. Tertiillian {Ad Martyras^ 3) bears wit¬ 
 ness to this fact even in his day.—ut . . . perferaut . . . perse- 
 verent: on the use of ut with subj., or of the infin., cf. Z. 615,616 ; 
 M. 389. — voliiera praebere Tolneribus, to receive wounds upon 
 wounds^ i. e. to offer for new wounds the already lacerated flesh. 
 The Spartan boys were taken to the altar of Artemis Orthia to 
 receive the customary dLayaariyuxng, or severe flogging, which 
 w'as so terrible at times as to draw much blood, and even cause 
 death ; cf. Cic. Tusc. Disp. ii. 14. 
 
 11, patimui'; Haase and others read patiamur. — Solidissima 
 corporis pars, etc. So the proverb of Hippocrates, Kivrjmg ydp 
 Kparvvei, dpyirj de rpKu .— Praebendi : on the gerundive with sum^ 
 cf M. 420. —facial, v. 1. faciet. —contemptum, post-Aug.; cf Be 
 Tranq. 11, 4.— ad excatienda tela: it is said that the ancient 
 veterans acquired such skill as to hurl their weapons with a force 
 and to a distance almost incredible.— quoque : difference be¬ 
 tween quoque and quSque? cf M. 495, 471 ; Z. 355.— 12. Ro- 
 Niana pax = Roman empire.— Istrum, or the lower part of the 
 Danube.— gentmin, i. e. the nations beyond the rule and limits 
 of the empire.— Pcrpetua liiems, etc., a view far from correct as 
 to the Germans, but nearer the truth in respect to the remote 
 Scythians; vid. Tacitus, Oerrnania.—iivlme)^ vid. Lexicon, under 
 columen .— in alimentam : observe use of in to express purpose. 
 
 13. Nulla iUis domicilia: the Germans indeed had no flxed 
 residences or towns; nevertheless they possessed homes, though 
 they exchanged lands yearly, as Caesar states concerning the Suevi 
 {Bell. Oall. iv. 1); cf also Tacitus, Germania. —in diem, referring 
 to the Sarmatians, etc.—et liic, used similarly to et is, for more 
 precise and emphatic definition, M. 484 c.—intecta corpora: 
 Caesar says that the Germans used skins for clothing, but that 
 the greater part of the body was naked; cf. Tac. Germania, 17.— 
 14. nisi: after a negative proposition, nisi introduces an excep¬ 
 tion ; cf M. 442, obs. 3; also n. § 3. 
 
 Y.—1. Adice nnnc, quod: this is the usual formula of Seneca 
 when he begins a new argument; cf. Be Const. Sap. 9, 2 ; Be Otio 
 Sap. 32,17 ; Be Vit. Beat. 7,1; adice = adjice, cf 2, 9, N.—optimum 
 quemque, all the best. The sing, of quisque with superb is gener- 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. V. 1-3. 
 
 213 
 
 ally used for plur. when the noun is not expressed; cf. M. 495.— 
 ut ita dicam, so to speak or say. — militare,. 56 soldiers. — edere 
 operas, do service; cf. 2, 7; Epist. 29, 6. Good men perform good 
 service for others by endurance of affliction.— tribuerit . . . in- 
 rogaverit : these words are in contrast in meaning; the former 
 signifies, to bestow some good; the latter, to impose or inflict 
 some evil.— Appiiis : Appius Claudius, surnamed Caecus, because 
 he became blind in his old age, w'as censor b.c. 312. The most 
 enduring monuments of his censorship were the Appian Way to 
 Capua, and the Appian Aqueduct. By his earnest eloquence he 
 persuaded the senate to refuse the terms of peace offered by Pyr¬ 
 rhus ; vid. Livy, ix. 29 ; Cic. De Senec. 6.— Metellus : L. Metellus 
 Pontifex, twice consul, dictator b.c. 205, and active in the war 
 with Hannibal. He lost his eyes at the burning of the temple 
 of Vesta; cf. De Brev. Vit. 14, 2 ; Pliny, Nat. Hist. vii. 45. 
 
 2. Elius, some vile character, of whom there is no mention 
 elsewhere. — cum in templis consecraveriiit : Seneca also says, 
 pecunia in templis sacrata., not as a divinity probably, but as a 
 votive offering of gold and silver. Images also of gods and god¬ 
 desses, made of precious metals, were consecrated in temples. 
 Augustine holds that pecunia was a goddess {De Givitate Dei., iv. 
 21,5). — traducere, to expose to contempt and ridicule. — At iuiquum : 
 an objector is supposed to complain of the injustice of the pros- 
 l)erity of evil men and the afflictions of good men.— coustriiigi. 
 Lips, prefers configi, on the ground that adligari immediately fol¬ 
 lowing is similar to constringi. —3. Quid porro ? What then? — 
 fortes viros . . . volneribus : for severity of Roman military life, 
 see Diet. Antiq. and 4,4, n.— praecisos = lascivious. In post-Aug. 
 writers praecisus usually means castrated; some read percisos, 
 which refers to a horrible pollution among the heathen.— nobilis- 
 simas virgiues = restates. — cousulitur, is in council. — campo = 
 Campus Martins .— iu Iiac magiia republica, in this great repuMic 
 of humanity, or the world at largo.— inpendunt: operam, curas, 
 ingen ium, inpendunt; so Cic. in Verr. ii. 30, 68. — inpenduiitiir, 
 i. c. the good not only devote their all to others, but suffer them¬ 
 selves, and are even destroyed; cf Cons, ad Helv. 16,17; also Ter- 
 tullian, Apol. 44, concerning the slaughter of the Christians under 
 tlie sanction of the state. 
 
 K 
 
214 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 4. Haiic . . . vocem, this speech. —Demetrii, probably Deme¬ 
 trius of Sunium; cf. 3, 3, n,— totum, i. e, totum corporis. — uullam 
 laoram faciam, etc., I will not delay you at all from receiving hach 
 what you have given. — maluissem offerre qiiam tradere : a clear 
 intimation of Stoic teaching concerning suicide, followingwhicb is 
 tlie paradoxical doctrine about destiny.— opus fuit : with opus est 
 the thing needed may be an intin., or an accus. with infin.; H. 421, 
 notes 1 & 2; B. & M. 927.— accipere potuistis,i. e. by commanding it. 
 —retineiiti, v. 1. renitenti .— dicta lege, hy a fixed law., i. e. of fate. 
 — 5. priiiia iiascentium liora disposuit: cf. the sentiment of Ma- 
 nilian, nascentes morimur,f nisque ah origine pendet. — yeniunt, i. e. 
 events are not merely the result of chance, but take place in ac¬ 
 cordance with an immutable decree.—6. ad hoc parati sumus, 
 for this we were destined. Michaelis suggests parati simus, as 
 more suitable to the context, and the question, quid itaque f pa¬ 
 rati, will then have the ordinary meaning, prepared or ready. —• 
 (|iiicquid est quod,, etc. The following thought contains the 
 substance of the Stoic paradox, in which the First Cause is repre¬ 
 sented as subject to secondary causes. Seneca’s teaching in other 
 places quite closely resembles Christian doctrine on this point.— 
 scripsit : in accordance with the fancy that Jupiter dictated his 
 decrees to the fetes for them to record. 
 
 7. Non potest . . . materiain : it was a Stoic dogma that the 
 
 origin of evils is in matter itself; cf. Lips, in his “Physiol. Stoic.” 
 i. Dissert. 14, where he treats of this subject at large; also Zeller’s 
 “ Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics,” p. 181, note.— artifex, i. e. the 
 Stoic deus or ratio.- — liaec passa est : cf. on this teaching of the 
 Stoics, Epist. 65, 2; Nat. Quaest. i. {qrrolog.) 2, 3; Diog. Laert. vii. 
 134: haec, Haase reads hoc .— elemeiitis, cf. Be Ira, ii. 18,19.— ut 
 efficiatur . . . diceudus, to produce a man who must he mentioned 
 with consideration. — fortiore fato oi)us est : antithetic to the 
 thought above, languida . . . inertibus, etc. To make the an¬ 
 tithesis complete, the fortius fatum must be regarded as belong¬ 
 ing to acrioribus elementis, or as arising from them; Lips.— eat, 
 subj. after without ut; when used to signify duty, opoi'tet 
 
 always has accus. with infin.; M. 373, obs. 1. 
 
 8. quae, antecedent ea, understood = feZia. — illi, i. e. virtus; 
 dat.with gerundive, H. 388; B.&M.1310.—Ardua prima via est, 
 
DE PKOVIDENTIA. V. 8, 9. 
 
 215 
 
 etc. This comparison respecting the difficult course of virtue is 
 drawn from Ovid, Metamorph. ii. 63, etc. Sol is endeavoring to 
 dissuade the impetuous Phaethon from his desire to drive the 
 chariot of tire sun, hy depicting the dangers and difficulties of 
 the undertaking. We give the passage in verse by Dr. Lodge, 
 of London (translator of Seneca’s Works, 1614), rather for its 
 novelty than accuracy or poetic merit; 
 
 “The flrst which with unwearied steed? I clime, 
 
 Is such a iourney, that their ceaseless toyle 
 Cau scarcely reach before the moVrowes prime; 
 
 The next is highest heau’ii, from whence the soyle 
 And spacious seas, I see with dreadfull eye 
 Aud fearefull heart; the next whereto I hie. 
 
 Is steep and prone, and cranes a cunning guide; 
 
 And then doth Thetis shake herselfe for dread. 
 
 Lest headlong I should fall aud downward glide, 
 
 Aud burie in her Avaues my golden head.” 
 
 •—receiites,/re6-^, because of rest during the night.—Eiiituntur, 
 labor up. —pavida, the effect which fm^mido produces.—mode- 
 rainine certo, steady guidance. —Tetliys, put for the sea. She 
 was the wife of Oceanus and mother of the Oceanides. The sea 
 seems to receive the sun when setting, and the sun seems to 
 emerge from it when rising; hence the poet says, Tethys received 
 Sol in the evening, and opened the gates for him in the morning. 
 
 9. Haec cum . . . casuro: these are Seneca’s words, not the 
 poet’s; so, after the next quotation, the interpretation and use 
 made of the lines are from Seneca.—casuro, concessive, though 
 about to fall^ i. e. though I may or shall fall, I care not, provided 
 I may go over such a course.—esceiido, cf. 1, 6, n. —Utque viam, 
 etc.: we quote Dr. Lodge again : 
 
 “And that thou mayst continue in the way, 
 
 Be carefull lest thy posting Steeds doe stray; 
 
 Yet shalt thou passe by Taurus, who will bend 
 His homes to crosse thee, whither thou dost tend; 
 
 Th’ Aeuomian Archer aud the Lion fell 
 
 Shall stay thy coarse aud fright thee where they dwell.” 
 
 —Utque, although. —advcrsi, opposite. —tauri, a sign of the zodiac. 
 Ovid generally prefers vacca to taurus. —violeuti, so used because 
 the sun, on entering the constellation is more violent in its 
 heat.—liumilis et iiiertis est, etc., it is the part of an ignoble and 
 xceah mind., etc. 
 
216 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 VI.—1. Qu.are tamen, etc.; still, the question comes up again, 
 why does the deity ? etc. Seneca now takes the ground that there 
 are no evils but vices; hence it follows that the virtuous do not 
 suffer evils, since that name does not properly belong to afflic¬ 
 tions and the like.— Omnia mala, i. e. enils such as he would call 
 Q'eal, like crimes, wicked thoughts, and others which he proceeds 
 to enumerate..— avida consilia, cf. De Brev. Vit. 3, 3. lieference 
 here is undoubtedly to ambition, and other like desires, since 
 amritia follows so closely.— ut . . . seryet ? that he should also 
 give heed to the l)urden of good men, i. e. their external condition, 
 whether wealth and honors, or troubles, griefs, and cares. Seneca 
 certainly had not yet fully grasped the Christian idea.— sarciiias, 
 the baggage which the camp slave, calo, bore. He asks, should 
 god be made to do the work of a slave?— Democritus . . . pro- 
 jecit : the celebrated Eleatic philosopher of Abdera (flor. b.c. 
 4G0) inherited from his father a large property (100 talents, or 
 more than $100,000), and assigned it to his brother; Lips. But 
 the truth probably is that he expended it in extensive travel and 
 study, as he died in great poverty.— miraris si, cf. A. & G. 199 c. 
 
 2. occidant? sc. as Brutus, Manlius Torquatus, and oth¬ 
 ers; some read, et ipsi occidant. —repetituri, fut. part, expressing 
 intention, H. 549, 3; B. & M. 1355; A. & G. 333 r.—cum . . . 
 adferaut? the Stoic assumption repeated, that a good man may 
 commit suicide; cf. 2, 8, n. at the end.—in exemplar: observe 
 use of in with accus. to denote end or purpose.—3. Quid liahetis 
 quod, etc., ichat cause have you to complain ? etc.; cf. Z. 562.— 
 possitis, emphatic position.—Isti . . . adspicitis, those whom you 
 admire for their felicity ; some render, those whom you look upon 
 as fortunate. —ad similitudinem . . . culti, after the similitude 
 of their own walls adorned on the outside. Comjjare our Lord’s 
 denunciation of the Pharisees: “Woe unto you, scribes and Phari¬ 
 sees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and 
 of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.” 
 . . . “Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear 
 beautiful outward, but are within fuJl of dead men’s bones, and 
 of all uncleanness ” (Matt, xxiii. 25, 27).—crusta, the inlaid work 
 on walls, as of variegated marble. 
 
 4. ad arbitrium osteudi, i. e. only so much of their real char- 
 
DE PROVIDENTIA. VI. 4-8. 
 
 217 
 
 acter can be exposed as they will, or they can appear to men as 
 they themselves will.— alienus splendor absconderit, for subj., 
 cf. H. 529, 1 .; B. & M. 1182; A. & G. 334.— mellora inaioraqiie : 
 supply mdebuntur^ and tanto, correlative of quanto. —Permisi . . . 
 contemnere : later writers and poets, after permitto with the dat., 
 also have an infin. Earlier writers always used ut with subj.; 
 ]M. 396, obs. 1.— introrsus, opposed to extrinsecus; cf. De Tranq. 
 10. —nmndus, cf. Ueberweg’s “Hist, of Philosophy,” i. 194: “ Since 
 the world, as a whole, ... is deity,” etc.— exteriora, uhi vacuum 
 infinitum (Lips.), where all is emptiness and void. 
 
 5. toleratu, on supine irr w, cf. M. 412.—Quia non poteram, 
 etc. Again the deity is made subject to secondary causes; cf. 5, 
 6, N.— deuin antecedatis: Lips, charges Seneca with either folly 
 or presumption; and, looked at from the Christian standpoint, 
 such language is the height of arrogance and folly. The usual 
 Stoic doctrine was that their model wise man “is king and lord, 
 and is inferior in inner worth to no other rational being, not even 
 to Zeus himself” (Ueberweg, i. 198). Seneca here, however, seems 
 plainly to go much farther; cf. De Tranq. 7, 2, n.— solvet, sc. vos 
 or nos. — flnit, i. e. on the supposition that the soul j^erishes. The 
 alternative is expressed by transfert .—feriret, subj. of purpose, 
 M. 355. 
 
 6. patet exitus: the power of death is placed in the hands 
 of man—an intimation, thought the Stoics, tliat it was honorable 
 and praiseworthy to take one’s own life, under circumstances of 
 great trial, rather than submit to dishonor and disgrace. Cato 
 at Utica was their favorite illustration and exemplar. In this 
 way was ignored entirely the momentous truth that God alone is 
 the dispenser of life and death.—Prono . . . loco = a declivity; 
 why is prep, omitted before local cf. H. 425, ii. 2 ; M. 273 b.—tra- 
 liitur: Lips, conjectures traditur., as more consistent, since life is 
 voluntarily surrendered.—libertatem, cf. De Ira^ iii. 15, 4.—in- 
 traiitibus, i. e. in lucem.^ in vitam. 
 
 7. quam . . . inpingere, i. e. direct against her her own gift, 
 as when we throw away life.—mortem coiidiscite, learn death 
 well., learn how to die at any moment.—com.missura, the joint or 
 Icnot. —8. in proximo, close at hand., next door. —mori: on this use 
 of infill., cf. Z. 597, 598.—quam: the latter term or part of the 
 
218 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 comparison is omitted ; it may be rendered thus, than is requisite 
 in order that so great swiftness may he 'pereeired .—haustus ignis: 
 Portia, the wife of Brutus, who joined in killing Julius Caesar, is 
 said to have destroyed herself by swallowing live coals when she 
 had learned of her husband’s death at Philippi. It is quite pos¬ 
 sible that she inhaled carbonic-acid gas from a charcoal fire, a 
 favorite and frequent means of self-destruction among the Ro¬ 
 mans. The allusion in the text may be to this. Cf. Plutarch’s 
 Cato and Brutus, 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. 
 
 Argumentum. —I. Serenus is represented as addressing a letter to 
 Seneca, in which he sets forth that he is in an unquiet, morose, and 
 vacillating condition of mind. He states (somewhat confusedly, as 
 Lips, thinks) why he is in this trouble of mind: he points out that he 
 is disquieted and uneasy by being in the midst of luxury and splendor 
 at the imperial court; and he avers that.he does not know where to 
 look for repose—whether in the enjoyment of wealth or the practice of 
 frugality, whether in public life, private retirement, study, or the like. 
 II. Seneca answers Serenus. He endeavors to persuade him to have con¬ 
 fidence in himself, to stand firm, and to acquire for himself tranquillity 
 of mind. Then he promises to point out how it can be reached, the 
 effect and origin of it being first set forth. III. Against this iaeMum 
 (which he considers a disease) he counsels Serenus to bear in mind that 
 one of the best remedies is activity and taking a share in public affairs, 
 at least the mingling ease with activity; if we fall upon more turbulent 
 times, we must not refuse this duty; Socrates quoted, as an illustration. 
 IV., y., VI. It is necessary before all things for us, entering upon busi¬ 
 ness, to know ourselves, then business, then men, for the sake of or 
 with whom we are to act or labor. Our own strength is to be duly es¬ 
 timated, what it is, and how far we may go; then, in business or active 
 life, we must consider whether we are equal to the work to be done; 
 and, further, whether men are worthy our toil and expenditure of time. 
 VII., VIII. Moreover, it helps to tranquillity of mind to have faithful 
 and pleasant friendships; morose, sad-tempered, and fault-finding friends 
 are to be shunned. Other things, too, hinder our gaining ease of mind; 
 such as our patrimony, which, if moderate, suffices for virtue and quiet¬ 
 ness of life—if large, hinders both. A moderate fortune is esteemed the 
 best. IX. True riches are acquired only by frugality and continence; 
 therefore luxury is to be resisted, even in useful, profitable matters, 
 such as a library, books, etc. X. Then, too, trouble is to be put up 
 with, lest it injure tranquillity; for every man has his troubles, which 
 are softened and overcome by labor and custom, as well as by the sight 
 of another’s lot worse than our own. Pleasures are detrimental to 
 every kind of life, and desires, ever near by and at our very feet, cannot 
 be banished. XI. Next follows a discussion of equanimity and con¬ 
 stancy of a wise man. Such a one despises death, or regards it as in¬ 
 different. Nothing happens or can happen to him unaware; so death 
 does not come unexpectedly; neither does he anticipate the evil or the 
 good in the future. Examples of illustrious and good men given. 
 
220 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 XII., XIII., XIV., XV. In superfluous matters we must not toil, nor be 
 too busy in other people’s concerns. One ready to do much must con¬ 
 sider the inconstancy of aflUirs, and avoid levity, etc., so as to preserve 
 tranquillity. Hatred of the human race is to be cast aside, and weari¬ 
 someness avoided. The vanities of men are not to be laughed at or 
 wept over, but borne with equal mind; neither are we to be sad at the 
 loss of our goods. Pretence and anxious watching one’s self are not to 
 be indulged in, and solitude and converse with others are to be pru¬ 
 dently mingled. 
 
 Cap. I.—1. mihi, i. e. Annaeus Serenus, an intimate and valued 
 friend of Seneca’s. He was praefectus vigilum under Nero, and 
 died, together with a whole company, from the effects of eating 
 poisonous fungi. Seneca was much grieved at his death. Of. 
 Epist. 63,14; Tacitus, Ann. xiii. 13; Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxii. 2, 3.— 
 Seneca: this is the reading now generally approved, though 
 some hold to Serene. Haase reads retecta (prefixing to cap. i. 
 the name Serenus in brackets). The earliest ms. is imperfect in 
 regard to this word, the first two letters only being legible. It 
 seems most reasonable to regard the author writing as if a letter 
 had been sent to him by Serenus, in which tlie latter presents his 
 complaints, arising out of the position in which he is placed, and 
 asking for help in the search and striving after ease and content¬ 
 ment of mind. Probably this treatise was written by Seneca after 
 his being recalled from exile, through Agrippina’s influence, and 
 his being appointed preceptor to her son Nero. ^ 
 
 inaiiu prenderem : a proverbial expression, used of things 
 definite or plain ; cf. Be Benef. vi. 42, 1.— obscuriora et in re- 
 cessn, antithesis to in aperto posita ; a variety of construction not 
 unusual in Seneca, as also in Livy and Sallust, but more rare in 
 Tacitus. The words are equivalent to a little more in the back¬ 
 ground.^ as in aperto means openly, in the light of day.—^vel, exien, 
 has force of adverb, and enhances the sense of the word modified 
 by it; Z. 734. —dixerim, subj. denoting modest affirmation; M. 
 350 b. —liostes vagOS, i. e. nomadic, as the ancient Numidians and 
 Scythians, and the modern Arab tribes which roam the desert.— 
 per qnos: when a man is the instrument by which anything is 
 effected, the abl. is rarely used, but generallywith accus.; Z, 
 455, note.— per quos . . . securum, freely, we neither 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANTMT. I. 1-3. 
 
 221 
 
 to be always on my guard as in war^ um' free from a'ppveliension as 
 in peace: secwrzm, post-Aug. in this sense.—licet, refers to what 
 is allowed by human laws and usages. It differs from/as, in that 
 this latter has reference to what is permitted by divine laws and 
 the higher moral sense. Cf Doederlein, Lat. Synonyms, p. 43.— 
 ut, as, in comparisons.—fatear, for subj., cf. H. 484, y. ; B. & M. 
 1180; A. & G. 268; also, Epist. 53, 8.—bona fide (sometimes writ¬ 
 ten ex fide bona), honestly, entirely .—obnoxium, subject or addicted 
 to the ritia he is speaking of. 
 
 2. ut . . . ita: in comparisons these words place sentences on 
 an equality, but this equality is sometimes limited to the result 
 to which both sentences lead; so that ut . . . ita=although . . . 
 yet; Z. 726.—Aon est, quod dicas, you hare no reason to say: for 
 the subj., cf H. 503, note 2; B. & M. 1229; Z. 562, note.—in speci- 
 enq/cr appearanee' sake ; some prefer the reading inspem. —dico, 
 I wea?z=namely, to wit.—quicquid . . . venit, whatever depends 
 upon the judgment of others. — tempore .—yeras yires: as 
 virtue and all qualities that are sound and noble.—ad placendnni, 
 force of ad with acc. gerund. ? H. 544, notes; B. & M. 1338.—ex- 
 spectant=re 5 'azre or have need (/.—donee, until, takes subj. when 
 a thing is conceived as merely possible, or if purpose is implied ; 
 when a fact is expressed the indie, is used; Z. 575; H. 519; B. 
 & M. 1238,1240 .—— acquires ; cf Quintilian, i. 2,18; Hor. 
 Odes, iii. 27,76.—hoc yitium, i. e. of a wavering and unquiet mind. 
 
 3. Tam . . . quam, as well . . .as. — aniorem induit: some 
 read moram; this, however, would destroy the parallelism in¬ 
 tended between this and the preceding thought. Lips, reads 
 inducit for induit. Cf. Lucretius, JDe Her. Nat. iv. 1283, consue¬ 
 tude concinnat amorem. — Haec aniini . . . ostendere, I cannot 
 show thee so well at once, as in part, ichat this infirmity of the 
 mind is, which vacillates now this way, now that, turning resolutely 
 neither to the good nor to the bad. —utriimqne, plur. in sense, but 
 when only two persons or things are meant rarely put in the 
 plur.—semel = in full, in detail.—per partes, in part, partly, ad¬ 
 verbial use, Z. 258, obs. 2; cf Tacitus, Hist. i. 54, 88; v. 3; Pliny, 
 Epist. W.f). — accidant, an indirect question, H. 529; B. & M. 
 1180.—parsimoniae: when used in plur., ante and post classical. 
 Here, and in what follows on this subject, Lips, regards Seneca 
 
 K 2 
 
222 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 as speaking concerning himself, and in his own person. He was 
 a vegetarian in diet, was accustomed to lie on a hard mattress, 
 and daily went through a course of self-examination. Cf. E^nst. 
 108,17; 98, 13 : De Ira^ ii. 36 ; iii. 36.— fateor, followed regularly 
 by accus. with inlin. The indie, tenet shows that the two sen¬ 
 tences are really distinct declarations: mry great love of par¬ 
 simony possesses me^ I confess it. Qi.Wvg. Aen. ii. 134, —in amhi- 
 tionein : in frequently has accus. when it denotes a state of mind 
 in reference to something, or activity in a certain direction and 
 with a certain object, as in speciem.^ above; M. 230 a.— cuhile con- 
 positum, a high couch, spread with colored purple and golden 
 tapestry, covered with emblems, and resting on golden, ivory, 
 and silver feet; cf. Juv. Sat. xi. 94. During the later period of 
 the republic and the earlier years of the empire, when Asiatic 
 luxuries were imported into Italy, the richness and magnificence 
 of the couches of wealthy Komans were almost beyond descrip¬ 
 tion. The blankets or counterpanes {vestes stragulae., stragula') 
 were of very costly material, and generally of purple color, and 
 embroidered with figures in gold. Cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. xvi. 43; 
 Cic, in Verr. iv. 12, 26 ; Martial, Epig. ii. 16 ; also. Diet. Anliq.— 
 arcula : this was a chest in wdiich fine clothing and state robes 
 were kept; it was also used as a press. Lips, says, to make them 
 glossy. To this use the words following probably refer, ponderi- 
 l)us . . . expressa. — domestica, sc. vestis. It refers to a garment 
 worn in the house, of ordinary material, as opposed to forensis 
 vestis., out-door and official garment of the finest quality. C£ Cic. 
 De Fin. ii. 24, 77; Suetonius, Aug. 73.— sumenda, to he worn. 
 
 4. cibus, cf. § 3, N. parsimoniae^ etc.— faniiliae, i. e. the crowds 
 or numbers of slaves; cf. 8, 4, n. numerus. — nec spectent, v. 1. ex- 
 spectent., which is incompatible with the author’s meaning, viz. to 
 express the eager manner with which servants regard the rich 
 food served up by them. — nihil haheiis . . . pretiosive, i. e. 
 being neither scanty nor costly; arcessiti denotes that which is 
 much sought for, viz. because of its scarcity. It often has the 
 iovee far-fetched., indicating wdiat is unnatural, as opposed to that 
 which comes of itself, and hence is natural. Cf. Quint, x. 1, 8; 
 Cic. De Or at. ii. 63.— rediturus : with reference to the disgusting; 
 practice here referred to, cf. De Prov. 3,11, n. — intraverit, v. 1. 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. I. 4, 5. 
 
 223 
 
 intraverat: indirect question requires subj. — vernula : cf. De 
 Prov. 1, 5, N. — argentum . . . patris, i. e. the silver that his 
 (Seneca’s) father used in the country, viz. at Corduba in Spain, 
 where he was born; vid. Introduction, p. 11.—iiieusa . . . con- 
 spicua: wealthy and distinguished Romans were very particular 
 about the material of their tables. The most beautiful and rare 
 kinds of woods were used, especially the fragrant African citrus. 
 Pliny relates {Nat. Hist. xiii. 29) that Cicero bought a table of 
 this kind for 1,000,000 sesterces (about $30,000), and that others 
 were sold for twice and three times as many thousands of dollars. 
 The legs were made of ivory, and carved to imitate the heads of 
 various animals, as lions, tigers, etc. Cf. De Benef. vii. 9; Hor. 
 Sat. i. 6,116. —in usum posita, made for my use. — moretur, delays.^ 
 i. e. by attracting attention; hence, captivates. 
 
 5. paedagogii; the paedagogus was originally a trustworthy 
 slave, who attended upon children to and from the gymnasium. 
 Nero rendered himself obnoxious by training up free boys to 
 become paedagogi (Sueton. Nero^ 8). He and other emperors at¬ 
 tached large numbers to the court for the sake of state and orna¬ 
 ment. The modern “ page ” has its origin from this source, and 
 is the tit meaning of the word in this place. The word was also 
 applied to teachers. The paedagogium denotes the apartments in 
 the palace occupied by the pages. Cf. Pliny, Epist. 7, 27; also. 
 Class. Diet.—mancipia: these were slaves bought in the market, 
 as distinguished from those {vernulae) reared in the house. The 
 mancipia were very numerous. Horace {Sat. i. 6,107) ridicules 
 the praetor Tullius because he had no more than five slaves to 
 accompany him from the Tiburtine villa to Rome. Cf. Becker’s 
 “ Callus.”—lain: this word, when connecting sentences, frequently 
 has the force oi further; taken with etiam it may be rendered 
 moreover; Z. 286.—doinus, etc.: a reference to the splendor of 
 Nero’s palace. “ In the time of Nero the Palatine hill had be¬ 
 come one vast congeries of imperial piles for the private residence 
 of the emperors and of the officials of the court, and for some 
 public purposes. It included palaces, temples, libraries, baths, 
 and fountains, the gardens of Adonis, and an area for athletic 
 games. In addition to the complete occupancy of the Palatine 
 hill, he constructed another palace, the domus transitoria., across 
 
224 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 the space now occupied by the Coliseum, which ascended the 
 slope of the Esquiline to the borders of the gardens of Maecenas, 
 All this pile of palaces was rich beyond description in marbles, 
 and gilding, and-frescoes, and bronzes, and mosaics, and statuary, 
 and paintings.”—Butler’s “ St. Paul in Rome,” p. 134. In Nero's 
 famous “ Golden House” he had a statue of himself erected, 120 
 feet in height. His palace floors were paved with gold, gems, and 
 precious stones, and the walls were adorned with paintings, raised 
 figures, etc.; cf. Becker’s “ Gallus,” p. 34.— tecta: the ceilings 
 were also inlaid with ivory and gold; cf. Becker’s “ Gallus,” p. 
 184; Guhl & Koner’s “The Life of the Greeks and Roinans,” j). 
 368, etc.— perluceiitis, for 'perlucentes. —aquas et circuiiifluentes, 
 etc.: a novel feature, that is in some measure approached by the 
 aquaria frequently seen in American houses; cf. De Prov. 3, 9, n. 
 —loquar : for subj., cf. A. & G. 268.— sceua; a reference to the 
 magnificence with which the coenatio was fitted up, Suetonius 
 relates that Nero’s coenatio was furnished like a theatre, with 
 shifting scenes for every course. 
 
 6. Circumfudit . . . circuinsoiiiiit, this extravagant profusion 
 encompassed me coming from a secluded place, long used to habits of 
 frugality, and oh all sides resounded with its flood of magniflcencx. 
 This description may be taken as a fair illustration of the style 
 of an age abounding in a profusion of ornamental rhetoric. For 
 an account of the dissolute court of Nero, vid. Butler’s “ St. Paul 
 in Rome.”— frivola, lit. paltry things, wretched furniture, etc., 
 mostly post-Aug. in this sense.— iiumquid : this word can only 
 be considered as an interrog. particle, in so far as it is a mere sign 
 of a question, when quid has no meaning at all (except that it 
 strengthens the simple interrog.) ; but in indirect questions such 
 as this the accus. quid usually retains its pronominal force; Z. 
 351, note.— ilia, refers to the splendid appointments of the palace. 
 — vim praeceptoriim, the teachings of my instructors—a refer¬ 
 ence, probably, to the chief Stoic teachers, Seneca’s personal 
 instructors were Papirius Fabiauus, Attains, and Sotion; see In- 
 TRODUCTio]sr,,p, 12.— virgis, i. e. the rods of the lictors, which were 
 borne before the superior magistrates. Seneca was at this time 
 praetor, and soon after became the chief adviser of Nero. 
 
 7. Promptus, v. 1. propius. — Zeiiona : a native of Citium in 
 
DE TRANQUILLTTATE ANIMT. I. 7. 
 
 225 
 
 Cyprus, flourished about b.c. 330. He was the founder of that 
 system of philosophy called Stoic, from the Stoa- Poecile^ in 
 Athens, where in former times poets were accustomed to meet. 
 For particulars as to his scheme of philosophy, consult the stand¬ 
 ard work of Zeller, “ The Stoics, Epicureans, and Scepticsalso, 
 Ueberweg’s “ History of Philosophy,” Lewes’s “ Hist, of Philoso¬ 
 phy,” and Class. Diet.— Cleantlien : a native of Assos in Troas, 
 born about b.c. 300. He succeeded Zeno as head of the Stoic 
 school. One of his doctrines was that all souls are immortal, 
 but that the intensity of existence after death would vary ac¬ 
 cording to the strength or weakness of the particular soul, there¬ 
 by leaving to the wicked some apprehension of future punish¬ 
 ment. Some of the Stoics held that only the souls of the wise 
 and good were to survive death.— Chrysippum : a native of Soli 
 in Cilicia, born b.c. 280. He studied under Cleanthes at Athens, 
 and became his successor; and of him it has been said, “if 
 Chrysippus had not lived,the Porch could not have been” (Diog. 
 Laert. vii. 183). He ranked as an authority among the Stoics, 
 and was the inventor of the logical “sorites.” Cicero drew 
 largely from his writings for the Tusculaii Disputations. Vid. 
 Zeller, as above, and Class. Diet.— quorum . . . misit, no one of 
 whom himself entered into public affairs., hut each enjoined others to 
 do so. Chrysippus held that a prudent man avoids business, and 
 that a statesman must either displease the gods or disi3lease the 
 people. “ Taken alone. Stoicism could form excellent men, but 
 hardly excellent statesmen; and, looking to facts, not one of the 
 old masters of the school ever had or desired any public office” 
 (Zeller’s “Stoics,” etc., p. 307, 308). — et nemo: if a negative 
 proposition is followed by an affirmative, in which the same 
 thought is expressed or continued, et is employed in Latin where 
 in English we use hut; M. 433, obs. 2.— arietari, used by Seneca 
 here in the sense, to he harassed, viz. by confusion in public affairs 
 and wrangling in the forum; elsewhere the word means to totter 
 {Epist. 107, 2) ; cf. De Pror. 1, 2, n.— ex facili, adv. phrase, easily; 
 m, infacili,defacili; ci. De Benef.m.Q,'^. — res non . . . aesti- 
 mandae, i. e. trivial matters.— magno, cf. B. & M. 803, obs. 5.— 
 convertor : this verb has both pass, and mid. or reflex, meaning; 
 Z. 146. —domum, adverbially, homeward. — placet, i. e. animo. 
 
226 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 8. nihil , . . redditurus, fut. part, denotes intention, who does 
 7iot intend to restore ; cf. M. 425, obs. 5. — quod ad . . . spectet = 
 quod ah alieno iudicio pendeat; deo et sihi placeat: Lips.— ametur: 
 amare \niVQ = quaerere .— curae, H. 399, 2, 3 ; B. & M. 777. — com- 
 modare . . . vocem : this refers to the forensic orator in his ca¬ 
 pacity of pleader in behalf of a client’s cause, as commodare ope- 
 ram to the efforts of the advocate in the management of the 
 details of the cause; vid. Diet. Antiq., Orator, Advocate, Patro- 
 nus. Seneca, it is to be remembered, was very successful as a 
 forensic orator, and probably much of his wealth was acquired 
 in this way. See Introd. p. 12. — male = hnmerito. —9. In studiis, 
 etc.: Lips, thinks that there is here a defectiveness and want of 
 congruity.— verba . . . permittere, to suit the woi^ds to the thought. 
 — ut . . . sequatur oratio : the sense seems to be, that the lan¬ 
 guage without ambiguity may be subject to the thought.— seen- 
 lis, H. 379, 1 ; B. & M. 950 ; M. 235, obs. 3; cf. Epist. 93, 3. — id 
 agere : custom has established the superfluous use of icZ, as pre¬ 
 liminary to a pro23osition following; Z. 748.— non, v. 1. nunc .— 
 funus taciturn, primte funeral. There were two kinds of funer¬ 
 als among the Komans —taciturn or pleheium^ and publicum or in- 
 dictmum., because the j)eoj)le were invited to the latter by the 
 herald; cf. Brer. Vit. 20, 4. —10. sperare : Haase reads spi- 
 rare. — pressioris = angusti. — et ore, supply loquor. — non nieo : 
 cf. Hor, Od. iii. 25,17 ; Ovid, Fasti, vi. 5. — plus, sc. in me infirmita- 
 tis. — pervideo, v. 1. provideo. — favor =: amor sui nimius. — 11. 
 quaedam, sc. vitia. — opertis, v. 1. apertis. — quod . . . iudices : cf. 
 § 2, N. quod dicas. —adulatione : an ancient writer quoted by Lips, 
 observes, omnis Bomanus adulatione corrumpitur aut corrumpit; 
 cf. Be Benef. vi. 30 ; Epist. 59,11. —12. lluctuationein, sc. animi. 
 — dignuin . . . debeani : Prov. 2, 6, n.— adferentis, for ad- 
 
 ferentes. 
 
 II.—1. Quaero iain dudnm : the pres, with iam diu or iam 
 dudum has force of pres.-perf.; II. 467,2; B. & M. 1083.— Serene : 
 Seneca, in the first chapter, having stated the points for discus¬ 
 sion and inquiry, now jtroceeds to answer at length his supj^osed 
 correspondent.— ulli, v. 1. ullius. — interim, sometimes, post.-Aug. 
 in this sense; cf. Be Ira, i. 16. —cum . . . efifugeruut, i. e. after 
 
DE TEANQUILLTTATE A.NIMI. II. 1-6. 
 
 227 
 
 they have recovered from the effects of the disease; cf. cum . . . 
 requiemt^ a few. lines below.— 2. durioribus, sc, medicmis. — sed 
 illud, supply opus est; with opus the thing needed is preferred in 
 the nomin. if it be a neut. pron. or adject.; cf. Arnold’s Latin 
 Prose Compos, 173 ; H. 414, iv. note 4 ; B. & M. 673. — 3. non con- 
 cuti, not to ie shaken., or agitated violently by passions or otherwise. 
 ^Democriti : Democritus of Abdera, born b.c. 460. He was the 
 chief advocate of the atomic theory of Leucippus, and being of 
 a very cheerful temperament, he became known as the “laugh¬ 
 ing philosopher.” (Cf. Be Ira, ii. 10.) The subject evOvpia, here 
 mentioned, was the title of one of his treatises, and was regarded 
 in his philosophy as the end and ultimate object of our actions. 
 None of his complete works are extant.— nec enim . . . necesse 
 est, and (with good reason) for it is not necessary. 
 
 4. Ergo quaerimus, etc. : cf. with this definition that of De¬ 
 mocritus (as given in Lipsius’s Latin version), per quam tranquille 
 et constanter animus agit, nullo metu perturhalus, net superstitionis, 
 vel alterius affectus. — propitius sibi, i. e. satisfied with itself and 
 its lot or state.— gaiidium : cf. Cicero’s definition, quum ratione 
 animus moretur placide atque constanter, turn illud gaudium dicitur 
 {Tusc. Bisp. iv. 6,13).— nec adtollens, etc., allowing neither pros¬ 
 perity nor adversity to ruffle the calm satisfaction of mind.— 
 publico remedio : the chief Stoic teachers advised participation 
 in public affairs, though in practice they avoided it; cf, 1,7, N. — 
 agnoscet, v. 1. cognoscet. — professionem : Lips, refers this either to 
 false philosophers, or to magistrates and rulers.— sub ingenti ti- 
 tulo, i. e. under the honored title of a wise philosopher, or of an 
 officer and guardian of public trusts.— simulatione, i. e. of living 
 peacefully and cheerfully. , 
 
 6. causa, state or condition, i. e. of unrest.— Adice, i. e, adjice ; 
 for spelling, cf. Be Prov. 2, 9, n.— inveniant : for subj., cf. H. 519, 
 2; B. & M. 238.—ad uoYaiiduui pigra, too sluggish for making a 
 change.—lAon inconstantiae vitio : Lips, reads, non constantia in 
 mta.—^, ubi, used instead of relat. pron., and may be translated 
 on account of which. — consequuntur, sc. quod concupiscunt. — in 
 spein toti prominent, i. e. they live entirely upon baseless hopes; 
 said of a class who are always hoping and never realizing.— 
 pendentibus ad vota sua, i. e. to those who are in suspense about 
 
228 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 the realization of their wishes; votum means an offering solemnly 
 vowed or dedicated, on condition that one’s wish or desire be 
 granted.—pendent, a tautological repetition of the thought ex¬ 
 pressed 'iiho\Q^jpendentil)us^ etc. Fickert, in a note, gives it as his 
 impression that Seneca wrote, ad mta sua. Omnia inpendunt^ 
 etc., or. Ad wta. sua omnia inpendunt^ etc.: almost all mss. join 
 the words in this way.—cogunt: transitive verbs sometimes have 
 beside their own proper object an accus. limiting the extent of 
 their action; cf. M. 229, 2; Virg. Aen. x. 24.— prava, sc. sefecisse. 
 
 7. inter destituta vota, in the midst of its disappointed hopes. 
 —Quae, and these; cf. B. & M. 701, 1. — secreta studia, primte 
 studies. —pati non potest: cf. Epist. 2, 1; primum argumentum 
 conpositae mentis existimo., posse consistere., et secum moimri .—ani¬ 
 mus . . . erectus, etc., a mind fixed on the affairs of the world., 
 etc.—inquietus, Haase reads paruin, used as a neuter 
 
 subst. and as such followed by gen. Z. 432 ; B. & M. 1008.—non 
 fert, i. e. animus. —8. utique ubi = however it may be at other 
 times, this is assuredly the case when, etc.—agant: cf. Z. 562.— 
 9. quia, followed by indie, because the author assigns the reason 
 on his own authority, H. 516, i.; B. & M. 1255. It is character¬ 
 istic of the envious to desire to drag clown the objects of their 
 envy.—aversatione, post-Aug., rarely used.—processuuin = good 
 fortunes., literally, a going forward; cf. Be Consol, ad Polyh. 28.— 
 obirascens, mostly post-Aug., translate as a verb, and so with the 
 other participles. 
 
 10. dixerim, subj. to denote modest affirmation; cf. 1, 1 ,n. — 
 mala : cf. Hor. Ars Poet. 453.— ut, namely., or, as for instance .— 
 versare se, the reflexive pron. sometimes stands in universal as¬ 
 sertions without a definite reference to a preceding word; cf. 
 M. 490, obs. 5.— 11 .. Homericus Achilles : Iliad., xxiv. 10,11; cf. 
 Odyss. XX. 24, etc.— varies habitus, various or different postures. 
 —quod ... est, and this is a characteristic of a side man .— aegri : 
 for gen., cf H. 399, 3; B. & M. 781.— mutationibus ut remediis 
 uti, to make use of changes as a means of relief . — Aunc Campaniam 
 petamus : Campania, situate between Latium and Lucania, has 
 always been celebrated for the fertility of its soil, the beauty of 
 its scenery, and the salubrity of its climate. Many of the 
 wealthier citizens of Home had villas along its hill-sides, and the 
 
DE TEANQUILLITATE ANIMT. II. 11, 12. 
 
 229 
 
 ruins of some of these can be seen to this day.— iam, 'presently^ 
 said of the immediate future.— inculta, the untilled or woody 
 country^ referring to Bruttium and Lucania.— Bruttios et Luca- 
 iiiae saltus : Bruttium was the southernmost district of the 
 Italian mainland. The inhabitants are said to have originated 
 from the slaves and shepherds of the Lucanians, who took refuge 
 m the mountain fastnesses of the south. Diodorus Siculus re¬ 
 lates that they became an independent nation or people about 
 B.c. 357. They lived mostly in the interior, the coasts being 
 chiefly occupied by Greek colonies. In b.c. 274 they were con¬ 
 quered by the Komans, and made tributary until the invasion of 
 Hannibal, whose standard they joined. After the departure of 
 the Carthaginians the Romans took vengeance upon the Bruttii 
 by subjecting them to complete vassalage. Lucania was divided 
 from Bruttium by the river Laus. The people were brave, and 
 gradually acquired possession of the Greek cities on the coast. 
 They were subdued by the Romans after Pyrrhus had left Italy, 
 and on Hannibal’s appearance joined him against their oppress¬ 
 ors. The result was that during the second Punic war Lucania 
 was repeatedly laid waste, and never recovered its former pros¬ 
 perity. The malaria, which is so fatal there, had doubtless made 
 itself felt already; the towns of the interior fell into decay, and 
 the mountain ranges became one of the wildest regions of Italy. 
 Large sections were used for grazing, and extensive forests fur¬ 
 nished supplies of swine for the tables of the Romans, and wild 
 boars and bears for the amphitheatres. Hence Seneca mentions 
 these regions, in their rugged wildness, as contrasted with the 
 loveliness of Campania.— amoeiii, refers to pleasure received 
 through the sense of sight, and hence very properly used here in 
 connection with oculi. — luxuriosi oculi, our eyes feasted with lux¬ 
 urious releveiitiir, subj. of purpose, B. & M. 1205. 
 
 12. Tarentum, the modern Taranto^ was one of the most inter¬ 
 esting cities of ancient times, and was of Lacedaemonian origin. 
 It was distinguished for its mild climate, beautiful scenery, and 
 excellent harbor. Its present harbor is sixteen miles in circuit. 
 By reason of its superior commercial facilities it rose to great 
 wealth, and became noted for its luxury and reflnement. Vid. 
 Class. Diet.— —winter; cf. Virg. Aen. i. 266.— coeli = 
 
230 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ov climate. — re^io . . . turbae: tlie tlionglit is that even in Sen¬ 
 eca’s time the dwellings within the enclosure of the walls were 
 so numerous, as well as so rich and extensive, as to be able to 
 hold even its aneient population, notwithstanding the fact that a 
 considerable portion of the city had been long deserted. Strabo 
 (vi. j). 278) says: “The ancient wall comprises a circuit of great 
 extent, but now the greater part of the space adjoining the isth¬ 
 mus is deserted.”— plausu . . . fragore, theatrali . . . Gircensi 
 understood; Lips.— iuvat, etc., refers to contests of gladiators 
 with each other and with wild beasts.— semper fugit: the ad¬ 
 verb is not in the original, but aptly inserted by Seneca; cf. 
 Lucretius, Be Rerum Nat. iii. 1081. 
 
 13. non effugit ? cf. Hor. Od. ii. 16.— gravissimus, most trouble¬ 
 some or most dangerous. — qnod . . . locum, because of frequent 
 change of purpose . . . they had left no opportunity for novelty .— 
 Fastidio esse illis, to be a source of disgust to them ; H. 390; B. & 
 M. 848. — rabidariim deliciarum: Lips, suggests tabidarum, in 
 the sense of def dentes.^ languentes: pleasures that have been ex¬ 
 hausted—that fail to give us any further enjoyment. Compare 
 Farrar’s apposite words in this connection: “ In proportion to 
 the luxury of the age were its misery and its exhaustion. The 
 mad pursuit of pleasure was the death and degradation of all 
 true happiness. Suicide—suicide out of pure ennui and discon¬ 
 tent at a life overflowing with every possible means of indul¬ 
 gence'—was extraordinarily prevalent. . . . The philosophy which 
 alone professed itself able to heal men’s sorrows applauded the 
 supposed courage of a voluntary death; and it was of too ab¬ 
 stract, too fantastic, and too purely theoretical character to fur¬ 
 nish them with any real or lasting consolation ” (Farrar’s “ Seek¬ 
 ers after God,” p. 49).— Quousque eadem ? Lips, suggests, as the 
 meaning here, viz. dormire., surgere.^ ingerere.^ egerere., libidinari., 
 fatiscere., et omnia in orbem ; cf. Epist. 24, 26 ; 89,18. 
 
 III.—1. ^mi — esset; the extract from Athenodorus extends 
 to middle of § 7. — Athenodorus. Several ancient philosophers 
 bore this name. The one here referred to was probably the cele¬ 
 brated Stoic surnamed Gordylio. He was born at Tarsus, and 
 had charge of the library at Pergamus. Cato the Younger, at- 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. III. 1-3. 
 
 231 
 
 tracted by his fame, made him a visit, brought back the philoso¬ 
 pher with him to Rome, and lived on terms of entire intimacy 
 with him during the remainder of his life. While with Cato, 
 Athenodorus composed a work of some note, which, however, 
 has been lost—7r€|0t airovSriQ kuI TraidEiag. Cf. Epist. 10, 4; Diog. 
 Laert. vii. 34.—actione . . . detiuere: on the Stoic views as to 
 taking part in public affairs, cf. 1, 7, n.— actione reruiii, in the 
 transaction of general iniblic duties: actio refers to every civil, 
 political action, transaction, e. g. de pace^ and actions in court; cf. 
 Ramshorn’s Lat. Synonyms.—lacertos ... nutrire : nutrire has 
 here a zeugmatic force: to exercise the muscles of the arms^ and 
 nurse their strength, to which alone they hare dedicated themselves .— 
 propositum habeat —proposuerit: for use of haheo and perf. part, 
 instead of perf. tense, cf. H. 388, 1, note; M. 427; B. & M. 1358, 
 obs. 4; for subj., cf. H. 517; B. & M. 1250; A. & G. 326. 
 
 2. Sed quia . . . recedeuduin est: cf. Lord Bolingbroke’s re¬ 
 marks (Letter 212, vol. ii.): “ When I, who pass a great part, very 
 much the greatest part, of my life alone, sally forth into the 
 world, I am very far from expecting to improve myself by the 
 conversation I find there, and still further from caring one jot 
 what passes there.”—quia: cf. 2, 9, n.— inquit, i. e. Athenodorus. 
 —insaua . . . ambitione: allusion is here probably made to the 
 internecine struggles of the great leaders in the contest, Pompey, 
 Caesar, Antony, etc., and may well be used as pointing to the 
 dangers surrounding public men also under the empire.—tot ca- 
 luumiatoribus . . . torquentibus, while so many detractoi's are 
 putting a sinister construction upon virtues and straightforward 
 conduct .—plus fiituruin . . . succedat, i. e. there will always be 
 more hindrances than aids to success.—sed, denotes strong oppo¬ 
 sition, and interrupts the narration: autem is weaker in this re¬ 
 spect, yet serves as a connective.—Iiomiuum: supply vires coer- 
 centur .—iu seducto, in retirement. 
 
 3. reipublicae, i. e. before the establishment of the empire 
 under Augustus.—candidates extraliit: words which seem ap¬ 
 plicable to a practice, in the times of the emperors, of partisans 
 taking their candidates by the hand; cf. Pliny’s Epist. iii. 20; 
 Seneca, Epist. 8,6,where he remarks, “to give my friend my hand 
 and suffrage in the Senate wdien a candidate for some public 
 
232 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 office.”—in taiita . . . praeceptornm inopia: Seneca often re¬ 
 fers to the lack of high moral principle in his time. So Butler 
 fittingly remarks; “ It must have seemed as if all the principles 
 of morality and honor and mercy, which had hitherto at least 
 struggled to maintain a place in human affairs, had at length 
 given way, and resigned the world to the single sway of power 
 employed as the instrument of luxury, rapacity, lust, cruelty, and 
 the varied crimes whose evil brotherhood is never broken” (But¬ 
 ler’s “ St. Paul in Koine,” p. 127).—mentis, i. e. ruentes; cf. De 
 Prov. 3, 7, N. mgantis.—wWiil aliud, sc. projicit^ agit. 
 
 4. iirbanus praetor: this was the judge who decided cases 
 between Roman citizens, and was first appointed n.c. 356. As 
 foreigners resident in Rome increased, a magistrate became nec¬ 
 essary to determine between them and Roman citizens. This 
 office was created b.c. 244, and the incumbent was called praetor 
 perigrinus. Vid. Diet. Antiq.—adeuntibns, sc. in jus^ from the 
 legal phrase adire in jiLS^ to go before a judge, or to go to law.— 
 adsessoris: the assessor was the legal adviser or assistant of the 
 magistrate. It happened not infrequently that the praetor and 
 other mtigistrates were not very well skilled in the law, and hence 
 arose the necessity of an assistant or adviser. According to Lips., 
 he dictated the sentence, though he did not formally pronounce 
 it himself. The judge then may very properly be said to pro¬ 
 nounce the words of the assessor. Yid. Diet. Antiq.—qui, sc. 
 docet\ or some word of similar force. — gratuituin, i. e. freely 
 given, without price or reward, of good-will alone.—officiis : cf. 
 H. 425, 2. 3; B. & M. 855.—non deserueris, i. e. the post of duty. 
 
 5. quamvis . . . sint: for subj., cf. H. 515, iii.; B. &M. 1282.— 
 in niinierum, etc., i. e. they are enrolled and receive pay equally 
 with the rest.— 6. inittit sui sig'na, etc., i. e. just as the sun or 
 other luminary sheds its rays of light all around.— aquas . . . 
 educere, i. e. to alter the courses of rivers.— consiiinendum : for 
 use of gerundive, cf. H. 544, note 2; B. & M. 1315.— 7 . Alii . . . 
 
 some of us . . . others of us. —inpendinms, sc. —reli- 
 
 qiiias, i. e. no actually accomplished work remains, as an equiva¬ 
 lent for tlie time consumed.—Milii, i. e. Seneca. He now comments 
 on Athenodorus’s sentiments.—negaverini, subj. in modest asser¬ 
 tions, M. 350 b, 380.—relate gradii, with a gradual retreat. The 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. III. 7-10. 
 
 233 
 
 lirtiioiis man should retire from a disadvantageous and detri¬ 
 mental public position, as an army from before the superior 
 forces of the enemy, orderly and with honor, without the loss of 
 standards, and with jDcrfect discipline.— fidem, security. 
 
 8. fdYiviW^ =z misfortune. Reference is here probably to the 
 danger wdiich Seneca incurred as a frequenter of the forum. 
 Having gained high reputation as an eloquent pleader of causes, 
 he aroused the jealousy and hatred of Caligula ; this led to his 
 abandoning the excitement of the forum, and betaking himself 
 to the quieter walks of philosophy. ^ Vid. Suetonius, Caligula; 
 also. Class. Diet.— iiiferiit, v. 1. inserat. — officiis, i. e. muniis publi- 
 cis. — 9. nos, i. e. the Stoic leaders and teachers.— non unius nr- 
 bis : cf. Be Otio, 31.—rostris : the stage from which orators ad¬ 
 dressed the people assembled in the forum. The name was 
 derived from the beaks of ships with which the stage was 
 adorned. Yid. Diet. Antiq. — comitiis : as this word refers to 
 the action of the people in the time of the republic, its occur¬ 
 rence here seems somewhat singular,— qiiantuin, as a designa¬ 
 tion of multitude, for quot^ how many. 
 
 10. prytanis, for prytanes: the chief magistrate or president 
 of the Senate {■Kpvravic) in-some of the Grecian states, as Athens, 
 Corinth, Miletus, etc., was called prytanis. At Athens it seems 
 probable that originally the prytanes ranked next to the archons, 
 acting as judges, and holding courts in the prytaneium (or City 
 Hall). After the overthrow of the thirty tyrants by Thrasybulus, 
 ten, and afterwards thirty prytanes were chosen to administer 
 the government. Yid. Diet. Antiq.; Grote’s “ Hist, of Greece,” 
 vol. iv. 65.— ceryx (KrjpvK ): another example of Latinizing Greek 
 words, common in Seneca’s time. The ceiyx, at one period, was 
 the priest who performed the religious rites of Ceres, according 
 to Lipsius. He was also a praeco or legatus, an ambassador, the 
 sense here.— sufes : the chief ruler of the Carthaginians, corre¬ 
 sponding to the consul of the Romans; cf. Livy, xxx. 7; Authon’s 
 Class, Diet. (Carthago).— primam frontem, i. e. among the hastati, 
 the first line of battle in the Roman army.— triarios : the veteran 
 division, which occupied the third and last place, while the ha- 
 stati and prineipes held the first and second. These fought only 
 when the other troops could no longer resist the enemy. When 
 
234 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 not in action they rested themselves on the right foot, with the 
 left advanced, and protected themsej,ves with their broad shields. 
 — ille in proelio : a reference to Cynaegirus, brother of the poet 
 Aeschylus,- with whom he fought bravely at Marathon. Herodo¬ 
 tus relates (vi. 114) that he with others pursued the Persians to 
 their ships, and endeavored to climb up into a vessel, but Cynae- 
 girus’s right hand was cut off, and he fell into the water and 
 perished. The story was afterwards much exaggerated. Cf. 
 Justin, 2, 9 ; Class. Diet.— prima . . . f ront ranh in jmUic 
 
 affairs. 
 
 11. .Tiiditus eius yisnsque: others read, auditu enim.^ risu, 
 rultu,nutu, etc. The whole sentence is expressive of the moral 
 and active aid and support which the good citizen yields to 
 every effort for the public welfare.— ohstiiiatione tacita: there 
 are times when silence itself is powerfully eloquent; e. g. that 
 noble citizen and philosopher, P. Thrasea, refused to join in the 
 laudations of Hero in the Senate; and later, when the murder of 
 Agrippina by her own son’s orders was announced in the Senate 
 as a piece of good fortune, Thrasea rushed out in indignant scorn 
 and contempt. He was put to death by Nero, a.d. 66.— citra, 
 without; so mostly in post-Aug. prose, especially in Quintilian.— 
 ita yirtus, etc., i. e. virtue, however circumscribed or limited, 
 leavens everything within the sphere of its influence by the very 
 force of its inherent, penetrating, and assimilating excellence.— 
 et lateiis, and that., too., when unjjerceired. — precarios, uncertain, 
 as being dependent on the will of another. 
 
 12. Longe itaque: the conclusion to the argument in opposi¬ 
 tion to the teaching of Athenodorus expressed above, viz. that 
 for peace of mind, in this world of detractors, we ought to with¬ 
 draw entirely from participation in public affairs.— prohibietur, 
 Y.\. prohibehitur. — qiiam . . . fait: as the first member of the 
 comparison is governed by a verb, which does not also belong to 
 the second member, a new proposition after quam is formed with 
 a verb {fuit) of its own; cf M. 303 b.— triginta tyranni : Athens 
 was taken by LySander b.c. 404, which closed the Peloponnesian 
 war, after twenty-seven years’ struggle. The government of the 
 city was placed by the conqueror in the hands of a council con¬ 
 sisting of thirty archons, usually designated in history as the 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMI. III. 12-14. 
 
 235 
 
 thirty tyrants. Vicl. Class. Diet, and Grote’s or Tliirlwall’s “ Hist, 
 of Greece.”— divellereut, distracted.^ or disturbed riolently. 
 
 13. Areos pagos (spelled Areioiiagus.^ or Ariopagos., by others) : 
 
 the hill of Ares or Mars, so called from the tradition that Mars 
 was the first person tried there, on a charge of murdering Halir- 
 rhotius, son of Neptune. The celebrated tribunal which held its 
 sittings there had existed from very ancient times (Grote’s “ Hist, 
 of Greece,” hi. 72, 3, etc.), and was subsequently modified by So¬ 
 lon. It was before members of this venerable court that St. Paul 
 made his defence, as recorded in Acts xvii. 22. A learned writer, 
 in his commentary, says : “ Areiopagus, or Hill of Mars, a rocky 
 ridge fiicing the Acropolis, from which the highest court of 
 Athens took its name. The seats of the judges, hewn in the 
 solid rock, are still visible. Some have supposed the name in 
 this case to denote the court itself, before which Paul was now 
 arraigned, as Socrates had been 450 years before, for the same 
 offence of introducing strange or foreign gods. The objection 
 to this supposition is, not that the court had been dissolved or 
 deprived of its authority, which is uncertain, but that the ensu¬ 
 ing context is without a vestige of judicial process, and that 
 Paul, at the close of his address, went out, it would seem, with¬ 
 out the slightest molestation. He was, no doubt, taken to the 
 xVreiopagus as a convenient and customary place for pul)lic speak¬ 
 ing, ... It seems to have been very much as if a stranger, preach¬ 
 ing in the streets of any modern town, should be taken, not be¬ 
 fore a court, but to a court-house, as a convenient and appropriate 
 locality in which to answer for himself before the pulffic.” Cf. 
 Eschenburg’s “ Manual of Class. Literature,” 184, § 108; Class. 
 Diet.; also,Wordsworth’s “Athens and Attica,” ch. xi.^—seiiatu, 
 dat., usual form Hariiiodios : Harmodius and Aristogi- 
 
 ton, Athenians, were two intimate friends, who, on account of a 
 gross insult to one of them, slew Hipparchus, a son of Pisistratus, 
 and brother of Hippias, tyrants, b.c. 514. They both lost their 
 lives. Four years later Hippias was expelled, and the Athenians 
 ever after looked upon Harmodius and Aristogiton as patriots 
 and martyrs for liberty. Cf. Be Benef. vii. 15, 2. 
 
 14. ill medio erat: cf Cic. Ad Attkum., viii. 2, 4.—metiieuli- 
 bus: because the rich were especially imperilled under the ty- 
 
236 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 rants.—cum . . . incederet, while^ etc. When time only is de¬ 
 noted, cum rarely takes subj., H. 518, ir. 3.—et qui tuto insulta- 
 verat . . . tulit: not to the thirty tyrants, but to the liberated 
 Athenians did Socrates owe his death; vid. Class. Diet.; Plato’s 
 Apology^ p. 21.—eius . . . libertas nou tulit: cf. De Const. SaiJ. 
 2, 4; De Belief . v. 6, 6.—ut scias : subj. of purpose, depending on 
 some verb understood, as profero hoc., or the like.—pecuniam: 
 Lips, suggests petulantiam..-—!^, explicabimus nos, etc.: a salu¬ 
 tary political precept, to accommodate ourselves to the exigen¬ 
 cies of times and occasions, without violation of truth and virtue; 
 Lips.—adliserit, dash in pieces., a figure taken from shipwreck.— 
 absconderit, hasely hide himself out of sight; cf. the character 
 which Tacitus portrays in his Agricola .—Aon est enini servare 
 se obruere : the readings are various. Erasmus gives, non enim 
 dehet serrantem se obruere. 
 
 lb. Curius Bentatus: thus named, says Pliny, because born 
 with teeth. He was three times consul, and was renowned for 
 his victories over the Samnites, Sabines, and Pyrrhus, king of 
 Epirus. His habits were very simple and frugal, and when the 
 Sainnite ambassadors went to visit him, as Plutarch tells us, they 
 found him boiling turnips. His answer to them was that a man 
 who could live as cheaply as he was living had no need of gold. 
 —vivere, sc. mortuum, i. e. a virtually dead, useless life; cf. Epist. 
 82, 3, otium sine litteris mors est et hominis vivi sepultura, —plus, 
 sc. temporis. ^ 
 
 IV.—1. aut cum quibus, sc. agendum est. — fere . . . nobis, 
 lit. commonly, to ourselres we seem ; commonly in our own judgment. 
 —alius patrimonio . . . posset = another forced the productive 
 powers of his estate beyond endurance, that is, to meet his great 
 expenditures; cf sola terrae seges imperatur (Tacitus, Germania, 
 26).—2. primam frontem: indicating the confident countenance 
 ov resolution which the public man must exhibit, in opposition to 
 the shamefacedness or iashfulness, denoted by v^ecundia .—ad au- 
 1am, in the palace or at where obsequiousness usually meets 
 with better success than sturdiness or stubbornness.—urbauita- 
 tem, humor or raillery. 
 
DE TEANQUILLITATE ANIMI. V. 1-VI. 1. 237 
 
 V.— 1. cum rebus . . . coiiparandae : to the same effect, cf. 
 De Ira, iii. 6, 7; Hor. Ars Poetica, 38, 9. What are the other con¬ 
 structions after conparare ? —actore, v. 1. 'rectore, latore .— necesse 
 est, ut omitted; cf. H. 502; Z. 625 ; M. 373, obs. 1.— fereute : abl. 
 after comparative. —2. unde liber regressus non sit : suggestive 
 of Virgil’s 'vvell-known lines {Aen. vi. 126-128) : ■ 
 
 “facilis descensus Averno; 
 
 Sed revocare gradum superasqne evadere ad auras, 
 
 Hoc opus, hie labor est.” 
 
 YI»—!• an . . . perveniat, whether the expenditure of our ti'me 
 will reach the'm, i. e. whether our efforts will effect any good in 
 them.— nobis . . . inputant, i. e. some persons actually imagine 
 that, when they are under obligations to us for our good offices, 
 we are the parties who are indebted. They charge to our ac¬ 
 count, witliout questioning, that with which we ought to be cred¬ 
 ited. Cf. Be Benef. ii. 17, 6, siiperbi et inputatores; Suetonius, 
 Tiber. 53.— Atlienodorus, surnamed Ga'nanites, from Cana in Cili¬ 
 cia, the birthplace of his fatlier, though he himself was a native 
 of Tarsus. He was a Stoic philosopher, and taught at Apollonia 
 in Epirus. Here he attracted the attention of Octavius, and was 
 by him induced to go to Rome, where he became an intimate 
 friend and adviser of the emperor. He wrote a treatise against 
 the Categories of Aristotle, and was author of some other works 
 of note. Vid. Class. Diet.— ne ad coenam . . . sit, that he would 
 dine with no man who would not in returii feel under obligation for 
 this fawr .—coenam : this was the principal meal of the Romans, 
 and one to which they devoted special attention. The business 
 of the day having been finished, they gave themselves up to 
 enjoy the coena, which was often protracted until late in the 
 evening. For a detailed account of the meals of the Romans, cf. 
 Diet. Antiq.; Becker’s “ Gallus,” p. 451-470; Guhl & Koner’s 
 “ The Life of the Greeks and Romans,” p. 501-507.— puto intel- 
 legis ; cf. 3, 1, N. fateor .—qui cum amicorum . . . faciunt, who 
 settle with a feast their obligations to the hind offices of their friends. 
 — paria meiisa, v. 1. parem mensam, or pares wensas.— fericula ; 
 the various courses of the feast; literally, the frames on which 
 the servants brought the different dishes served during the feast; 
 
 L 
 
238 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 \\Q\\CQ fericula came to mean the number of courses, and even the 
 dishes themselves. 
 
 2. illis, i. e. Considerandum, etc. ; Lipsius suggests 
 
 that there is-so great lack of unity in this chapter as to give rise 
 to the impression that a portion of the original has been lost.— 
 mitiira tua . . . feret : as an element conducive to peace of 
 mind, Seneca insists upon natural aptitude for any calling. How 
 much disquietude, as well as ill-success and misfortune, might 
 be avoided if this rule were always regarded !— feret, v. 1. defert^ 
 or refert. —Isocrates : a distinguished teacher of rhetoric, born 
 at Athens b.c. 436. He first established a school in the island 
 of Chios, and afterwards at Athens, where he often had as many 
 as one hundred students, and, as his terms were high, he acquired 
 a large fortune. He died at a very advanced age, just after the 
 battle of Chaeronea, b.c. 338. Thoroughly persuaded of the value 
 of oratory in public affairs, he devoted himself to releasing it 
 from sophistry, as far as possible, and basing it on sound moral 
 principle. His style is rather labored and artificial, and his ora¬ 
 tions on a great variety of topics give evidence of the most con¬ 
 scientious care and attention. One of them, the Panegyricus^ is 
 said to have occupied ten or even fifteen years in its preparation. 
 Yid. Quint, x. 4, 4; also. Class. Diet.— Epliorum: a Greek histo¬ 
 rian, born at Cumae, in Aeolis, about b.c. 405. He was a pupil 
 of Isocrates, at whose advice he turned his attention especially to 
 history. Only fragments of his history, in thii’ty books, of the 
 early Greeks and Barbarians have survived. On tlie whole, prob¬ 
 ably the loss is not very great, as he differed frequently from 
 standard authorities, as Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. 
 Vid. Polybius, xii. 25; also. Class. Diet.— Male eniin . . . labor 
 est: this, with other apophthegms that are found in Seneca, is 
 fairly to be compared with the sententiae of the best classical 
 writers. His apt and forcible epigrammatic sayings are well 
 worthy of being referred to and quoted.— coacta ingenia : a ref¬ 
 erence to the proverb, nequid invita Minerva. Lips.Js of opinion 
 that there is something lost between the end of this and the be¬ 
 ginning of the next chapter. 
 
 VII.—1. aeque ... quaiu, so much ... as, only found in 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. VII. 1-4. 239 
 
 Plautus and post-Aug. writers; cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. ii. 83 ; Tacit. 
 Ann. xiv. 38 ; Suetonius, August. 64, 89.—amicitia: the praise of 
 which is fully set forth in Cicero’s charming tractate. He Ami¬ 
 citia .—quantum fieri poterit: the indie, is used in restrictive 
 phrases with quayitum., but the relative requires subj.; cf. Z. 559. 
 —2. Serpunt enim vitia . . . iioceut: the sentiment is much 
 tin- same with 1 Cor. xv. 33: “Be not deceived; evil communi- 
 ciuions corrupt good manners;” cf. He Ira., ii. 8.—pericula tra- 
 hemus, we shall incur danger.- —Sana: supply corpora. —ubi . . . 
 quaerimus ? i. e. the Stoic’s “ wise man,” who exists not, as Mo- 
 rell observes, but in description. So Plutarch {He Stoic, repugn. 
 11,1), “there is no such one upon earth, nor ever was;” cf. Cic. 
 Academ. i. 10, 38; Diog. Laert. vii. 117. “ To sum up ” (as Zeller 
 
 says, “ The Stoics,” etc., p. 254), “ the wise man is absolutely per¬ 
 fect, absolutely free from passion and want, absolutely happy; as 
 the Stoics exclusively assert, he in no way falls short of the hap¬ 
 piness of Zeus;” cf. He Prov. 6, 5, n. Yet, with what may be 
 called a necessary inconsistency, Seneca, and others like him, set 
 forth this model wise man as worthy of every effort to imitate; 
 cf Matt. V. 48.—istum: cf Z. 127,701.—pro optimo . . . mains : 
 so Epist. 42,1, 2, where Seneca asserts that such a phoenix (as a 
 really good man) could scarcely be found in five hundred years, 
 and that the one of whom his friend Lucilius writes him was a 
 good man only of the second rank, i. e. only comparatively good, 
 inasmuch as one wholly good could not be found ; cf Hor. Sat. i. 
 3, 68; He Const. Sap. 7,1. 
 
 3. Platonas et Xeiiopliontas : the accus. plur. of Greek words 
 is frequently found in as instead of es. — Socratici fetus : the stu¬ 
 dent may consult here with profit Zeller’s able work, “ Socrates 
 and the Socratic Schools.”— Catoiiis : cf He Pror. 2, 9, n. ; also. 
 Class. Diet.— opus erat . . . dehuit : observe use of synonyms; 
 the former expresses a want that is indispensable or requisite for 
 obtaining some end or object; the latter expresses the moral 
 obligations racting upon the person (Cato) to satisfy a claim upon 
 him, quibus se adprdbaret, etc.; vid. Doderlein’s & Ramshorn’s Lat. 
 Synon.— in quibus, etc., i. e. whose evil power he might either 
 break down or at least resist; Lips.— 4. omnia . . . placet, who 
 sigh at everything, and to whom every circumstance furnishes ground 
 
240 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 of complaint. —nulla non: cf. De Bre'o. Vit. 2,1, n. numquam non. — 
 licet, although., with tamen following.—tranquillitati, etc.: Lips, 
 aptly remarks, a countenance cloudy, and, so to speak, almost 
 always rainy, disturbs peace or serenity of mind. 
 
 Tin.— 1. maximam . . . materiam: cf. 1 Tim. vi. 10, “The 
 love of money is the root of all evil.”—quanto levior . . . per- 
 (lere: Plato remarked to one who was always pining for wealtli, 
 “ Thou wretch, if thou wouldst be happy, endeavor not to increase 
 thy store, but to diminish thy desire;” cf. Stobaeus, 
 
 — eo . . . quo : cf. M. 270, obs. 1.— 2, Bion : not the Greek poet, 
 but the Scythian philosopher, surnamed Borysthenites, who flour¬ 
 ished about B.c. 300. He studied philosojdiy at Athens, and at 
 first attached himself to the Cynic sect under Crates; afterwards 
 he became a disciple of Theodoras, and finally of Theophrastus 
 the Peripatetic. He was somewhat brilliant as a wit, but was 
 notoriously profligate and an unbeliever in the gods. Cic. {Tusc. 
 Disp. iii. 26) records one of his witticisms, that “it is useless to 
 tear our hair when we are in grief, since sorrow is not cured by 
 baldness.” Vid. Class. Diet.— calvis quain coinatis, for comatis 
 quam calvis; tliis figure, hyperbaton, especially in the form 
 hysteron-proterou, is quite frequent in Seneca; cf. H. 636, 5.— 
 calvis . . . comatis, i. e. the poor . . . the rich. — licet, with ut 
 understood and subj., M. 361.— sine sensu revelli potest; so 
 Antiphon, the philosopher and orator, wrote of the miserly, 
 “When they take and use of their hoarded money, they suffer 
 no less pain than if they were to lose a piece of their flesh.”— 
 respexit, has loohed upon with favor ; said of the gods when they 
 turned a propitious eye upon any project. Thus the Romans 
 worshipped Fortune, as Fortuna respiciens. 
 
 3. Diogenes: the Cynic philosopher, who despised all posses¬ 
 sions, in imitation of his master Antisthenes. He clad himself in 
 coarse, shabby garments, lived on what he received in public, 
 and was not at all abashed at the presence of Alexander the 
 Great, of whom he asked no favor but to get out of his sunshine. 
 Vid. Class. Diet.—et effecit . . . posset, and so managed that 
 nothing could he taken from Am.—paupertiitenij inopiain, egesta- 
 teui; cf Doderlein’s & Ramshorii’s Latin Synonyms; also, Epist. 
 
DE TEANQUILLITATE ANIMI. VIII. 3-5. 
 
 241 
 
 17,4, 5.— Aut ego fallor . . , possit, either I am deceived^ or it is 
 a marh of Icing ship ^ that there is one man who cannot he harmed 
 among the covetous^ defrauders^ rohhers^ etc.— Si quis, etc.: cf. 
 Xenophon, Memor. i. 6, 10.— illis . . . sint, H. 387.— alieno : in 
 sense of ignotus^ or ignohilis^ ignoble^ mean^ low. The alienus colo- 
 nus was the slave emj)loyed to till the land under the ergastula- 
 rius, or keeper of the ergastulum. This was the prison attached 
 to the Roman farms throughout Italy, and was regarded as nec¬ 
 essary because of the great number of slaves used to till the land 
 after the subjugation of Italy; Lips. Cf. Diet. Antiq.; Plutarch, 
 Tib. Gracchus. — in foro, i. e. in the ban\ as the banks were located 
 around the forum. 
 
 4. respice agedum mnndnm, just hole at the heavens. —decs: 
 the ancient pagans identified heroes and gods with the heavenly 
 bodies.— Demetriiim, called Pompeianus.^ because he was a freed- 
 man of Pompey the Great. Plutarch tells an amusing story of 
 Cato, who, on one occasion, being on a visit to Antioch, and find¬ 
 ing the people along the road in festal attire and the magistrates 
 in white robes, took the whole afiair as an honor intended es¬ 
 pecially for himself. Shortly after he ascertained, to his disgust, 
 that everybody was on the lookout for Demetrius, and the philos¬ 
 opher exclaimed, “O wretched city that I am entering!” (Plut. 
 Pompey and Cato Uticensis). — Numerus illi cotidie, etc.: very 
 suggestive of the large numbers of slaves among the Romans. 
 Pliny speaks of one man having five thousand; Athenaeus states 
 that some owned as many as ten and twenty thousand. On the 
 position, occupations, etc., of slaves among the Romans, vid. Guhl 
 & Koner’s “ The Life of the Greeks and Romans,” p. 511-519.— 
 vicarii, i. e. slaves of slaves., a species of ownership not uncommon 
 in that day.— cella laxior: slaves being very numerous, most 
 of them occupied small closets. The best were favored with a 
 cella laxior. The monks of the Middle Ages called their small 
 chambers cellae., cells., which word long ago passed into English. 
 
 5. At Diogeni serviis unicus ftigit: cf. § 3, n. ; Diog. Laert. 
 vi. 55.— immo, nay ; in a reply generally denotes the opposite of 
 what the question implies to be the opinion of the questioner. 
 Hence sometimes equivalent to yes^ sometimes to no. It also 
 affirms with emphasis. —vestiaidum, i. e. money to buy clothes, 
 
242 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 or, iu general, maintenance; cf. Be Benef. iii. 21.— detestantium, 
 sc. serwrmn .— 6. qui nihil ulli dehet, who is under obligations to 
 no one; i. e. who has neither a household establishment nor 
 slaves to provide for. Seneca is not to be understood as favor¬ 
 ing niggardliness or moroseness in preference to cheerful domes¬ 
 tic life; neither does he approve of absolute poverty and mean¬ 
 ness, but only such frugality as is freed from the cares of wealth, 
 troops of dependents, etc. Cf. n. below, optimus pecuniae^ etc.— 
 nisi quod, except in so far as, or, except that; cf. Z. 627; M. 442.— 
 Habiliora sunt corpora, etc., i. e. those are more suitable and 
 available for warfare, not those who are colossal in size and loose 
 in build, but who are of moderate stature and compact build.— 
 in bello, v. 1. bella, or pusilla. —contrahi : cf. Virg. Aen. xii, 491.— 
 Optimus pecuniae modus est : cf. Epist. 2, 5, where Seneca says 
 that the proper amount of wealth is to have first what is neces¬ 
 sary, and then what is sufficient. Lips, quotes Plato, who, when 
 asked, “ How much property should a man possess ?” replied, 
 “ Just enough to keep him from scheming or planning, and place 
 him beyond the reach of necessity.” Epictetus also holds that 
 the body is to be the measure of wealth, just as a shoe should be 
 neither too large nor too small for the foot. 
 
 IX.—1. sine qua . . . non satis patent, icithout which not 
 any riches suffice, and also not any riches are attainable that are at 
 all satisfactory to us .—nec . . . non: cf. M. 460, obs. 1.— et usus 
 . . . nietiri, i. e. to estimate a thing by its power to confer prac¬ 
 tical benefit, not by its power to embellisli.— libido . . . fluat, 
 let our desires or longings go out after necessary objects. — membris 
 nostris inniti : wealthy and luxurious citizens were in the habit 
 of being carried about in a sort of palanquin or litter. The 
 slaves who supported it were called lecticarii, and the couch 
 itself lectica. For an interesting chapter on this mode of loco¬ 
 motion among the ancients, cf. Kitto’s Biblical Illustrations (Job 
 and the Poetical Books), p. 407, Am. ed. 
 
 2. gulani 4eniperare: with accus. temperare signifies to con¬ 
 trol; cf. Arnold’s Latin Prose Comp. 220.— etiam si . . . adhi- 
 bere : this may be regarded as a parenthetical clause; then all 
 the infinitives in the passage will depend upon discamus. — id 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. IX. 2-5. 
 
 243 
 
 ag'ere, to exert (me^s self; cf. Z. 614 b, 748.— a nobis = « nostris 
 animis. — magna armamenta pandentibus: a beautiful figure 
 drawn from a ship—“ excessive riches, like huge and unmanage¬ 
 able rudders, sink rather than direct.” Lipsius also quotes De- 
 mocrates, an old philosopher, as saying: “ Long garments embar¬ 
 rass the body; excessive riches the mind.”— tela, i. Q.fortunae. 
 
 3. Quidni consulitur, i. e. why is it not made profitable to us 
 by reflection. — sine populo, i. e. without guests. — sed ... flec- 
 tendum est : the metae., goals., were turning-points at each end of 
 the Roman circus, around which the horses and chariots had to 
 turn seven times. Thus the one who had the inner track, and 
 who turned nearest the metae., would, other things being equal, 
 finish the course first and win the race. 
 
 4. habet, v. 1. hdbebo; inpensa., cost., or expense., is here subject of 
 halet. — quaruin dominus vix . . . perlegit : many wealthy Ro¬ 
 mans heaped together large collections of books; but, in general, 
 the possession of a large library was no certain index of the lit¬ 
 erary attainments of its owner—often quite the reverse; and 
 frequently it happened that a man never read even the titles 
 {indices) of all his books.— turba, sc. lihrorum., a multitude of 
 hooTcs; cf. Epist. 2, 2, 3, where, among other good advice, Seneca 
 says, “Read always the most approved authors, and reserve some 
 particular sentiment for the day’s meditation.”— Quadraginta 
 milia . . . arserunt, v. 1. quadringenta milia. Under Demetrius 
 Phalereus (expelled from Athens about b.c. 307) the Alexandrian 
 library increased to 50,000 volumes. Afterwards, according to 
 some authorities, it reached the number of 700,000 volumes, in¬ 
 cluding in its vast compass nearly all the best works in Grecian, 
 Roman, Indian, and Egyptian literature. The largest part was 
 destroyed during the siege of Alexandria by Julius Caesar. In 
 A.D. 389 the Serapium (temple of Jupiter Serapis) was burned, 
 and the 300,000 volumes therein were partly burned and partly 
 dispersed under the direction of Theophilus, archbishoj) of Alex¬ 
 andria. Vid. Gibbon’s “ Decline and Fall,” etc., vol. iii. p. 144; v. 
 228, Am. ed.— Livius : Titus Livy, the historian. This account 
 is probably given in book 112, now lost. 
 
 5. serYilium literarum: the common branches of learning, as 
 reading, writing, etc., as opposed to liberales literae., the higher 
 
244 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 and more advanced culture. Some suppose tlie serviles literae to 
 refer to the marks or characters branded into the arms of slaves, 
 as if the ignari of the text were unable to read these.— 6. Hones- 
 tius . . . quam . . . eifuderint: quam is followed by subj. either 
 with or without ut; H. 502, 2.— liocce inpensae, i. e. for books; 
 another reading is, m hos inpensas . . . effude7'im. — in Corinthia, 
 sc. msa; those made at Corinth, of gold, silver, bronze, were 
 highly prized by the Romans; cf. De Brev. Vit. 12, 1, N. -Quid 
 babes cur ignoscas, what reason have you for pardoning. The 
 subj. is used after cwr, quamdbrem., quare., when a phrase, asking 
 the reason for which, precedes; M. 363, obs. 3; Z. 562.— armaria, 
 cupboards, for the preservation of books. As ancient books con¬ 
 sisted of rolls, the armai'ia were used for keeping, not for using 
 them on the spot. Hence ancient libraries do not seem to have 
 required as much space as those in our day. Seneca (below, § 7) 
 appears to refer to open repositories along the walls, reaching 
 up to the ceiling, tecto tenus exstructa loculamenta. Cf. Becker’s 
 “ Callus,” p. 234; Guhl & Koner’s “ The Life of the Greeks and 
 Romans,” pp. 466,529.— citro, v. 1. cedro. — corpora : used by later 
 Latin and Middle-Age writers to mean the works of an author, 
 similar to our expression “ body of divinity.” Some read, opera. 
 —cui Tolumiuum . . . titulique: the titles and frontispieces of 
 the books of the time were often richly ornamented. Nor did 
 the custom die away with the luxury and glory of Rome, but 
 was sedulously retained by the monks in later centuries in their 
 copying the Scriptures, missals, and classical writers; this can 
 readily be seen at Wolfenblittel and other libraries on the Con¬ 
 tinent. 
 
 7. cum imagiuibus suis, etc. : Pliny (Aaf. JTM xxiv. 2) relates 
 that gold, silver, and brazen images of great authors were placed 
 in libraries, a custom first introduced by Asinius Pollio. The 
 ceilings of the room were not infrequently fretted wi^h gold and 
 ornamental glass of difierent figures. The fioor was of Carystic 
 marble, to aid in strengthening the eyes by its dark color. 
 
 X.—1, ouera et iupedimeuta crurum, i. e. chains and shackles 
 on the legs.— facere {vita^n) — agere (vitam). — 2. Nullo melius 
 uomiue . . . meruit, for no I'eason has nature desei'ved more gratv 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMT. X. 2-XI. 1. 
 
 245 
 
 tude from us .—Omiies . . . copiilati siiinns: a figure taken from 
 tlie custom of fiisteuing a prisoner to liis keeper, the right arm 
 of the former being attached to the left of the latter. St. Peter 
 was secured to a keeper on each side of him (Acts xii. 6); St. 
 Paul was so fastened to the soldier that kept him (Acts xxviii. 
 16). Of. De I?‘a, hi. 8, 4. — aurea catena: referring to kings, 
 nobles, rich men, etc., who may rightly be regarded as slaves to 
 wealth and rank. 
 
 3. adligatique . . . adligaverunt: cf Epist. 5, 6 — “ as the 
 same chain binds together both the prisoner and the soldier 
 (who keeps him), so those things which are wholly unlike march 
 side by side; fear follows (and go«s along with) hope.”—qui- 
 busdain sua, sc. imperia. The sentiment is twofold: some are 
 under the domination of their appetites and passions; others, as 
 rulers and magistrates, are weighed down by their own authority, 
 their very dignities becoming, as it were, a burden.—quosdaiti 
 sacerdotia: certain priests were prohibited from leaving the 
 city, such as the priests of Jupiter, Mars, Quirinus ; others could 
 not leave Italy, lest the sacred rites should be intermitted; cf. 
 Livy, ii. 52. 
 
 4. Exig’uae saepe areae, etc., i. e. a skilful writer will write 
 
 much on very small tablets; exiguae = small tablets.— 
 
 pedem =:: or solum ; others suggest —pedaturam or mensu- 
 
 ram. —fereiitis, fov ferentes ; on present mode of spelling, cf. Be 
 Prov. 3, 7, N.—5. Non sunt . . . permittamns : cf. /m, iii. 7,2. 
 —speiqne nostrae adliidentia, things that give encouragement to 
 our hopes. —praerupta, dangerous. —6. Multi . . . sunt, i. e. kings, 
 princes, etc.; cf Be Clement, i. 8, 2. — suffixos: as Prometheus 
 was fastened to a rock.—liumana: some add lege {lex). —secun- 
 dos : others read sequentes or seguiores.^ i. e. tristiores. 
 
 XI.—1. nec pedetentiin, v. 1. et pedetentim .—nec habet . . . 
 timeat: cf M. 363. — mancipia : cf 1, 5, n. — sed . . . quoqne: 
 this is rarely found, and when used denotes mer^ an addition, 
 and not a rising to something more imj)ortant; M. 461 a.—pre- 
 caria: precarium is that which is given to enjoy at the will of 
 the donor—a thing committed to our care, but which is likely at 
 any time to be demanded; hence the force of reposcentibus. As 
 
 L 2 
 
24G 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ill many otlier of our derived words, 'precarious is a general term, 
 taking its rise from a particular thought.—vivitque . . . reddi- 
 turus; cf Consol, ad Marc. 10; Be Prov. 5.—commodatus, lent; 
 used of things that are themselves in natura to be returned, while 
 mutuum dare is used of things for which an equivalent is given, 
 — 2, Magua . . . mercede, a great expense of time, care, and 
 labor.—factum, sc. opere et arte.^ the expression for plate. 
 
 3. Adpellaverit, si omitted, as often with fut. perf. In such 
 instances it is by no means certain that the sentence should not 
 be a question; Z. 784. —auimum meliorem : a mind improved 
 by the practice of virtue and acquisition of wisdom.— Reverti 
 uude veneris : the Stoics lield that the soul of man was mate¬ 
 rialistic, describing it sometimes as lire, sometimes as breath, dif¬ 
 fused through the body, and forming a bond of union for the 
 body ; cf. Zeller’s “ Stoics,” etc., p. 198-201. They also thought 
 that after death the soul would return in coelum et astra (the 
 weltseele of the Germans); Lips.— spiritus in servilia numeran- 
 dus, i. e. our lives must be numbered among the things that do 
 not belong to us.— servilia, v. 1. serritia .— ait Cicero : cf. pro Mi- 
 lone., 34; also. Be Ira., i. 2, 3.— prae se feruiit : gladiators usually 
 manifested the greatest contempt for death, and received the 
 sword {i-ecipere ferrum) with much firmness. Their fate, how¬ 
 ever, rested with the people, who pressed or turned down the 
 thumb if they wished them to live, or turned the thumb up if 
 they desired them to die. 
 
 4. animose, spiritedly ; cf Trench, “ Study of Words,” p. 59, 
 where he remarks on the English word animosity, as expressive 
 of enmity and hate, these too often stirring men to a lively and 
 vigorous activity.— vivo : Lips, conjectures vims, which is cer¬ 
 tainly consistent with the thought; pro homine might then be 
 rendered worthy of a man. which is the meaning of the words,— 
 5. Quicquid eiiiiu fieri potest . . . iiiolliet : very similar to a 
 maxim of Socrates, “ as those who are sailing in a serene and 
 peaceful sea have in readiness all things that are useful for 
 safety in a tempest, so those who are wise, in prosperity, make 
 ready protection against the day of adversity.”— Sciebam : cf 
 Consol, ad Marc. 9.— conclamatum est, i. e. over the remains of 
 the dead. — iumaturas . . . praecessit: it was the custom to 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMI. XI. 5-8. 
 
 247 
 
 attend funeral processions of children at night with torches and 
 wax tapers.— capulus : Fickert adopts this as on the whole the 
 best reading; others read copulatas. 
 
 6. mali . . . auctoris, repwter of enil^ or of 'bad news. —Publius; 
 JSyrns, so called from the country of his birth, was a slave manu¬ 
 mitted by his master, whose name he took, and hence is known 
 as Publius Syrus. He flourished about b.c. 45, and became cele¬ 
 brated at Rome as a mimographer. His mimes were early com¬ 
 mitted to writing, and there is extant a collection of about one 
 thousand lines, in iambic and trochaic measures, containing prov¬ 
 erbs, apophthegms, and witty sayings. He exhibits a profound 
 insight into human nature, and his wit is unsurpassed by writers 
 of any age. Cf. Dunlop’s “ Roman Literature,” vol. i. p. 332, Am. 
 ed.; also. Class. Diet.— verba ad . . . spectantia ; the cavea was 
 the entire portion of the theatre assigned to spectators. The 
 senators and other dignitaries occupied the lowest part, the 
 middle classes the next above, and the pld)s the highest. Henee 
 verba here signifies sueh vulgar commonplaces as suit the lowest 
 soeiety.— cotliurno . . . sipario, the buskin . . . the smaller cur- 
 tain., by metonymy for tragedy and comedy; cf. Hor. Ars Poet. 
 278, etc.— et hoc ait : ei, but or 'but also. In a negative proposi¬ 
 tion, followed by an affirmative, when the same thought is ex¬ 
 pressed, et is used where we use but; cf. M. 433, obs. 2.— Cuivis 
 potest, etc.: Lipsius quotes a similar sentiment from Xenophon, 
 
 TrdvTa dvQpMTTOV del Trpoodoic^v UiravTa. 
 
 7. praetextam et augurale et lora patricia: praetexta.^ sc. 
 toga., was the cloak worn by the -higher magistrates and the 
 priests; augurale., the augur’s staff (Lips, prefers auguralem., sc. 
 togam) ; lora patricia., the shoes or slippers of red Parthian leath¬ 
 er, worn in the days of the republic by the three highest magis¬ 
 trates, the consul, praetor, and curule aedile; but in later times 
 used by all the senators, marked with the ivory crescent, or Ro¬ 
 man c, which stood for centum., as that was the original number 
 of senators.— exportatio : a reading much disputed; Lips, con- 
 jectures exsputatio., an expression of supreme contempt. 
 
 8. proculcatio: post-Aug.,derived from pro and calx., in refer¬ 
 ence to the ancient custom of kings putting their foot upon the 
 necks of the conquered. This practice in time yielded to that 
 
248 
 
 'NOTES. 
 
 of compelling captives to pass under the yoke; hence, to subju¬ 
 gate. —dommus, i. e. tyrannus.— carnifex, the public executioner at 
 Rome. His office was considered so degrading and odious that 
 he was not allowed to reside within the city, but lived outside 
 the porta metia.^ near the place where slaves were punished. Cf. 
 Diet. Antiq.—alieiia g’enua: suggestive of the position of cap¬ 
 tives, kneeling and stretching out their hands to their captors.— 
 iiumquid : an interrog. particle, paid in this case having no mean¬ 
 ing; Z. 851, note; M.451 b; num expects the answer no. —Poin- 
 peio, V. 1. Ptolemaeo. This Pompey was, according to Lij)sius, 
 j^robably a great-grandson of Pompey the Great, and son of that 
 Sextius Pompey who was consul with Sextus Apuleius during 
 the last year of the reign of Augustus. Being a relative of Au¬ 
 gustus, he w^as of course related to Caligula.—Caius, i. e. Caius 
 Caesar Caligula, emperor a.d. 37-41, son of Germanicus and 
 Agrippina, grand-daughter of Augustus, and nephew of Tiberius, 
 whom he succeeded; cf. Glass. Diet.; also, Merivale, “ History of 
 the Romans under the Empire,” vol. v. p. 166, etc. The incident 
 here mentioned, which is in keeping with Caligula’s character, 
 is valuable historically, being recorded only by Seneca.—aperu- 
 isset . . . doinuiii, i. e. he had received Pompey into the palace, 
 ostensibly conferring a great honor upon him.-^tot flumiiia, etc.: 
 a reference again to the wealth and extensive domains of some of 
 the Roman citizens at that time; cf. Epist. 89, 20; Be Benef. iii. 8. 
 — lieres, i. c. Caligula.— publicum fuiius : cf. Diet. Antiq. Lips, 
 expresses wonder that neither Suetonius nor Dio Cassius makes 
 mention of this incident, and exclaims, “ Who can enumerate all 
 the enormities of that monster !” 
 
 9. Seianus : Aelius Sejanus, the corrupt minister of the gloomy 
 Tiberius, who for eight years held absolute sway over the em¬ 
 peror. On finding that Sejanus was purposing to dethrone him, 
 Tiberius .gave secret orders to put him to death. The Roman 
 populace tore his body in pieces, and cast them into the Tiber. 
 Cf. Class. Diet. — Croesiim, the king of Lydia, famed for his 
 wealth, was conquered by Cyrus the Great, and ordered to be 
 burned. While on the funeral pile he called out, “ Solon, Solon,” 
 several times. Cyrus having asked the reason of this, Croesus 
 stated that Solon had in former years warned him in regard to 
 
DE TRANQUILLI'rATE AKIMI. XI. 9-XII. 2. 249 
 
 the uncertainty of human felicity. The Persian monarch was 
 struck with the truth of this sentiment, and so spared the life 
 of Croesus, and made him his friend and counsellor. Vid. the 
 story, as told by Herodotus, i. 29-33, 86-90.—ad lugurtham . . . 
 spectavit: Jugurtha was the adopted son of Micipsa, and, in con¬ 
 junction wnth Adherbal and Hiempsal, king of Numidia. Lips, 
 thinks Seneca inaccurate in attributing to one year what it had 
 taken five to accomplish. It is true the entire war lasted five 
 • years, but Caius Marius was in chief command only during the 
 last and successful year, b.c. 107-106. Hence Seneca is correct 
 in embracing the change he mentions wfithin one year. Vid. 
 Class. Diet.—intra . . . quaiii, within that xei'y year. 
 
 10. Ptolemamm : king of Mauretania (ab. a.d. 18-40), grand¬ 
 son of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and thus a descendant of the 
 Ptolemies of Egypt. He w^as summoned to Rome, and soon after 
 put to death by Caligula, who coveted his great wealth.—Mith- 
 ridates: one of the Arsacidae, and placed upon the throne of 
 Armenia by Tiberius, a.d. 35. Caligula threw him into prison; 
 Claudius released him, and sent him back to Armenia, a.d. 47, 
 where he reigned till expelled and put to death by his nephew, 
 Rhadamisthus,.A.D. 52.—alter, i. e. Mithridates: alter, Ptolemy. 
 — ut , . . mitteretur, i. e. in good faith, for he was slain on the 
 road by Caligula’s orders, for the reason given above.—11. ne 
 aut . . . laboremus, that we neither labor over needless things^ nor 
 spend time in vain. 
 
 XII.—1. semper . . . similes: cf, Epist. 98, 8, where he calls 
 this class of persons satagios^ over-anxious. — formicis : a rather 
 unfortunate illustration, since the fact is not as Mere stated; cf. 
 Prov. vi. 6; xxx. 25 ; also, Hor. Sat. i. 1, 33.-2. inquietam iner- 
 tiam: this whole picture of busy idlers is so graphic and true 
 that it applies as well in the 19th as in any preceding century,— 
 iudicium, sponsalia: Fickert, in a note, gives it as his opinion 
 that perhaps ad should precede each of these words. Haas.e in¬ 
 serts ad. —sponsalia: these were an agreement to marry, made 
 in such form as to give each party a right of action in case of 
 non-performance, and the offending party was condemned in such 
 ■ damages as the judge deemed right. They might be contracted 
 
250 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 by those not under seven years of age. Cf. Diet. Antiq. (Matri- 
 nionium).— lecticam : the lecUcae were of two kinds, for con¬ 
 venience of the living and for carrying the dead. Some were 
 of great beauty and costliness. The lectica on which the body 
 of Augustus was carried to the grave was made of ivory and 
 gold, and was covered with purple and gold drapery. Cf. Diet. 
 Antiq. 
 
 3. lux orta: it was a Koman custom to pay visits of respect, 
 etc., at dawn. — nomenculatores : a class of persons at Rome 
 whose business it was to know the names of all the citizens. 
 They were frequently employed by candidates for olRce, in order 
 that these might be able to greet even perfect strangers as old 
 acquaintances. They were also in the service'of the wealthier 
 joeople, to stand at the front door and announce to the inmates 
 of the house the names of those who had left their morning 
 greetings.— 4. auscultatio, etc.: in other words, a 'prying curi¬ 
 osity. —quae . . . audiuntur, i. e. matters pertaining to rulers or 
 princes; Lips. — Democrituui : cf. 2, 3, n. — ita coepisse, etc.: 
 Democritus begins his work On Peace of Mind {irepi evOvyiag) 
 with the words quoted. 
 
 XIII. — 1. This short chapter is a continuation of the thought 
 in the preceding.— iiegotiatio mihi respoiidebit, my l)usiness will 
 answer.my expectations .'— 2. iiec illi omnia ut voluit cedunt, nor 
 do all things turn out as he has wished. ^ 
 
 Xiy.—1. Faciles etiam iios f e"re debemus . . . indulge- 
 amus, i. e. we ought to culti\aio a complaisant, yielding dis- 
 joosition, that we may not become too obstinate in holding on to 
 our established ideas and affairs.— transeamusque in ea, etc.: 
 Lips, quotes from Aristotle a similar sentiment; also, a fragment 
 of Aristonymus, who says, “ It is the office of a good pilot to suit 
 his vessel to the changes of the winds, and of a wise man to the 
 changes of fortune or circumstances.”— necesse est ... sit : cf. 
 M. 373, obs. 1. 
 
 2. sibi adplicet, etc. These Stoic requirements only reached 
 the outer edge of Christianity. We find a beautiful self¬ 
 repose, but not the Christian self-sacrifice!— uaufragio : Zeno’s 
 
DE TRANQUILLITATE ANIMT. XIV. 2-6. 
 
 261 
 
 ship, with its valuable cargo, was wrecked on the Attic,coast, 
 when he was about thirty years old. Forthwith he a23plied 
 himself to the study of philosophy, heard Crates, and subse¬ 
 quently became the founder of the Stoic school.— Zenon: cf. 1, 
 
 • 7, N. — Tlieodoro: a Cyrenaic philosoj3her, usually called the 
 Atheist, because of the jjrofane freedom with which he spoke 
 against the gods. Tliis caused his banishment from Cyrene, and 
 also, at a later date (b.c. 307), his exile from Athens. Thence he 
 went to Alexandria, where he was employed by Ptolemy, king 
 of Egypt, to go as ambassador to Lysimachus, king of Thrace. 
 The same free style of speech deeply offended Lysimachus, and 
 he came near losing his life. The answer recorded by Seneca 
 saved him from crucifixion. — tyrannus, i. e. Lysimachus. — et 
 quidem, sc. earn after et. Is refers to some noun going before, 
 and if this noun is to receive some additional predicate, quidem 
 is used, meaning, and that too; Z. 699,— placeas; for subj., cf. 9, 
 6, N.— mea iuteresse : for ablat. of the jjossessive instead of gen. 
 of personal, vid. Arnold’s Lat. Prose Comp. 203,2.— supra terram, 
 i. e. on the cross, as above stated. 
 
 3. Canus lulius : a Stoic philosopher, put to death by Caligu¬ 
 la, on a charge of being a conspirator with Aemilius Lepidus. 
 Observe that the nomen and cognomen are transposed, as is often 
 the case in Tacitus, Pliny, etc,— Plialaris ille, that well-lcmwn 
 Phalaris of our day, i. e. Caligula. This infamous tyrant is .appro¬ 
 priately named after the cruel and inhuman ruler of Agrigentum 
 in Sicily (b.c, 570-554).— duci, sc. ad mortem or ad supplicium. — 
 mors beneflcium : another of the horrible brood of tyrants (Tibe¬ 
 rius) is said to have replied to one begging for death, nondum 
 tecum in gratiam redii. — 4. fides : Caligula was not accustomed 
 to recall or to commute sentence of death.— decern medics, etc,: 
 by a law of Tiberius ten days intervened between sentence and 
 execution; Dio Cass. 57. — verisimile non est = it is hardly 
 credible. ' 
 
 5. ex morte sua . . . habere, to male his own death a subject 
 of investigation. — suns: Lips, suggests waws.— Caesari deo nostro: 
 a sarcastic reference to Caligula’s self-deification.— promisitqiie, 
 etc. He is said to have fulfilled this promise by ai3pearing in a 
 vision to one of his friends, named Antiochus.—6. Caianae cla» 
 
252 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 dis magna portio ! i. e, you alone constitute a great part of the 
 loss which that tyrant and murderer inflicted upon the world ! 
 
 XT. — 1. libidinis lucra damnaque, etc,, the advantages and 
 disadvantages of desire are equally hateful. — Agitur animus in 
 nocteni : this is the result, he teaches, to which the pure mind is 
 brought by reflection upon the vices, follies, and sins of mankind: 
 gloom, sadness, avoidance and hatred of men and the world, 
 without any hope or promise of the dawn of a better day, or of 
 the coming of any light upon the moral darkness. The image 
 in Seneca’s mind is a man overtaken during a journey by the 
 darkness of night. The mists obscure his pathway; he becomes 
 frightened ; and, instead of treading cautiously, he runs in every 
 direction, and flees from harmless objects (Lips.). —2. Deinocri- 
 tuni : cf. 2, 3, n.— Heraclitum, born in Ephesus, flourished ab. 
 B.c. 513, He wrote a work On Nature {ir^pl (pvaeiog), and from 
 the obscurity of his style he obtained the title of (TKoreivog. He is 
 frequently termed “the weeping philosojther,” in contrast with 
 Democritus. Cf Zeller’s “Stoics,” etc., p. 373-375; Be Ira, ii, 
 10, 4 ; Juv. Sat. x. 32.— flehat, ridehat : force of the imperf. ? 
 
 3. Adice = ad fee .— Bion : cf. 8, 3, n.— initiis, v. 1. mimicis, as 
 
 * 
 
 though Seneca had written, negotia hominum sunt ut mimica, to 
 correspond with the thought above, nihil magnum, etc., or wdth 
 the Latin adage, vita mimus ; cf Eqnst. 77,—4. quia aliquis 
 liliam elferat, because some one bears his daughter to the grave .— 
 efferat : subj., since the cause is stated on some other authority 
 than the writer; cf. M. 357; B, & M. 1255, — spectator: Lipsius 
 quotes aptly from Martial {Eipig. i. 33) : 
 
 “Amissnm non flet cum sola est Gellia patrem, 
 
 Si qnis adest, iussae prosiliunt lacrimae. 
 
 Non lupjet quisquis landari, Gellia, quaerit, 
 
 Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet.” 
 
 — faciant, sc. hoc. — 5. Rutilius : cf Be Prov. 3, 5, n. —clientibus, 
 i. e. Septimius, who had been an officer under Pompey, and Po- 
 pilius, who had been defended by Cicero.— simul de se . . . fa- 
 cere : the republic may be said to have perished with Cato, inas¬ 
 much as he was the last who seemed to embody in himself the 
 old republic. 
 
DE TKANQUILLITATE ANIMT. XV. 6-15. 
 
 253 
 
 6. quoruni . . . placeat . . . desideretur: cf. De Pra?). 2,6, x. 
 —Tanto fortior, taiito felicior: a formula of praise and encour¬ 
 agement ; Lips.—non tu dignus . . . fortuna posset: freely ren¬ 
 dered, not that the gods deemed thee worthy of an ill fate^ l)ut unde¬ 
 serving that fortune should have power over thee. —7. niauns inici- 
 endae sunt, i. e. either to be whipped or despatched; Lips.— 
 Regulnm: cf. 3, 9, n.— 8. sub persona Yiventium: said 
 
 of persons who always live under a mask, after the manner of 
 play-actors.—9. revilescat: post-Aug.—used only once. 
 
 10. Ilia . . . he former . . . the latter., q. solitudo.,fre- 
 
 quentia. —Cato, i. e. the younger, according to Plutarch; but Hor. 
 {Od. iii. 21,11) speaks of the elder Cato as given to this habit.— 
 11. ad nuineros, i. e. ad modules .—incessu ipso: cf. Nat. Quaest. 
 vii. 31, 2, “ We move on tiptoe ; we do not walk, but we glide or 
 slip along.”—detrimentum, disgrace., dishonor .—meliores acrio- 
 resque: relaxation is a preparation for labor. The bow, the lyre, 
 and man are invigorated by rest (Dio Chrysostom, quoted by 
 Lips.).—Ut fertilibus . . . imperandum, i. e. as we ought not to 
 force our fertile lands to be productive, or tax them beyond their 
 strength.—12. somnus . . . mors erit: cf. Plato, Pe vii. c. 
 xiii., where similar sentiments are expressed.—cogerentur = 
 gregarentur. 
 
 13. dixi, i. e. didici; Lips.—Pollionem Asinium: a poet and 
 historian, as well as orator, of the Augustan age, born about b.c. 
 76.—decumani (or decimam)., sc. horam .—ne epistulas, etc.: ac¬ 
 cording to Plutarch, this was the custom of Archias, tyrant of 
 Thebes. On one occasion while he was banqueting a letter was 
 brought to him disclosing a conspiracy against him. He refused 
 to read it, with the words, in crastinum seria. Before morning 
 he was slain.—interiunxerunt, sc. se a gravioribus laboribus; cf. 
 Epist. 83, 6.—14. novam relationem : cf. Diet. Antiq. (Senatus). 
 —nox inmuuis: those who during the day had been engaged 
 with the enemy were relieved from the watch at night.—quod 
 ... sit: for subj., vid. Z. 558. 
 
 15. Liber . . . inventor vini, i. e. Bacchus. — vegetat: post- 
 
 Aug., enlivens., quickens., etc.—Solonem: Solon, the lawgiver of 
 Athens, born about b.c, 638, died b.c. 558, at the age of 80.— 
 Arcesilaum: Arcesilaus, or Arcesilas, was founder of the Hew 
 
254 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 Academy, and lived at close of 3d century b.c. The scepliclsin 
 of this school as to our capacity for obtaining truth is sufficiently 
 expressed by the formula of Arcesilaus, “that he knew nothing, 
 not even his own ignorance,” Vid. Class, Diet,; also, Zeller’s 
 “ Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics,” p, 499-505,— Catoni : cf, § 10, 
 N,—facilius efficiet , . , turpem Catonem, wlioemv shall reproach 
 him will find it more easy to prom that the crime of drunkenness is 
 honorable than that Cato teas base^ because, forsooth, Seneca would 
 have us believe that Cato’s towering virtues overtopped this 
 vicious personal habit,— aliqnaudo tamen : observe use of ali- 
 quando in connection with the thought of this sentence. The 
 word approximates in meaning to prope umquam. 
 
 16. Graeco poetae, i, e, Anacreon ; cf, Anac, Odes^ xxxi,, OeXw, 
 Q'eXix) yavrjvai, etc,— Platoiii, frustra poeticas, etc,: Lips, refers to 
 a passage in Plato as the one most probably quoted here (Phae- 
 drus, xxii, 245),— Aristoteli, nullum magnum, etc,; cf Problem. 
 § 30, Quaest. I,; also, Cicero {Tusc. Bisp. i, 33), “ Aristoteles qui- 
 dem ait, omnes ingeniosos melancholicos esse,” 
 
 17. quamdiu apud se est, as long as he is sane. —escendere: 
 cf Vit. Beat. 23; Be Prov. 1, 6, n.— Habes, etc,: here we have what 
 may be considered the epilogue of the whole book,— quae pos- 
 siiit : Z, 558.— nisi , , , circumit, v, 1, circumeat. —Lips, calls at¬ 
 tention to the fact that the promise implied in tueri and restituere 
 tranquillitatem is not here carried out by the writer, or at best 
 only in part. Possibly the criticism is too severe, and Seneca 
 ought not to be tied down to the rules of a formal and set 
 treatise. 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. 
 
 Argumentum. —I., II. The complaint of all, vulgar and illustrious, 
 concerning the shortness of life is false, unfounded. Nature acts kindly 
 towards us while we give ourselves up to neither lusts nor vices, nor 
 errors hanging over our life. III., IV. Hence men make no account of 
 their time, and are never rightly mindful of their mortality. V., VI. 
 Examples of illustrious men seeking repose in earnest, as Augustus, 
 Cicero, Livius Drusus. Some spend their time in light, trivial matters. 
 VII., VIII. Few understand the science of living and dying, and com¬ 
 plaints about occupation and business are vain. IX. Therefore do not 
 put off till to-morrow what can be done to-day. X. Those occupied 
 with trifles lead a very short life. XI., XII. Old men about to die 
 basely complain of the easy things of life, and say that they have lived 
 only a little while. The so-called easy and delicate are to be numbered 
 among the occupati. XIII., XIV. The delicati do not live more easily 
 and quietly than they who are busied with useless literary studies. 
 The follies of grammarians are adduced, and he shows that they alone 
 are at ease who have leisure for wisdom. XV., XVI. Praises of wisdom. 
 Levity and inconstancy of the delicati censured. XVII., XVIII. The 
 joys also of these are full of fear; from one quarter or another they 
 tend to escape from us. He exhorts Paulinus to seek repose iptium) by 
 fleeing from dangerous public duty. XIX., XX. He urges him to the 
 study of wisdom as to a friend indeed. The wretched condition of 
 those who labor at the beck of others, and the folly of those not seeking 
 repose and retirement willingly. Turannius an example of the latter. 
 
 Cap. I.—1. Pauline: Pompeius Paulinus, who commanded in 
 Germany, a.d. 58, and in connection with L. Antistius completed 
 the dam to restrain the inundations of the Rhine. He was father 
 of Pompeia Paulina, wdfe of Seneca. See Introduction, p. 13. 
 The date of the present treatise is not accurately known, hut it 
 was written subsequent to the reign of Caligula, and is probably 
 one of the later works of Seneca.— quod . . . decurraiit: subj., 
 because the thought of another than the author; cf. H. 516, i.; 
 B. & M. 1255 ; A. & G. 341 d.— adfectus : usual force of the word 
 is, a mental state or disposition; it means here physical 
 
256 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 tendenty^ i. e. to a short life.— maximi medicorum, i. e. Hippo¬ 
 crates. In some respects he was the most celebrated physician 
 of ancient or modern times. He is the reputed author of a series 
 of medical works, numbering sixty volumes, called the “ Hippo¬ 
 cratic Collection,” which have been commented on by various 
 writers during more than two thousand years. One of his max¬ 
 ims is frequently quoted, ‘‘What cannot be cured by medicine is 
 cured by the knife ; and what cannot be cured by the knife is 
 cured by fire.” Hippocrates was born b.c. 460, and is said to 
 have lived to be a hundred years old. Vid. Class. Diet.— excla- 
 matio : cf. Aphorisms of Hippocrates, 6 (Slog jSpaxvg ’ Se Hx^t] 
 fxaKprj. 
 
 2. Aristotelis: Seneca appears to be wrong in referring to the 
 great Stagirite here, as Lips, shows, by quoting a contrary state¬ 
 ment of Aristotle’s, viz., “ Man lives a longer time than any other 
 animal, the elephant alone excepted.” Cicero, also {Tusc. Disp. 
 iii. 28), remarks, “ Theophrastus, when dying, is said to have 
 found fault with Nature, because she had given to stags and 
 crows so long a life, but to men so short.”— exigeiitis == 
 lantis ; v. 1. exigenti. —istam, i. e. Nature.— educerent, sc. vitam ; 
 Haase reads edurent. 
 
 3. Non exigmim, etc.: for similar sentiment, cf. Herod, vii. 46. 
 — Satis longa vita et, etc.: cf. the well-knovui passage in Sallust 
 (Jugurth. 1): falso queritur de natura sua genus Tiumanum^ etc.— 
 si . . . conlocaretur : force of impf. subj.^in conditional sen¬ 
 tence ? H. 509; B. & M. 1267; A. & G. 308. The conclusion data 
 est in the indie, forms a mixed period, with the condition in 
 the subj.; H. — ultima . . . necessitate: a euphemism for 
 deaths abl. absol. with cogente.—ipniim : antecedent mtam under¬ 
 stood, subject accus. of transisse .— ire —pergere^ Idbi^ etc.—4. ita 
 aetas . . . patet, even so our age, if it he icell employed, will prove 
 very fair and long enough; Lodge.— disponenti, sc. ei. 
 
 II.—1. Aliuni . . . avaritia, etc.: cf.Hor. 0(7.i. 1; i. 1.— 
 
 ex alienis , . . . suspensa, always dependent on the icill of others. 
 —numqnam non, at all times ; with non placed before, it means 
 sometimes ; Z. 755,17.— alienis periculis, sc. quae inferant. — suis, 
 i. c. ut ea evitent .— ingratus superiorum cultus, i. e. a devotion 
 
DE BKEVITATE VITAE. II. l-III. 1. 257 
 
 * 
 
 to one’s superiors that meets with no thanks in return. —2. ad- 
 fectatio alienae fortuiiae, i. e. a striving to amass a fortune 
 equal to that of anotlicr.— §uae odium, bc. fortunae; they are 
 Timon-like, misanthropic, dissatisfied with themselves.— mar- 
 ceiitis oscitautis, for marcentes^ oscitantes ; for the termination is 
 for es, see Z. 68, note.— maximum poetarum : probably the poet 
 Ennius is meant. The Eomans used to call him “ our Ennius,” 
 by way of distinction, and he was regarded as the father of Latin 
 poetry. Born at Rudiae, in Calabria, b.c. 239; died b.c. 169. 
 Bouillet, in Lemaire’s “ Bibliotheca Classica Latina,” holds that 
 Menander is the poet here referred to.— yerum esse non dubi- 
 teiii: non dubito regularly takes subj., in some writers occasion¬ 
 ally accus. with infin.; cf. M, 375, obs. 2; B. & M. 1234.— omue 
 spatium, i, e. the whole period of a man’s earthly existence. 
 
 3. mersos, sc. ws, i. e. ■w^^m.—recurrere ad se, to recover them¬ 
 selves .— yeluti, etc.; the same figure is used in De Tranq. 2, 1. — 
 quorum : predic. gen.— iu coufesso : adverbial phrase, confess¬ 
 edly. — ad . . . coucurritur, i. e. to whose ha23piuess everything 
 consjjires.— 4. saiiguiuem educit, i. e. by the ruj^ture of a blood¬ 
 vessel.— uiliiLllberi : no time free from business engagements.— 
 \iO\i\\\w>=multitudo.^ a frequent jiost-Aug. force of the word.— 
 Omnis = omnes; see § 2, n.—N emo . . . yiudicat, no one claims 
 himself as his own .— consumimur, i. e. we are made use of, the 
 one the advantage and interest of the other; v. 1. consumitur, 
 
 5. quorum nomiua ediscuiitur: probably a reference to the 
 fact that those who wished i3ublic preferment kejDt a nomenclator., 
 concerning whom see De Tranq. 12, 3, n. Possibly it may refer 
 to prominent men of the court and distinguished orators. Cf. 
 Becker’s “ Gallus,” t). 212.—queruiitur, etc.: they complain of 
 the haughtiness of eminent men, that they have no leisure at 
 their service when they wish to approach them.—ad latus . . . 
 recepit, i. e. tecum ambulando. 
 
 III.—1. inputes: ot De Tranq. 6; also, 2, 2.—quoniam . . . 
 volebas; quoniam takes indie, when the writer gives his own 
 opinions or assigns a reason on his own authority; the subj. is 
 used when he gives the opinions of another. All causal and rela¬ 
 tive conjunctions take subj. when they introduce a statement or 
 
25S 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 reason given on any other authority than that of the writer. 
 Cf. H. 576; B. & M. 1255; Z. 544-49.—cum . . . fiiceres: impf. 
 subj. in narration; Z, 578; H. 521, p. 2.—Omnia licet . . . con- 
 sentiant: concessive subj. According to Michaelis, the author’s 
 zeal for brevity has injured perspicuity, and so he would suj'tply 
 mirandum after unum. The sense evidently is, though all .. . Inj 
 common consent signify their wonder at this one thing .—exigiia 
 coutentio est de mode = contentio est de exiguo modo .—in vitam 
 suam incedere, \.q. to encroach upon their life. —eius, sc. ritae .— 
 vitam: supply tamen. 
 
 '' 2. siinul = simul ac .—Libet . . . conpreliendere aliquem, i. e. 
 
 I will detain any one of the elderly, for the purpose of interro¬ 
 gating him, as follows, etc.—premitiirr=isto tempore: 
 iste is called the demonstrative of the second person; it denotes 
 what is nearest the hearer, that of yours. Cf. Arnold’s Lat. Prose 
 Comp. 377 e; H. 357, 2; B. & M. 1028.—rex, v. 1. re/j'.s.—offleiosa 
 . . . discursatio, i. e. a running about in an obliging way, for the 
 purpose of showing the city to your friends: discursatio., post- 
 Aug. ; cf. Lactantius, De Opificio Dei, 3. 
 
 3. Adice, i. e. adjice. —manu fecimus, i. e. which we have brought 
 on by our own vices and riotous living. Seneca often uses this 
 mode of expression.—quod, sc. temjms. —quaiido : cf. Z. 346.— 
 quotus quisque, etc.: literally, which in the series every day 
 passed, etc.; render, how many days ? Thus rendered, puotus has 
 always a disparaging sense, i. e. how few ! M.C74, obs. 2; vid. Cic. 
 Tusc. Disp. ii. 4.—quandO ... voltus, i. e. not deformed by anger, 
 fear, or other passions and desires.—quantum, sc. vitae tuae. — 
 conversatio, viz. cum arnica, above.—quam exiguum . . . relic- 
 turn sit, how little of yours has been left to yourself 
 
 IV.—1. yelut . . . perditis, you expend as if from a full and 
 abundant treasury. — sit: potential subj. forsitan, fortasse ; 
 H, 485; B. & M. 1177.—timetis, v. 1. tenetis .—A quinqungesimo 
 anno : there was exemption from military service after the fiftieth 
 year.—sexagesinius, etc.: an allusion to the law that senators 
 were not required to serve after the sixtieth year.—2. inde=;<;?<3 
 eo .—quo pauci perduxerunt: supjjly vitam; literally, to which 
 few have drawn out life, i. e. to which few have attained. 
 
DE BKEVITATE VITAE. IV. 3-V. 4. 
 
 259 
 
 3. si tuto 1106.31., if they may do so (descenders) with safety ; 
 viz. the great, kings, rulers, etc.; cf.De Clement, i. 8, 2, addressed 
 to the emperor Nero, where Seneca writes, “ It is slavery of the 
 highest magnitude, not to he able to become less.”— ut . . . la- 
 cessat aut (xuatiat: concessive subj.; before ut supply/ac or 
 sine; H. 515, iii.; B. & M. 1283.— te, v. 1, se. 
 
 V.—1. non desiit: Augustus, a master in state-craft, several 
 times gave out that he meant to resign the sovereign power, but 
 he always took good care never to consummate his abdication. 
 Immediately after his threefold triumph over the Pannonians, 
 Dalmatians, Cleopatra and Antony (n.c. 29), he introduced many 
 needed and useful changes in the Senate and all l)ranches of the 
 government, and then proposed to lay down his power, but sub¬ 
 mitted to be placed at the head of affairs for ten years. He sub¬ 
 sequently repeated this process* several times. Vid. Mommsen’s 
 “ History of Rome,” vol. iii. pp. 323, 324; also, Class. Diet. 
 
 2. ut. . . perciperem: subj. of result; H. 497.—ex verboriiiii 
 dulcedine, i. e. since I cannot enjoy the pleasures of actual retire¬ 
 ment, I derive enjoyment even frt)m a talk about retirement.— 
 Tanta . . . otium: Lips, quotes Plifiy, writing to Trajan, cum 
 otium a te^ tamquam res optwia., et petatur et detur .—illam, sc. rm, 
 i. e. otium .—non poter.at: supply frui .—3. cuni civihus, viz. at 
 the battle of Philippi, in the contest with Brutus and Cassius.— 
 cum collegis; M. Lepidus and M, Antonius, his colleagues in the 
 second triumvirate.—cum adflnibus: his ffnal contest was with 
 Antony, his own brother-in-law; vid. Class. Diet.—ad externa 
 hella convertit: after he had become undisputed master of the 
 Roman world, his foreign military operations were directed 
 chiefly to maintain intact the boundaries of the empire, espe¬ 
 cially along the Danube, the Rhine, the Euphrates, and in Gaul 
 and Asia Minor. 
 
 4. inmixtos . . . hostes: the passes over the Graian and 
 Pennine Alps, between Gallia Cisalpina and Helvetia, were held 
 by a tribe named Salassii. The possession of these passes was 
 of great importance to the Romans, since they were, so to speak, 
 in the midst of the empire. The Salassii held out against the 
 Romans until Augustus sent Ter. Varro Murena to invest the 
 
260 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 region with a large force. The Salassii were defeated and sold 
 into slavery.— ultra Rlieiiiim : Augustus appointed his step-son, 
 Drusus Nero, to conduct operations on the Rhine.— et Euplira- 
 ten : under the leadership of C. Caesar, son of Julia, Augustus’s 
 daughter.— Murenae, Caepioiiis : Murena, the conqueror of the 
 Salassii, and F. Caepio, conspired against Augustus, b.c. 22. 
 They were arrested, tried, and executed.— Lepidi : M. Aemilius 
 Lepidus, son of tlie triumvir and Junia, sister of Brutus, formed 
 a conspiracy, b.c. 30, to assassinate Augustus on his return after 
 the battle of Actium. Maecenas, having discovered the plot, 
 seized Lepidus and sent him to Octavianus in the East, who put 
 him to death.— Egnatiorum : little is known of these here 
 named. Appian mentions two Egnatii, who were slain in each 
 other’s arms, during the proscription of Antony and Augustus, 
 after the reconciliation, b.c. 43. —Alia : Julia, only daughter of 
 Augustus, and wife of Tiberius, was of a very dissolute charac¬ 
 ter. She was banished by her father to the island of Pandataria, 
 on the coast of Campania, b.c. 2, and died, in the same year witli 
 Augustus, A.D. 14. She is said to have engaged in a conspiracy, 
 with the partners of her guilt, against her father’s life. While 
 ill exile she was an object of interest to the disaffected. Cf. 
 Sueton. Awg. 19.— adulterio . . . adacti: they were pledged and 
 bound by their illicit relations, as soldiers are by an oath.— iam 
 iiifractain aetatem : Augustus, at the time of Julia’s banishment, 
 was in his 61st year. He lived to the age of 76.^ plusque et 
 iterum . . . iimlier; the woman here named was Julia, Augus¬ 
 tus’s daughter; the Antony spoken of was Julius Antonius, son 
 of Mark Antony and Fnlvia. He was put to death, b.c. 2. Cf. 
 Tac. Ann. iv. 44. 
 
 6. partes . . . ruinpebantur, v. 1. semper aliqua rumjjeba- 
 tui\ with Augustus understood as subject of verb.— partim mani¬ 
 festos inimicos, i. e. Catiline, the conspirator, and P. Clodius 
 Pulcher, one of the most profligate and unprincipled men of his 
 day. The latter became the deadly enemy of Cicero, because of 
 his testimony against Clodius for violating the mysteries of 
 Bona Dea^ 'by entering Caesar’s house, where they were cele¬ 
 brated, in company with the ladies of Rome, in the disguise of a 
 female musician. Clodius, when tribune, obtained a decree of 
 
V. 5-VI. 1. 
 
 DE BREVITATE yiTAE. 
 
 261 
 
 banishment against Cicero, b.c. 58; and Fulvia, after Clodius’s 
 death, six years later, married Mark Antony, by whom Cicero 
 was proscribed, and meanly allowed by Octavianus to be slain.— 
 iuiiiiicos : how does inimicus differ from hostis ? —partim dubios 
 aiiiicos : both Crassus and Pompey proved tliemselves to be such. 
 Pompey promised solemnly to defend Cicero against Clodius 
 and his bitter hatred; Crassus professed to be the fiiend of the 
 great orator and patriot; but both, on flimsy pretexts, refused 
 their aid when needed.— fluctuatur . ., tenet : historic presents, 
 usage quite frequent with dum; M. 336, obs. 3.— dum illam . . , 
 tenet, while he was endeavoring to Jceep it (the state) from going to 
 ruin. Lips, quotes Aufidius Bassus, a Roman writer of history, 
 as saying of Cicero, “ He was a man born to be the saviour of the 
 -state.” For an able delineation of the life and services of the 
 grttfitest of Roman orators, see Forsyth’s “ Life of Cicero.”— nec 
 secundis rebus quietus, etc.; in regard to these defects in Cicero’s 
 character, cf. the work just named. It is fairer than Middleton’s 
 Life, It is right here, too, to warn the student against Momm¬ 
 sen’s treatment of Cicero, who, as Freeman says (“ Historic Es¬ 
 says,” 2d series, p. 268), is made, by the historian, “ a mere mark 
 for contemptuous jeers, for his name is never uttered without 
 some epithet of scorn.”— adversarum, governed by patiens. 
 
 6.^ Atticum : Q. Caecilius Pomponianus Atticus, a fellow-stu- 
 <lent and intimate friend of Cicero’s, born b.c. 109. He was sur- 
 named Atticus, probably from his long residence at Athens, 
 where he became thoroughly versed in Greek literature. His 
 critical taste was esteemed highly valuable, and Cicero and others 
 used to send MSS. to him for examination and approval: the De 
 Senedute was thus submitted to Atticus.— quadam . . . epistula: 
 the quotation is not found in any of the Epistles to Atticus which 
 have come down to us.— lilio, i. e. Sextus Pompey.— libertatis, 
 descriptive gen. in the predicate, supply est; so also, sui juris. 
 
 VI.—I. Livius Drusus ; tribune of the plebs, b.c. 91, uncle of 
 Cato Uticensis, and great-uncle of Brutus. He was an active, 
 ambitious, and energetic man, and obtained the passage of sev¬ 
 eral of the propositions of the Gracchi, such as the distribution 
 of corn and division of public lands. As, howevei’, he treated 
 
 M 
 
262 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 tlie Senate rather rudely and contemptuously, and proposed to 
 double its number from the knights, that body repealed all his 
 laws. Disgusted with the state of affairs, he wished for a quiet 
 life, but did not obtain it. Seneca gives the account of his death, 
 followed by Appian, viz. that being afraid to appear out after 
 darky he received his partisans in a dark passage in his house, 
 and that one evening, when dismissing the crowd present, he 
 suddenly cried out that he was wounded, and fell to the ground 
 with a leather-cutter’s knife thrust in his groin. Vid. Class. 
 Diet.— leges novas: see note above. He also proposed a law 
 giving the judicia to the Senate constituted as abovp noted, and 
 a law giving citizenship to t'he foederatae civitates. — mala Grac- 
 ehana, i. e. the disturbances and evils resulting from the meas¬ 
 ures of the Gracchi.— rerum, i. e. the measures which he had 
 proposed and attempted to carry out, and which he was neiMier 
 permitted to accomplish, nor relinquish when begun.— praetex- 
 tatus : the toga 'praetexta was laid aside usually at end of 14th 
 year, when the toga virilis was assumed.— constet, it is Tenown .— 
 rapta = extorta^ i. e. judgments were rendered as he wished, 
 
 2, Quo . . . amhitio ? to what end would such immature amhition 
 not hasten? —erumperet: potential subj.— scires, etc.: you could 
 readily perceire (suppressed condition, if you had the opportunity) : 
 what is force of impf. subj. in conditional sentences?— gravis, 
 troublesome. — nullo : supply dubitante; in full, it would read, nullo 
 dubitante an mors ejus tempestira esset^ i. e, all believing that it was 
 not untimely.— 3. ipsi : cf. Be Prov. 4, 3, n.— perosi, v. 1. proden- 
 tes. —adfectus . . . relabuntur, i. e. they relapse into the old 
 state.— adfectus . . . consuetudinem : by enallage for adfectum 
 solitum^ or adfectum consuetudinarium. — nullum non = every ; non 
 nullum — some; Z, 755; cf. 2,1, n.— hoc spatium, i. e. the allotted 
 period of life.— quamvis . . . currit: the indie, is used with 
 quamvis in concessive sentences, frequently by post-Aug. writers, 
 as Tacitus and Seneca. The subj. is found altogether in Cicero, 
 and. most of the earlier writers. With indie, it seems to lose its 
 etymological force; H. 515 ; B. & M. 1286.— effugiat, ut omitted: 
 necesse est is frequently followed by subj. instead of accus. with 
 inlin., especially in later writers. — 4. ncc vclocissiuiac, etc., 
 Fickert omits nec., which we give, with Haase. 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. VI. 5-VII. 4. 
 
 263 
 
 5. Licet . . . enumeres, concessive subj.; B. & M. 1283; A. & 
 
 G. 313 b. —proiectorum, (of men) given up to, addicted .—Omnia 
 istorum tempora excute, examine all the details of their lives .— 
 quae . . . officia sunt: perhaps the author alludes to official 
 banquets and feasting ; or it may be the idea is that, like official 
 duties, banquets, etc., must be given and attended. Cf. 3, 2; die, 
 quantum, etc. for similar sentiment.—6. sed omnia . . . respuit: 
 the idea is, that the preoccupied man refuses additional food for 
 thought, just as a stomach already gorged rejects additional 
 meat or drink. Cf. Be ViU Beat. 34,1.—hominis occupati, predic. 
 genitive. 
 
 VII.—1. aliarnm artium, i. e. arts other than the art of liv¬ 
 ing.—pueri admodum, mere Ijoys; admodum used as an adjec¬ 
 tive.—tota vita: ablat. of time how long, in place of accus.; 
 
 H. 378, 1; B. & M. 950 ; A. & G. 356 b.—Tot maximi vlri, i. e. 
 Democritus, Epicurus, etc.—egerunt, have aimed at .—nedum ut 
 isti sciant: there is an ellipsis before ut, such as, it is evident, or 
 probable, or the like; isti, antithetic to tot maximi viri, and refers 
 to the common mass of men, in which the writer includes him¬ 
 self and the person addressed, i. e. smh as we are. 
 
 2. inde = e 2 : eo, i. e. tempore .—Nihil inde . . . iacuit, none of 
 that time was unemployed, or frittered away in idleness .—quod 
 . , . permutaret: muto and its compounds are usually followed 
 by same construction as verbs of selling, but writers both of 
 prose and poetry sometimes reverse the expression, and put that 
 which we receive in the accus, and that which we give for it in 
 ablat., either with or without preposition cum; Ta. 456, note.—• 
 permutaret: subj. after dignum ; H. 503, ii. 3.—Itaque satis illi 
 fuit, i. e. the time allotted to his life was long enough.—3. Nec 
 est quod: cf. Be Tranq. 1,1, n.— omnes illi, etc.: for a like senti¬ 
 ment, cf. Pliny, Epist. i. 9. — ahducuut, sc. te. — ad iuritandum 
 . . . captantium: to stir up the avarice of legacy-hunters; for 
 ad with accus. gerundive expressing purpose, vid. H. 544, notes; 
 B. & M. 1338.—sed in adparatu hahet, i. e. he only values you as 
 you minister to his love of pomp, by paying court to him and 
 attending upon him. 
 
 4. Dispuuge: post-Aug., ocmpwtis.—reiculos^r^jic'wios .■ v. 1. 
 
264 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 7 ‘idiculos. —fasces, especially a high office. The consuls and 
 
 praetors were preceded by lictors with the fasces. — Facit ille 
 ludos: it was the duty of the praetor urbanus {De Tranq. 3,4, n.) 
 to conduct the ludi Apollinares. Vid. Diet. Antiq. — sortem: 
 the two praetors determined by lot which functions they should 
 respectively exercise.—Diripitur, i. e. gratia ac farore: the idea 
 is that, so great is the number of his clients, there is a strife to 
 secure his services, and he is dragged this way and that. Cf. 
 De Ira^ iii. 23.—toto foro : ablat. of place without a preposition \ 
 II. 425, II. 2.—Quaudo . . . res proferentur ? the courts were ad¬ 
 journed during the dies nefasti. Vid. Diet. Antiq. 
 
 5k qui onmes . . ^ ordinal, i. e. who disposes of every day, as 
 if it were his last; who cherishes the sentiment in Epist. 15,12, 
 Behold, this day is my last; if not, my last is very near.”—fors 
 fortuna: the goddess of chance or good-luck, and in fact of all 
 prosperity, worshipped with great devotion by both Greeks and 
 Romans. Vid. Class. Diet.—huic, sc. ritae. —adici, for adjici: cf. 
 De Prov. 2, 8, n.— huic adici . . . nihil, i. e. the life of such a man 
 may be broadened and prolonged, but nothing can shorten it; 
 for by the useful employment of all time, it would be a complete 
 life, no matter when it is brought to a close. 
 
 VIII.—1. Non est itaque quod . . . putes: cf. 7, 8, n.—[ non 
 ille ... . sed] : Fickert, in a note, says that he dares not omit 
 these words, although they are not in the Milan codex.— quid 
 enim : supply censes or a^s.— eos qui rogantur, i. e. those of whom 
 the time is requested. —2. ipsum, sc. tempus. — neuter: subject 
 of spectat understood.— Annua congiaria : congiarium means lit¬ 
 erally a vessel holding a congius., the usual measure of oil or wine 
 distributed among.the people. It was afterwards (Quintil. vi. 3, 
 52) applied to liberal donations of corn, wine, money, etc., to the 
 people. Moreover, it was used to denote a present or pension 
 (as in this instance) given by a person of high rank to his friends, 
 in return for which their services were rendered when required. 
 Cf. Cic. ad Famil. viii. 1; Sueton. Vespas. 18; Nero., 10.— carls - 
 siiiie, V. 1. clarissime .—his, sc. congiariis. 
 
 3. eosdeni aegros vide: cf. Epictetus (Stobaeus, Florileg. exxi. 
 30). — parates, agrees with illos, understood. Supply vide. — 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. VIII. 3-IX. 2. 
 
 265 
 
 inpendere, to expend: governed by paratos; H. 533, n. ; B. & M, 
 1122.—Quodsi posset . . . trepidarent . . . parcerent: cf. 1, 3. 
 N.—4, res, i. e. tempus. —sine illorum incremento, i. e. they give 
 of their precious time without being able to add to that of their 
 friends to whom they give. 
 
 5. nihil admonebit, supply te : subject of verb is aetas under¬ 
 stood ; for government of velocitatis^ vid. H. 409, i.; B. & M. 793; 
 A. & G. 219.—sicut missa est . . . curret: the figure is taken 
 from the races in the Circensian games. It is that of a chariot¬ 
 eer upon the course, sent forth {missus) by the presiding otficer 
 of the Circus Maximus. Vid. Diet. Antiq.—cui . . . vacandum, 
 for which (death) you must have time, i. e. to which you must at¬ 
 tend.—velis nolis, for sive velis, sive nolis, whether you wish it or 
 not; M. 422, obs, b, 
 
 IX.—1'. Potestne: there is an ellipsis of some verb after this 
 expression; we may supply moi'ti vacare after quisquam.—^ao, 
 I mean. —operosius: the comparative sometimes serves to denote 
 a considerable or higli degree; M. 308. Render, operosius . . . 
 quam ut, too laboriously ... to ; or the whole passage, too labori¬ 
 ously engaged to he able to live hettei' lives. —possint: subj. is used 
 after comparative, followed by quam qui, or quam ut, in sentences 
 denoting result; Z. 560; M. 440 a ; 308, obs. 1.—Inpendio vitae, 
 at the expense of life, i. e. the loss of a true life ; inpendio, ablat. 
 of price.—exspectatio, quae pendet ex crastino : cf. Epist.l, 2, 
 Embrace every hour; the stronger hold you have on to-day, 
 the less will be your dependence on to-morrow. Life, however 
 unimproved, still glides away.”—in tna, se. manu. —omnia qnae 
 ventura snnt, etc., all that is to come is uncertain. —protinus 
 statim, iamnunc. 
 
 2. ore: Muretus would read,/wrore.rrOptima qnaeque, etc.: 
 Virg. Georg, iii. 66, probably the source of the common saying, 
 “ Our first days are our best days;” cf. Epist. 108,25.—Nisi OCCU- 
 pas, fugit, sc. dies or tempus : 
 
 “The canning fugitive is swift by stealth, 
 
 Too subtle is the moment to be seen, 
 
 Yet soon man’s hour is up, and we are gone.”—Y ouno. 
 
 —Hoc: supply tendit; hoc refers to the quotation froni Virgil. 
 
266 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 — infinitam cogitationem, i. e. endless thonglit and planning for 
 the future, based on the false assumption that man’s future is 
 long on earth.— dicit, i. e. the poet Virgil.—3. loquitur, i. e. the 
 poet.— pueriles adliue animos : cf. Epist. 22,14, “ Every one de¬ 
 parts from life as if he had just entered Upon it,” a quotation 
 from Epicurus. 
 
 4. JVihil enim provisum, i. e. no provision has been made for 
 old age. — accedere earn cotidie non sentiebant: cf. Epist. 1, 2, 
 “ Where will you find one who sets value upon time ? who under¬ 
 stands that he dies daily ? For herein are we deceived : we look 
 forward at death, whereas death in a great measure is already 
 passed. All the lapsed years of life are in the grasp of death.”— 
 fuGi^nii^—facientes^ sc. eos. — pervenisse, m.Jinem itineris; de¬ 
 pends upon sciunt. 
 
 X. — 1. Fabianus: C. Papiiius Fabianus, a Roman rhetorician 
 and philosopher in the time of Tiberius and Caligula. He wrote 
 largely, especially on philosophy, and Seneca, in Epist. 100, sets 
 a high value on his works, placing them next to those of Cicero, 
 Asinius Pollio, and Livy. Cf. De Tranq. 1, 6, n.— cathedrariis, 
 i. Q. pedantic^ talTmtive, — antiquis : not ancient^ in our sense of the 
 word (for he lived in Seneca’s time, and' seems to have been on 
 terms of intimacy with him), but one of the old stamp ^ character¬ 
 ized by the purity and simplicity of the olden time. 
 
 2. quod fuit, quod est, quod futurum est, the past^ the present^ 
 and the future. What is antecedent of quod ? — quod agimus, for 
 quod est ; so quod acturi sumus for quod futuri sumus., etc.— Hoc, 
 i. e. quod egimus certum. — ius perdidit : cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. ii. 7, 
 ne deum quidem posse omnia . . . nuUumque habere in praeterita 
 ius, praeterquam dblimonis ; cf. also, Hor. Od. iii. 29, 45—48.— 
 poenitendae rei recordatio, the recalling of a thing to he repented 
 of — retemptare retentare. — sub ceiisura sua, i. e. under the 
 censorship of his own conscience, or right reason. 
 
 3. necesse est . . . timeat : cf. 6,3, n.— dedicata : given over, 
 and, as it were, consecrated to memory; i. e. it is beyond recall, 
 and in the grasp only of memory. —4, Haec . . . nec eripi po¬ 
 test : Lips, quotes Martial, et solum hoc ducas, quod fuit, esse tuum ; 
 cf. De Vit. Beat. 6,1 ^ De Benef. iii. 4, 1. — velut sub iugo sint: 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. X. 4-XI. 3. 267 
 
 companson from figure of an ox under the yoke, which prevents 
 his bending his neck and looking back. 
 
 5. Abit, V. 1. dbiit .—in profuiidiim, into olscurity . — licet quau* 
 tumlibet ingeras, although you accumulate as much as you please: 
 concessive subj.; cf. 6, 5, n.— si non snbest, sc. tibi. — quassos: 
 Lips, prefers cassos. —6. nullum, sc. tempus .—in cursu, in motion^ 
 on the wing ; as Heraclitus says, iravra peT.—mundus = coelum. 
 
 XI.—1. minores natu, younger^ i. e. than they really are. — 
 quain si nna fata decipiant; cf. Martial {Epig. iii. 43), 
 
 “Non omnes fallis; scit te Proserpina caunm; 
 
 Personam capiti detrahet ilia tno,” 
 
 —non tamquam . . . extraliantur ? (as Lodge quaintly renders 
 it), not as if they did deptart^ but as if^ will they, nill they, they were 
 pulled out by the eares .—ut non vixerint; subj. of result. 
 
 2. qnam frustra paraverint . . . ceciderit ; indirect ques¬ 
 tions; fruerentur: subj. after the relative, with an indef. antece¬ 
 dent. — At quibus . . . agitur: cf. Hor. Epod. 2. — delegatur, is 
 made oner, or assigned, i. e. to another.—inde = ea; ilia, sc. rita . — 
 nihil . . . fortunae traditur: for the wise man trusts to wise 
 counsels, and judgment rather than chance.—ut ita dicam, so to 
 speak: subj. of purpose, — in reditu"‘Cst, makes returns: figure 
 taken from money at interest. 
 
 3. basilica, i. e. hall of justice, court.—quos . . . canes eiciunt : 
 dogs, belonging to janitors, etc., watched public buildings, as 
 well as private; they were generally loosed at night. The sense 
 is that some were so zealous and engrossed with their business 
 at court that they w'cre the last to leave the hall, and the dogs 
 being let loose were at their heels. Lips, refers to De Ira, iii. 
 37, 2, — sua turba, i. e. their clients.—aliena, sc, turba . — hasta 
 
 , praetoris = auction: a spear was erected at auctions, both to an¬ 
 nounce, by a conventional sign conspicuous at a distance, that a 
 sale was going on, and to show that it was conducted under the 
 authority of the magistrate; hence hasta praetoris. The use of a 
 hasta for this purpose is said to have been derived from selling 
 under a spear booty taken in war. Cf. Cic. De Offic. ii. 8.—infami, 
 infamous, as the price of confiscated goods, which were sold at 
 these auctions.—lucro : ablat. of price.—suppuraturo, i. e. gains 
 
268 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 of this nature will become noxious, like a gathering ulcer. A 
 revolution would render all confiscations null, and hence all 
 sales would be abrogated, and restitution would be enforced. 
 
 • XII.— 1. Corinthia, sc. mm: there was a celebrated alloy of 
 gold, silver, and copper (said to have been accidentally discov¬ 
 ered at the burning of Corinth by Mummius, b.c. 146), which 
 was very highly prized by the ancients. It was much used in 
 fashioning various vessels, coins, etc. Cf. Be Tranq. 9, 6, n.— 
 aiixia sabtilitate, i. e. to distinguish whether they were genuine 
 or spurious.— ceroniate : ointment made of oil and wax, with 
 which the wrestlers were anointed; they were then covered with 
 dust or soft sand,— vitiis : dat. after Idboramus. — sectator puero- 
 rnin rixantinin, i, e, the idlers. —aetatiam et colorum : governed 
 by 'paria^ which sometimes in later writers takes gen. to denote 
 a certain reference {with respect to) to a thing which is otherwise 
 expressed by the ablat.; M. 290, obs. 1, g.— vinctorum snornm 
 greges, i. e. bands of his slaves chained together. He character¬ 
 izes the wealthy slaveholders as occupati.^ who employ their time 
 in thus dividing off their slaves.— athletas : contestants for prizes 
 (aOXa) in the public games of the Greeks and Romans. Under 
 the empire athletic exercises became a profession, and only those 
 trained for the purpose contended in the public games. They 
 went through a course of exercise and diet, and some of them 
 are said to have consumed enormous quantities of animal food. 
 Cf. Diet. Antiq.— novissimos, v. 1. notissimos. — quibns : dative of 
 agent.— dum de singulis . . . itur, while he deliberates over each 
 hair., viz. to determine whether it should be trimmed or not.^— 
 deficiens, etc,, sc. coma, i. e, beginning to be bald above the fore¬ 
 head. 
 
 2. iuba: elaborately arranged ringlets and locks, perhaps ; cf. ' 
 Epist. 124, 22, “ Why do you dress your hair with so great dili¬ 
 gence and art?” etc.—3. canticis = ; cf. Martial, 
 
 iii. 63, 5.— carmen : object of metientes. —sonant : Lips, prefers 
 tristes, sc. res. 
 
 4. posnerim: potential subj. — argentum: the table-service 
 and plate displayed upon sideboards. Besides the necessary 
 plate used at meals, wealthy Romans placed costly gold and 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. XH. 4-XIII. 1. 
 
 269 
 
 silver utensils on their tables, called and Delphici. Cf. Cic. 
 in Verr, iv. 16; Pliny, Nat. Hist, xxxvii. 2, 6; also, Becker’s 
 “ Gallus,” p. 125.— ordinent . . . succingant . . . suspensi sint ; 
 indirect questions.— exoletorum : ci. De Prov. 3,11, n.— tunicas 
 succingant : cf. Hor. Sat. ii. 8, 70, praecincti recte pueri comptique 
 ministrent. — quoinodo aper a coco exeat : the wild boar was 
 the chief dish of a grand coena; ct De Tranq. 6, 2, x. There 
 were those who pretended that they could distinguish by the 
 taste from what part of Italy the boar came; cf. Hor. Sat. ii. 4, 
 40 .—aodQ — coquo .— signo dato : by the master, with a nod of 
 the head usually; cf Epist. 95, 24, where Seneca, speaking of the 
 display of servants and extravagance of an entertainment, ex¬ 
 claims, di honi, quantum hcminum unus venter tercet! — quanta 
 . . . scindantur: ctDeVit.Beat.il — aves: consisting usu¬ 
 ally of peacocks, pheasants, doves, ducks, etc.; vid. Becker’s 
 Gallus,” p. 133. — quam , . . detergeant: depends on videam., 
 above.— Ex his, in consequence of these things. 
 
 5, numeraveris : potential subj. The second person is used 
 of an assumed person representing a single indefinite subject 
 (some one, one), which is imagined and, so to speak, addressed, 
 in order to express something indefinite; M. 370.— illas, sc. gesta- 
 tiones. — alius, i. e. a slave, whose duty it is to remind them when 
 the regular hour for these various occupations has arrived. 
 
 6. lam sedeo ? Plutarch says of Nicias, the famous Athenian 
 painter, that while engaged upon his masterpiece, viz. the infer¬ 
 nal regions as described by Homer, he became so absorbed in the 
 work as to, have to ask his servants, at times, whether he had 
 bathed or dined. Similar absorption in work is recorded of 
 Archimedes, Newton, etc. — dixerim, potential subj.: a thing 
 which easily can or will happen when there is occasion for it is 
 modestly and cautiously expressed in the subj,, most frequently 
 in the first person, to denote that to which one is inclined; M. 
 350 b.— 7. hominis : gen, after esse understood; H. 403,2. What 
 is the subject of videtur f —mimos: cf De Ira^ ii. 4, — Esse ali- 
 quem : depends on some verb understood ; Lips, gives p-wtos. 
 
 XIII. — 1. iuponas, sc. huic: cf 12, 5, n. numeraveris. — cui: 
 dat. of possession after est. — iatruuculi, draughts., eA«sswcn,’by 
 
 M 2 
 
270 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 metonymy for chess. The game is very ancient, and Homer notes 
 tliat Penelope’s suitors played at it (Odyss. i. 107). Two sets of 
 men were used—black and white or red. As they were intend¬ 
 ed to represent two armies in conflict, they were called various¬ 
 ly soldiers (Ovid, Trist. ii. 477),/oes (hostes)^ marauders (latrones) ; 
 dimin. latruncuU. Cf. Ovid, Ars Amat. ii. 208; iii. 857; De Tranq. 
 14,4; Diet. Antiq.— pila ; the game at ball was very ancient and 
 a great favorite with both Greeks and Romans. It was played by 
 all ages and ranks; and the Athenians on one occasion conferred 
 upon Aristonicus of Carystus the right of citizenship, and erected 
 a statue to his honor, on account of his skill in this game. Cf 
 Atheuaeus, i. p. 19 a; Diet. Antiq.— excoqiiendi in sole corporis 
 Cura : cf Be Tranq. 3,1. 
 
 2. quae — of whom: refers to the subject of agant. The relat. 
 sometimes agrees with the predic. noun instead of the antece¬ 
 dent ; H. 445,4; B. & M. 695.—quern numerum . . . habuisset: 
 a reference to the vessels and men that king Alcinous furnished 
 to convey Ulysses to Ithaca.—prior . . . Ilias an Odyssea: the 
 ancient opinion was, as expressed by Longinus, that Homer com¬ 
 posed the “ Iliad ” in the vigor of his years, and the “ Odyssey ” 
 in old age. This is also the general sentiment in modern times. 
 For a discussion of the “ Homeric Question,” in its several phases, 
 the student may consult Wolff’s Prolegomena.^ Paley’s Preface and 
 Notes to the “Iliad,” Muller’s “ History of Greek Literature,” etc. 
 —praeterea an eiusdem . . . auctoris: there were, even in an¬ 
 cient times, critics who held that the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” 
 were not written by the same poet. They were called x^p^Zovreg, 
 or separatists.^ concerning whom and their views, cf Grauert 
 (“ Rhein. Mus.” vol. i.); Thirlwall’s “ Hist, of Greece,” i. 500-516 ; 
 Edinburgh Review, for April, 1871; and Class. Diet. Lips, refers 
 to a fantastical story of one Phantasia, an Egyptian, daughter of 
 Nicarchus of MemjDhis. She is said to have written an account 
 of the Trojan war and the wanderings of Ulysses, and deposited 
 it in the temple of Vulcan at Memphis. Homer, the story goes 
 on to say, procured a copy from one of the sacred scribes, and 
 thus stole the materials for immorteJity.—alia deinceps huius 
 notae, and so on, other questions of this kind; alia, object of 
 quaerere, understood.—quae sive contiueas, sc. in tun mente.-^ 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. XIII. 2-6. 
 
 271 
 
 non doctior videaris : Lips, quotes Aristippus—as not those who 
 consume the most, but those who use the necessary articles of 
 food are the stronger, so those who have read useful, not the 
 most books, must be considered learned. 
 
 3. Romanos : Suetonius (70) names Tiberius among these.— 
 Buillius: C. Duillius, consul, b.c. 260. He gained the first Roman 
 naval victory over the Carthaginians, off the coast. A column was 
 erected in the forum in memory of this, and it was adorned with 
 the beaks of the conquered ships. Cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxiv. 5. 
 — Curias Deiitatus : cf. He Tranq. 3, i6, n.—4. Claudius : Appius 
 Claudius, surnamed Caudex, from his connection with naval af¬ 
 fairs, was consul b.c. 264. He commanded the forces sent to aid 
 the Mamertini, and, after landing in Sicily at night, defeated Hiero 
 and the Carthaginians. Vid. Class. Diet.— quia plurium tabula- 
 rum, etc.: Lips, quotes Varro {ap. Nonium), quod antiqui plures 
 tdbulas conjunctas., codices dic^ant: a quo in Tiloeri mmes codicarias 
 appellamus. 
 
 5. Sane et hoc . . . quod, ilds certainly may also he pertinent 
 to the matter in hand., that., etc.— Talerius Corvinus : consul, b.c. 
 263, second year of first Punic war. His operations were chiefly 
 directed against the Carthaginians in Sicily. He relieved Mes- 
 sana from blockade, and received in consequence the cognomen 
 Messala. — primus L. Sulla, etc.: Sulla, vdien praetor, b.c. 93, 
 gratified the Romans with an exhibition of one hundred African 
 lions, which were slain by archers sent for the purpose by Boc- 
 chus, king of Mauretania. It was this king who betrayed Jugur- 
 tha to Sulla.— cum alioquin adligati darentur, while in general 
 they were presented hound., i. e. to the archers.— darentur: cum 
 usually has the subj. when it expresses a kind of comparison, 
 and especially a contrast, between the contents of the leading 
 proposition and the subordinate; M. 358, obs. 3. 
 
 6. Pompeium, etc'. During his second consulship Pompey 
 opened the theatre in the Campus Martius (capable of holding 
 forty thousand spectators) with games of unparalleled magnifi¬ 
 cence. Five hundred African lions were slain, and eighteen ele¬ 
 phants were attacked. Some of these were killed, Pliny says {Nat. 
 Hist. viii. 20), by Gaetulian huntsmen; but Seneca represents the 
 contest as between the elephants and criminals {noxiis hominihus) 
 
272 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 who had been exposed to them.— bonitatis eximiae, sc.princeps. 
 Concerning Pompey, see the full and carefully prepared article 
 Pompeius^ in Dr. Smith’s “ Diet, of Gr. and Rom. Biog.also, 
 Mommsen’s severe and hard judgment, “Hist, of Rome,” vol. iv. 
 jjp. 508,509.— exterantur, let them he crushed. — Satius erat ista, 
 etc., it were l)etter that such things as these he forgotten., lest., etc.; 
 satius erat, the apodosis, the protasis omitted. The impf. indie, 
 is often used when it is declared, without a condition, what might 
 or ought to happen, but does not happen. The impf. of sum is 
 then accompanied by such neuters as satius, melius, etc.; M. 348 c, 
 obs.; B. & M. 1275.— minime humanae = inJiumam 
 
 XIV.— 1. Ille, i. e. Pompey the Great.— obiceret: on spelling 
 of compounds of iaceo, cf. De Pror. 2, 9, n.— plus, sc. sanguinis: 
 object oi fundere. Soon after the games above mentioned (13, 
 6, N.) Pompey became sole consul, with dictatorial powers (b.c. 
 52); then followed the events which led to the inevitable and 
 bloody struggle with Caesar, and its results.— idem, also; H. 
 451, 3. — Alexandrina perfidia deceptus: Pompey had been a 
 friend to Ptolemy, brother of Cleopatra; but nevertheless he was 
 slain through the treachery of the young king’s advisers, Pothi- 
 nus,Theodotus, and Achillas.— ultimo, last; adv.— mancipio : 
 dat. of agent; H. 388; B, & M. 1310. Pompey was stabbed first 
 by L. Septimius, who had served under him as a centurion during 
 Pompey’s brilliant campaign against the pirates in the Mediter¬ 
 ranean. He was aided in this murder by Achillas, to whom 
 Bouillet applies the term mancipio. — coguomiuis sui, i. e. Magnus, 
 or the Great. 
 
 2. Sed ut . . . revertar, hut to return; subj. of pui’pose.— 
 idem, he likewise, i. e. querndam, 13, 3. — Metellum : consul, b.c. 
 251. He was the first of his family who rose to eminence. He 
 defeated Hasdrubal in Sicily during the firet Punic war, and es¬ 
 tablished the supremacy of Rome in that island. All the ele¬ 
 phants of the enemy fell into his hands, and he was the first 
 who exhibited these animals in a triumph. ^victis Poeuis: 
 ablat. absol.— SuUam ultimum, etc. This statement is regarded 
 as doubtful. The poemerium was extended as the city, increased 
 in size, but it was done, according to ancient usage, by such men 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. XIV. 2-6. 
 
 273 
 
 as had by their victories over foreign nations enlarged the boun¬ 
 daries of the empire (Tac. Ann. xii. 23). After Sulla, it is claimed 
 that Julius Caesar, Augustus, Claudius, and Aurelian extended 
 the poemerium (Cic. ad Attic, xiii. 20). Aurelian was the last. — 
 agro adquisito; ablat. absol. 
 
 3. ille, i. e. quemdam., 13, 3. — quod plebs eo secessisset: the 
 plebs revolted and withdrew to the Aventine hill, b.c. 450, and 
 also on other occasions. The Aventine was not included in the 
 poemerium until the time of Claudius.— ut conccdas . . . scri- 
 bant, although you grant; concessive subj.; B. & M. 1283.— ut ad 
 praestatioiiem scribaut, although they pledge themsehes for the 
 truth of what they write. —4, Fabianus : cf. 10, 1, n.— omnium : 
 partit. gen. after soli. — uec . . . tantum : the rising to something 
 more important is introduced rarely by non tantum., except when 
 the subject or predicate is common to both clauses; non solum 
 and non modo are more frequent; M. 461, obs.— vitam : Lips, sug¬ 
 gests riam. 
 
 5. nullo . . . inter dictum est, no age is prohibited us; seculo, 
 ablat. of separation. The verb interdicere, with its own case, is 
 more frequently followed also by ablat. of separation than by 
 accus.; Z. 469. Cf. Caesar, Bell. Oall. i. 46 ; Quintil. vi. 3, 79. —• 
 Disputare cum Socrate licet, sc. nobis, we may dispute with 
 Socrates. — Carneade : Carneades, a famous philosopher, founder 
 of the Kew Academy, born in Cyrene, Africa, b.c. 213. He was 
 a pupil of Diogenes at Athens for a time, then adopted the scep¬ 
 ticism of the Academics, and strongly opposed the Stoics on the 
 question of the criterion of the truth of our knowledge. Cf. 
 Zeller’s “ Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics,” p. 508-535; also, 
 Lewes’s “ Hist, of Ancient Philosophy.”— Epicure quicsccrc : the 
 great aim of Epicurus was to free men from all apprehensions, 
 pains, etc., and to live in tranquil security; cf. Zeller, as above, 
 p. 382, etc.— Stoicis : their aim was to subdue every passion and 
 to live according to nature, as they phrased it; cf. Zeller, Lewes, 
 Class. Diet., etc.— Cynicis : cf. Be Tranq. 8, 3, n. Biogenes. — cum 
 . . . patiatur: causal. 
 
 6. Quidni . . . demus: subj. of deliberation is used in ques¬ 
 tions as to what may, is to be, or should be done, generally with 
 a negative force, implying that it has not beCn or will not be 
 
274 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 done; 11.484, v.; M. 353.—per officia,/(?r the sake of paying 
 court. —meritoriam, that expects a reward=m,ercenary. —illos, i. e. 
 isti, above.—7. cum dill torseriiit, i. e. by keeping tliem wait¬ 
 ing.—simulata . . . traiiscurrant, i. e. they pass them by with 
 a brief notice, through pretence of being hurried.—clientibus: 
 after refertum; H. 421, ii.—quasi . . .sit: H. 509, 513, ii.—iu- 
 susurratum, sc. rwmeiiclatm'ibus. 
 
 8. licet dicamus: Z. 624. —Zenonem: cf. Be Tranq. 1, 7, n. — 
 Pythagoram : native of Samos, the celebrated Greek philoso¬ 
 pher, flourished b.c. 540-510; vid. Class. Diet. — Deinocritum : 
 cf. Be Tranq. 2, 3, n.— Aristotelem : the pupil of Plato, founder 
 of the Peripatetic school, and second only to Ms master in the 
 influence he has exercised and still continues to exercise on phi¬ 
 losophy ; cf. Zeller’s “ Socrates and the Socratic Schools;” Ueber- 
 weg’s “ Hist, of Philosophy,” vol. i. p. 137, etc.— Theophrastum : 
 a Greek philosopher, born in Eresus, Lesbos, about b.c. 375, died 
 B.c. 287. He became a favorite pupil of Aristotle, who, on his 
 leaving Athens for Chalcis, designated Theophrastus for the 
 presidency of the Lyceum, and in his will left him his library 
 and the originals of his writings. Vid. Class. Diet. 
 
 9. Horum te . . . coget: perhaps Seneca was even now an¬ 
 ticipating his own compulsory death at the hands of Nero; cf. 
 Introduction to the present vol., p. 18.—conterit, contribuit, 
 V. 1. conteret contribuet; conterit —perdit. —nuUius amicitia capi- 
 talis: a reference to the condition of things under the emperors 
 of Seneca’s day, when strong private friendships were looked 
 upon with suspicion, and regarded as almost treasonable.—nul- 
 lius sumptuosai observatio: perhaps a reference to the practice 
 of giving costly presents to the emperor, to appease his wrath or 
 court his favor, through fear of his avarice; cf. Juvenal, tiat. iii. 
 184, etc. 
 
 XV. — 1. per illos non stabit, it will not he owing to them; cf. 
 Arnold’s Lat. Prose Comp. p. 203. —quo minus . . . haurias, that 
 you do not take in the utmost that you shall have capacity to re¬ 
 ceive ; quo minus—ut non ; H. 497, 2. —plurimum quantum : to ex¬ 
 press the highest degree possible, quantum is often used instead 
 of quam with the superlat.; M. 309, obs. 3; Z. 689. — deliberet 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. XV. 1-XVI. 5. 
 
 275 
 
 . . . cousnlat . . . audiat . . . laudetur . . . efflngat : for subj., 
 cf. Z. 558.— laudetur, sc. aquihus. — Solemus dicere: for similar 
 thought, ef. Consol, ad Marc. 18,6.— sortireiuur : an indirect ques¬ 
 tion ; H. 529.— forte nobis datos : Lips, objects to these words 
 as superfluous, since the idea of forte is implied in sortiremur. — 
 nobis . . . nasci licet, i. e. the mind at least can choose its intel¬ 
 lectual, moral, and spiritual parents. 
 
 2. faniiliae: Lips, quotes from Cicero {De Or. iii. 16), a Socrate 
 proseminatae sunt quasi famUiae^ dissentientes inter se et multum 
 disiunciae; also {JDe Birin, ii. 1, Peripateticorum familia .— 
 maligne = inridiose et parce .—diviseris = distrilmeris .—deicitur 
 = dejidtur., v. 1. ejiciet .—Iiaec una ratio est, etc., this is the only 
 way., etc.—decretis anibitio iussit: whatever the ambition of 
 another has imposed upon us; Lips.—yetustas = tempus. —3. iis: 
 governed by noceri .—sequens ^ . . ulterior: the near and the 
 far-off future.—in yicino, near at hand. Lips, quotes from Vel¬ 
 leius Paterculus (ii. 92), praesentia inridia, pra£t€rita reneratione 
 prosequimur; et his nos dbrui^ illis instrui credimus. — idem . . . 
 qui, the same . . . as. —legibus: ablat. of separation.—4. Transit, 
 V. 1. transiit .—hoc praecipit, i. e. praesumit, anticipat .—dum . . . 
 agunt: M. 369, obs. 3. 
 
 XVI.— 1. Nec est, quod . . . putes: cf. De Tranq. 2, 2, n.— 
 hoc argumento = gwia interdum^ etc.—dum yeniat : H. 519.— 
 condictum statutum. — id otium. — 2. muneris gladiatorii; 
 the gladiatorial show is said to have had its origin from the cus¬ 
 tom among the Etruscans of killing slaves and captives at the 
 funeral pyres of the deceased. Gladiators were first exhibited at 
 Rome, B.c. 264, by M. and D. Brutus, at the funeral of their father 
 (Livy, Ep)it. 16). Vid. Diet. Antiq. — constitutum, sc. tempus .—- 
 medios dies: shows were held in the afternoon.—ad illud tem¬ 
 pus, compared with that time .—suo vitio, through their own fault. 
 
 3. Quid aliud . . . quam auctores illis inscribere; M. 444 b, 
 
 obs. 1.—morbo = adfectui. — exemplo diviuitatis excusa- 
 
 tam : cf. Be Vit. Beat. 26. — 4. lucis metu, i. e. through fear that 
 the light will soon dawn upon them .—— exsultantes 
 on use of is for es in acc. plur., cf. Z. 68, note; exsultantis, sc. eos .—; 
 5. Cum . . . ’^e^xvx^^x^X — cmprehenderet. — nieusuram : Herod^ 
 
276 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 otus (vii. 184-187) gives the story in full as to the mode adopted 
 for numbering the vast army and followers of the Persian king. 
 The total of over five millions in all is generally discredited in 
 modern times. Cf. Grote, “ Hist, of Greece,” vol. iv. p. 380-385 ; 
 Rawlinson’s “Herodotus,” vol. iv. pp. 138,139.— Persarum rex, 
 i. e. Xerxes, 
 
 XVII.—1, Quid, quod: elliptical expression, wTiat shall we say 
 to this, that, or, how is it, that; M. 479 d, obs, 1.— Maxima quae* 
 que : cf. De Prov. 3, 3, n. —nee ulli fortuuae . . . creditur ; cf. 
 Livy, XXX. 30, Maximae cuique forPanae minimae credendum est — 
 “ The highest fortune is always least to be trusted;” fortunae, 
 dat. after creditur. Various intransitive verbs that take dat. in 
 active retain that case in passive; such verbs must then be used 
 impersonally; M. 344 b. 
 
 2. opportunius, more inclined or liable. —casura, things that will 
 soon fall away, perish; in this instance, high states of felicity.— 
 maiore, sc. Idbore. — Nulla . . . ratio est, meanwhile there is no 
 care of time, that will merer more return. — 3. materia, sc. miseri- 
 arum. — plus . . . auferuut, i. e. in enhancing the honors of oth¬ 
 ers ; alieni, sc. honores. — desimus = desirimus. — Accusandi = acti~ 
 ta.ndi; Lips.— Marium caliga dimisit? Marius received leave 
 of absence from the war against Jugurtha, and, repairing to Rome, 
 was chosen consul, b.c. 107.— ^caliga = military life, or service in 
 an inferior grade. 
 
 4. Quintius, i. e. Cincinnatus, who was made dictator a second 
 time at the age of 80; cf. Cic. De Senect. 16 ; Livy, ix. 13-15.— 
 praevadere, v. 1. perradere. — Scipio : P. Corn. Scipio Africanus 
 Major, was appointed to the command of the army in Spain, 
 operating against the Carthaginians, n.c. 310. At the age of 34 
 he conquered Hannibal at Zama, and took Carthage, b.c. 303. 
 In order to secure the province of Greece to his brother, he 
 promised to act as bis lieutenant (kgatus) in the war against 
 Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, and thus he became, as it 
 were, sponsor for the success of his brother’s consulship. He 
 conquered Antiochus in a decisive battle at Mount Sipylus, in 
 Asia Minor. Through envious spite and jealousy he was charged 
 with being bribed so as to allow Antiochus too easy terms; hence. 
 
DE BKEVITATE VITAE. XVII. 4-XVIII. 4. 
 
 27T 
 
 in disgust at the ingratitude of the Romans, he left the city and 
 retired to his country-seat at Linternum. Here he spent the re¬ 
 mainder of his days in the cultivation of his estate. Cf. Epist. 
 86,1-5; Livy, xxxviii, 50-60. —fraterni, sc. repone- 
 
 tur, V. 1. reponeretur. 
 
 XVin.—1. non pro aetatis spatio iactatuSj i. e. tossed about 
 in public affairs out of proportion to the length of his life. It 
 would seem from what follows {maior pars^ etc.) that he had en¬ 
 tered upon his office while still youthful.— publicas in te con- 
 verteris. It is not known to what disturbances the author re- 
 ,fers. He seems to praise the fidelity and patriotism of Paulinus 
 in taking upon himself the odium, of some troubles for the sake 
 of the public good.— facial, sc. mrtus. 
 
 2. Tu . . . administras: an exaggerated statement. He was 
 not minister of the finances, but simply praefectus annonae^ a per¬ 
 manent office under the emperors, who had jurisdiction over all 
 matters pertaining to the corn-market, and, like the praefectus 
 rigilumy was chosen from the equites. — odium vitare difficile est : 
 Ixjcause it is difficult to satisfy so many thousands of people. 
 
 3. ministerio honoriflco: under the republic men of consu¬ 
 lar rank superintended the distribution of com. Pompey was 
 charged with this duty for five years, and Augustus took upon 
 himself the office until he appointed the praefectus annmiae as a 
 permanency. Lips, quotes from Boethius, siquis quondam populi 
 curasset annonam^ magnus Tiabebatur; nunc ea Praefectura quid 
 atgectius f —cogita non id egisse te, reflect that you did not make 
 this the otgect of your action .— id, viz. ut committerentur. — milia, sc. 
 modioi'um .— Non deernnt, etc., i. e. men suitable will not be want¬ 
 ing to fill the place you vacate.— ohicere = ohjicere: on spelling 
 of compounds of iaceo or iacia^ cf. De Prov. 2, 8, n.— cum ventre 
 . . . negotium est, you have to do with the human appetite; cf. 
 Homer, Odyss. xvii. 286. 
 
 4. C. Caesar, i. e. Caligula.— hoc, viz. quod decedehat populo 
 Romano superstite. — superesse : this is the reading of the mss., 
 but Lips, is probably correct in the suggestion that it should read 
 super&rantyOV superfuere. — dum . . . ludit: that he might be able 
 to boast of having marched over the sea as on dry^land, he con- 
 
278 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 structed across the channel between Baiae and Puteoli (a distance 
 of three Homan miles and six hundred paces) a bridge with boats 
 that ought to have been used in conveying corn for the famish¬ 
 ing people. He squandered all that Tiberius left in the treasury 
 (720,000,000 sesterces), and spent continually more than the rev¬ 
 enues of the state.— imperi : gen. for imperii ; Z, 49, note 1. 
 
 5. Exitio . . . fame . . . ruina : ablat. of price; H. 422; B. 
 & M. 884; Z. 444. — superbi regis, i. e. Xerxes. — saxa, ferrum, 
 ignes, Caium excepturi : the idea is that they would meet these 
 things if they did not conceal the knowledge of the scarcity of 
 provisions. Observe the climax, Caium being placed last, as if 
 the sight of Caligula were the worst penalty. Cf. De Ira^ iii, 19, 
 
 1, where Seneca, in enumerating this tyrant’s cruelties, says that 
 he tortured with rope, rack, fire, and his own countenance.— 
 inter viscera, sc. urMs. —tegebaiit : object, tantum . . . mali. 
 
 XIX.— 1. esse: its subject-accus. is what?— ■ cures . . . ac- 
 cedas : indirect questions.— horrea : granaries were built in va¬ 
 rious parts of the city, in which the public stores were placed.— 
 an ad haec, etc.: these were some of the questions much dis¬ 
 cussed among the Stoics; cf. Zeller, Ueberweg, Lewes, before re¬ 
 ferred to, 14, 5, N.; also, Epist. 113, where Seneca has a curious 
 and rather amusing discussion of certain Stoic questions.— scitu- 
 rns: expresses purpose.— uM nos . . . natura conponat: cf. 
 Epist. 64, where Seneca, writing of the death of his fiiend Serc- 
 nus, says, “ And perchance (if the opinion of wise men be true, 
 and any place receive us) he, who we suppose has perished, 
 has only been sent before.”— gravissima qnaeqne : cf. Be Pror. 
 
 2, 2, N.— snpra : adverb.— suminum ignem, i. e. aetherem. — vici- 
 bns, V. 1. cursilrus. — cetera : object of sciturus. 
 
 2. solo = — vigentibus, sc. nobis: dat. after gerundive; 
 
 neuter of gerundive of intransitive verbs is used with esse., to 
 signify that the action must be done. The subject which has to 
 do something is then put in the dative, as with ordinary gerund¬ 
 ive ; M. 421.— in hoc genere vitae, i. e. in a life devoted to the 
 investigation of such questions as the above.— hoc = tali. — bona- 
 rum artium —philosophiae. —alta rerum quies, a profound rest 
 from worldly affairs. — amare et odisse, sc. ad alienum awiorem., 
 
DE BREVITATE VITAE. XIX. 2-XX. 4. 279 
 
 et alienum odium .— res : in apposition with the several words, 
 somnum.^ etc.; cf. Pliny, Panegyricus., 85, 3. 
 
 3. Cum videris . . . snmptam, i. e. when you shall see the 
 magistracy assumed a second: or third time, or even more.— ut 
 uiius . . . anuns : in other words, to attain the consulship. 
 Under the republic the year received its name from the consuls, 
 and in all public documents their names marked the year. Un¬ 
 der the empire, when there were many consuls during the year, 
 at the will or caprice of the emperor, the year was designated 
 from those only who entered upon their office at the beginning 
 of the year, and were called consules ordinarii. — antequam . . . 
 eniterentur : the subj. is used with antequam if purpose is im¬ 
 plied and the action does not take place. In this case the at¬ 
 tainment of ambition is prevented by death. Cf. M. 360, etc.— 
 luctaiitis = luctantes. — aetas reliquit = mta reliquit. — titulum 
 sepulcri: for the sole reward that honors might be inscribed 
 upon their sepulchres. 
 
 XX.—1. spiritus liquit : cf. aetas reliquit., 19, 3, n.— quern ac- 
 cipiendis inmorientem rationihus, i. e. dying while he is in the 
 
 very act of making and receiving his worldly gains; rationibus., 
 dat. after in in composition.— diu tractus, long put off., i. e. by the 
 long life of the one whose heir he is.— 2. Turaunius : he was ap¬ 
 pointed to the office of praefectus annonae by Augustus just before 
 his death, and was the first incumbent after that position was 
 made permanent.— vacationem, i. e. dismissal; Tacit. Ann. i. 7; 
 xi. 31; Sueton. August. 37. — conponi se, viz. ut moribundum. — 
 iuvat, sc. alicui. — nullo alio nomine, on no other account. —3. a 
 quinquagcsimo anno ; cf.4,1, n.— in conspicuo, before the eyes. — 
 nemo non, evei^y one; 7 a . 755. 
 
 4. Quidam . . . disponunt: persons generally left a sum of 
 money with which to build tlieir tombs, but frequently they were 
 built during the lifetime of their intended occupants. Augustus, 
 in his sixth consulship, built the mausoleum between the Via 
 Flaminia and the Tiber, and planted around it woods and laid 
 out walks for public use. On the Via Appia and other roads 
 tombs were erected extending for miles. Cf. Ouhl & Koner’s 
 “The Life of the Greeks and Romans,” p. 375-386.— munera: 
 
280 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 gladiators, called hustuarii, were often hired to fight around the 
 burning funeral pile; cf Hor. Sat. ii. 3, 85.— exsequias : this term 
 was usually applied to the funeral procession (pompa funebris). 
 The order of the procession was regulated by the designator fune- 
 riSj who was attended by lictors dressed in black (Cic. JDe Legib. 
 ii. 24). It was headed by musicians, and accompanied by hired 
 mourners, players, bufibons, etc. The freedmen of the deceased 
 followed, wearing the cap of liberty. For a full account of fu¬ 
 nerals among the Romans, cf. Diet. Antiq., article ‘‘ Funusalso, 
 Guhl & Koner’s work, referred to above.— ad faces et cereos 
 ducenda sunt : the funerals of children and of those who died 
 very early in life were, for the most part, celebrated at night; cf. 
 Be Trang. 11,5, n. ; Epist. 122,10. . 
 
DE VITA BEATA. 
 
 Akgumentum. —I. A happy life is sought foi* by all, but what it is, ov ' 
 how it can be attained, there is general ignorance. II., III. Concerning 
 good and happy life we must not think with the vulgar, but with the 
 best and noblest. Happy life, according to Stoic teaching. IV.,V. Full* 
 er description of the highest good. Happy life rests on reason and 
 virtue, not ou pleasure. VI. Virtue cannot be copulated with pleasure. 
 Criticism on some sayings of Epicurus’s followers. VII., VIII. Virtue 
 cannot be joined to an evil life, to which voluptas leads. To live hap¬ 
 pily, and according to nature, is the same thing, reason alone being 
 mistress. IX.-XI. Virtue is sought for its own sake. He proceeds to 
 discriminate by showing what separates Epicureans and Stoics concern¬ 
 ing the highest good. XII., XIII. They do not truly follow Epicurus 
 who seek pleasure alone, for he enjoined good and right things. XIV., 
 XV. Pleasure must obey the rule of reason and virtue. He repeats 
 that virtue and pleasure cannot be forced into union. XVI.-XVIII. 
 Virtue alone suffices for living happily; why, then, is more required? 
 Answer: Not a philosopher’s life merely, but his precepts to be accept¬ 
 ed and followed. XIX., XX. Objections against philosophers frivolous. 
 They persuade to noble deeds, though they may not act equal to what 
 they say. XXI.-XXIII. Repels calumnies, many of which were prob¬ 
 ably directed against Seneca himself. A wise man does not despise 
 riches, which, although held by the Stoics to be among indifferent 
 things, afford mateiial and field for practice of virtue. XXIV.-XXVI. 
 On use of wealth for divers good purposes. A wise man holds riches to 
 be useful, but not necessarily a good. Difference between a foolish rich 
 man and a wise rich man. XXVII., XXVIII. Earnest and forceful words 
 of Socrates against slanderers of truth and virtue. 
 
 Cap. I. — 1. Gallio: L. Junius, the elder brother of Seneca. 
 His name originally was M. Annaeus Novatus, but after hiS 
 adoption by the rhetorician, Junius Gallio, he was named after 
 his adopted father. He is said to have committed suicide, a.d. 
 65. The present treatise addressed to him was written probably 
 by Seneca in the latter part of his life, when he had become an 
 object of calumny to many on account of his wealth. It may not 
 improperly be considered as in some sort a defence of his own 
 
2S2 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 life as well as an apology for liis great wealth.—eo . . . quo: 
 M. 270, obs. 1.—si via lapsus est, if he has slipped from^ i. e. lost 
 the way. —itaque: expresses relation of cause in facts (Z. 344, 
 note): since men are blind to perceive, etc., therefore .—illo : ad¬ 
 verb ; literally, to that place = thereto. —intellecturi; fut. part, de¬ 
 noting design; H. 549, 3; B. & M. 1355.—profligetur, v. 1. 
 ficiamus., because of the unusual signification in which profligare 
 is here used. Lips, quotes from Livy, ita fortasse decuit.^ deos ipsos 
 committere ac profligare helium^ nos auiem commissum ac profliga- 
 turn covflcere. He also refers to Tacitus and other writers as using 
 the word in the same sense, and remarks profligare is to en¬ 
 ter upon and carry forward an action to a considerable extent, 
 although not quite to completion.—quautoque . . . simus, and 
 how much nearer we are to that; db belongs to simus, separated 
 by tmesis. ^ 
 
 2. laboremus: concessive subj.— cui: dat. of agent; H. 515; 
 B. & M. 1281; A. & Gr. 266 c. r.— hic: adverb=in this case.— 
 In illis ... at liic : antithetical.— conpreiisus . . , interrogati: 
 conditional participles.— limes, i. e. via agrestis angustaque. — tri- 
 tissima quaeque . . , celeberrima, all the best beaten and most 
 frequented paths; vid. Arnold’s Lat. Prose Comp., quaeque with 
 superlat.; also, De Prov. 2, 2, N. —3. pecorum ritu : a very ap¬ 
 propriate figure, which, according to Plutarch, Cato the Elder 
 once used in regard to the Roman peoj)le: “ You, he said, are 
 like a flock of sheep. You do not severally obey different ones, 
 but as a whole you follow after any one who will be your lead¬ 
 er.”— sed quo itur, but lohere the mass are accustomed to go. Ob¬ 
 serve that iUir expresses customary action.— coiipouimur = we 
 connect ourselves with everv rumor; verb used in a middle 
 sense.— ad similitudiiieiii, according to the example or manner of 
 men .— aliorum super alios, one upon one, and another upon anoth¬ 
 er, or, one upon the other. 
 
 4. ipse : when does this agree with the subject rather than the 
 object ? M. 487 b.—preiiiit, press hard or crowd. —nemo . . . er- 
 rat; suggestive of St. Paul’s words, Rom. xiv. 7, “ For none of us 
 liveth to himself,” etc., though used in a different connection.— 
 hoc: antecedent to quod, above.—videas licet: cf. M. 361; Z. 
 574.—et causa et auctor, the cause as well as the occasion; Z. 338. 
 
DE VITA BEATA. 1.4-11.1. 
 
 283 
 
 —adplicari: siil>ject-infin. oi nocet. —Ycrsat, i. e. solUcitat, twrhat; 
 subject, erro)-. — traditus per maims, handed or delivered down 
 from hand to hand^ i. e. from father to son.— 5. comitiis: on the 
 Roman comitia^ cf. Diet. Antiq.—mobilis —fickle^ inconstant; ap¬ 
 plied to any thing readily moved about by force of the winds, as 
 a weathercock, etc.; cf. Cicero, Pro Murena^ 17; Hor. Od. i. 1,7, 
 8.—se . . . circumegit, has whirled itself about .—in quo secun¬ 
 dum plures datur, in which judgment is given by the majority^ i. e. 
 in which the majority rule. 
 
 II,— 1. non est quod . . . respondeas, there is no occasion for 
 your answering; cf. Be Tranq. 1, 2, n. ; respondeas, subj. in an in- 
 defin. relative sentence; Z. 561 b, 562; H. 503, note 2; M. 372, 
 obs. 6.— discessionum : there were three ways in which the vote 
 was taken in the Senate—l,*by voice, wlien each senator re¬ 
 sponded to the question of the consul, assentio; 2, when difference 
 of opinions existed, the leaders took their positions on separate 
 seats, and their several supporters ranged themselves by their 
 side; this was called pedibus sententiam ire, or the decision per 
 discessionem; 3, remaining in their seats, they signified assent 
 with uplifted hands; Lips.— Haec pars . . . videtur : the usual 
 formula of declaring the vote, similar to our “ the ayes, or noes, 
 seem to have it.”— peior est : cf. Epist. 29, 10, quid . . . philo- 
 sophia praestabitf etc.— Non tarn . . . agitur, it does not go so 
 well with human affairs. — volgo : dat. of agent, by what rule ? H. 
 388,1; B. & M. 844 ; A, & G. 232 b.— tain chlamydatos quam 
 coronatos, for tarn coronatos quam chlamydatos, a kind of hystero- 
 logia frequent in Seneca; literally, as well those wreathed with a 
 crown as those who wear the chlamys. This was a Grecian scarf, 
 originally military, but afterwards worn by actors, women and 
 children, and also by common soldiers. The youths wore it 
 until the age of twenty. The coronati were the victors, either 
 soldiers, poets, pugilists, etc., who received a crown of garlands; 
 vid. Diet. Antiq. The words indicate figuratively two classes of 
 mankind, high and low, noble and ignoble, etc. Lips, conject¬ 
 ures, candidatos quam colcn^atos, i. e. as well those clothed in wiiitc 
 as those attired in colored clothes, on the ground that the more 
 respectable were clothed in white, and thus distinguished from 
 
284 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 the rabble, the colorati. He urges this as being more consistent 
 with the context, Non enim colorem vestium^ etc. 
 
 2. oculis . . . non credo: since with the eyes the real life 
 cannot be seen; credo^ with dat., I trust .— diiudicem : subj. of re^ 
 suit; H. 503, note 2 ; B, & M. 1218. — tortus a se, tested or tried hy 
 itself i. e. after self-examination.— in mnltis rideo, v. 1. mutis in-^ 
 mdeo .— quanto : adverb.— levins, v. 1. melius. —3, si modo . ^ ^ 
 gratia est : a modification of the main statement. Lips, quotes 
 Sallust, inter honos amicitia., inter malps factio est. — ut me . . . 
 educerem, to withdraw myself from .— aliqua dote =; by some par¬ 
 ticular gift or talent, or, perhaps, by some marked action; a fire- 
 quent post-Aug. meaning.— quid aliud quaiii . . . opposui, what 
 else did I do Imt oppose myself to the weapons. A tense of fac&i'e is 
 omitted in short propositions containing an opinion on a person’s 
 action; tins is so in various phrases, Cf, Z, 771. — aut, quod ill 
 aequo est, or, what is to the same purpose. — esse : supply hostes. — 
 populus, throng., or multitude ; j)ost-Aug. signification. 
 
 III.—1. Quin (from qui-ne., non): primarily means, how not^ 
 why not; cf. M. 3'^, obs. 5.— usu, in respect to quod sen- 
 
 tiain, which I experience, i. e. in animo, like the French sentir ,— 
 seutiam/. . . ostendain: subj. after relat. with indefinite antece¬ 
 dent.— ostendam, in apparatu et pompa; Lips.— ad quae con- 
 sistitur, sc. populis, near which people delay .— foris, i. e. extHnse- 
 cus, on the outside, outwardly; opposed to introrsus, on the in¬ 
 side, inwardly; cf. Be Prov. 6,4, n.— in speciem (for ablat. specie) ^ 
 for appearancd sake .— a secretiore parte = in that which is less 
 visible to the eye.— Hoc, i. e. a secfretiore parte .— emainus = ime- 
 niamus. 
 
 2. circumitus : post-Aug., circumlocutions. — et . . . et, as well 
 ... as. — coarguere, i. e. confutare. — non adligo me, etc.: cf. 
 Epist. 45, 4, to the same purpose.— procerihus, i. e. Zeno, Chry- 
 sippus, Cleanthes.— censendi ins, the right of expressing opinion, 
 or of wting. This and the following sentences, to Hoc amplius 
 censeo inclusive, embody the phraseology of the Senate in legisla¬ 
 tion.— sententiam dividere, i, e. to divide a proposition .contain¬ 
 ing several parts, so that the question might be taken on each 
 separately. The call was made, divide (imperative).— citatus : 
 
DE VITA BEATA. III. 2-IV. 4. 
 
 285 
 
 each senator was called upon in the order of his rank.—rerum 
 naturae, nature^ the deus of the Stoics. 
 
 3. Beata est . . . suae: in this the Stoics placed the highest 
 good of man. Lips, quotes Chrysippus, to teXoq elvai • dKoXovOujg 
 ry <pv(jH Kyv. —coiivenieus, harmonious loith. — quae = et haec^ i. e. 
 vita. — patiens: cf. Be Constant. Sap. 14, 2. — sine admiratioiie : 
 cf. Horace’s well-known nil admirari, etc,, Bpist. i. 6,1.—usura 
 . . . seryitura: fut, part, denoting inclination, inclined to tise, 
 inclined to he in servitude. —4. perpetuam . . . lihertatem : cf. 
 Eijist. 92,3, quid est heata vita ? etc.—in ipsis flagitiis noxia, i. e. 
 in the case of acts done in the heat of passion, hurtful. — omnis 
 . . . feritas: cf. Be Ira^ i. 16, 27. 
 
 IV.—1. eadem sententia, potest .— non: modifies iisdem, not 
 the samez=zdifferent (aliis ).— sinuata media parte: ablat, absol., 
 the middle swelling outward like a crescent .— illi : dat. of posses¬ 
 sion; H. 387; B. & M. 821; A, & 231. —standi : limits volun¬ 
 tas., desire of making a stand. — ita : answer to quemadmodum., 
 above. — finitio, v. 1. dejinltio. — exporrigi: post-Aug., used by 
 Pliny, Persius, etc. — colligi, compressed., i. e. comprised in a few 
 words.— 2. conversantium cura, regard for those much in one's 
 company., those with whom one associates much ; conversor is 
 post-iiug., much used by Seneca; cf. He Clement, i, 3,2.— flnire 
 = definire, to define . — extollant . . . frangant . . . noverit : con¬ 
 secutive subjunctives. 
 
 3. si evagari \Ci\%., if you wish to amplify.—Silmm . . . facieiii, 
 one and another (i, e. different) aspect. The thought is, you may 
 view the same idea in different aspects, provided its force remain 
 unimpaired. — potestate, i. e, significatione. —prohibet:, usually 
 followed as a verb of hindering by quominus or with subj., 
 but sometimes, as in this instance, by accus. with infin,; Z. 544, 
 note.—interritum, undismayed hy fear ; cf. Cic. Tusc. Bisp. v. 14, 
 volumus eum., qui heatus sit., tutum esse., inexpugnohilem., septum 
 atque munitum ; non ut parvo metu praeditus sit, sed ut nullo, 
 
 4. velit nolit: familiar expression for sive velit, sive nolit, sup¬ 
 pose he were willing, suppose he were unwilling, i. e. whether he 
 were willing or not; M. 442 b, obs, — sequatur; consecutive subj., 
 ut being omitted after necesse est ; M. 373, obs. 1; Z.»C25.— ex alto. 
 
 • N 
 
286 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 from the depths of the heart.—ui quae=(?ww ea. The force of' 
 qui in causal sentences is increased by ut; II. 517; B. & M. 1253, 
 obs. 2.— corpusculi: diminutive used as an expression of con¬ 
 tempt.— ^t—etiam .— quo die, etc., on the day he shall become the 
 slave of pleasure he will become the subject of pain. 
 
 V. — 1. servitutem: after serviturus sit, accus. of kindred sig¬ 
 nification; dl. 371, 1, 3; B. & M. 713; A. & G. 238. —dominia— 
 domini. — alternis, sc. vichhus, by turns, alternately. — exeundum 
 . . . est, sc. nobis, we must rise into liberty. — in tuto conlocata, 
 securely established. — diffusio auimi = laetitia, serenitas .— ex bono 
 suo ortis, those things that arise from his own goodness, i. e. the 
 fruit of good inhering in him. 
 
 2. Quoniain . . . rationis, since I have begun to treat this mat¬ 
 ter largely, or liberally, I may add that he can be called blessed who, 
 by the aid of reason, neither desires nor fears anything .—cupit iiec 
 timet, sc. quidquam .—Quouiam et: the ellipsis in the thought 
 may be supplied thus, “ I mention reason because,” etc.; quo- 
 niam assigns a motive rather than a conclusive reason; Z. 346.— 
 dixerit: perf subj. used as softened indie., not essentially differ¬ 
 ent from fut., any one will not call them happy, etc. 
 
 3. illis, i. e. peeoribus et animalibus. — extra veritatem pro- 
 iectus, one who has taken himself outside the pale of truthfulness .— 
 lacerationes, vellicatioiies: the former refer to the body, the 
 latter to the mind; cf. De Ira, iii. 43, 5. — statui'a semper ubi 
 constitit, proposing, i. e. resolving to stand where she has taken her 
 stand. — ac . . . viudicatura, and determined to maintain her posi¬ 
 tion even against an irate and hostile fortune. Observe use of fut. 
 parts.— 4, Nam quod . . . pertinet, in regard to pleasure .— 
 omnes vias, all avenues of the senses .— aliaque ex aliis admoveat, 
 and though she applies one means of ter another ; admoveat: concess. 
 subj.; H. 515; B. & M. 1282. — velit: deliberative subj.; H. 484, 
 V. ; B. & M. 1780.--deserto animo . . . dare, to attend to the body 
 at the expense of the mind; deserto animo: abl. absol. 
 
 VI. —1. iuquit, says he, i. c. the Epicurean, the man who finds 
 happiness in pleasure, and who confounds the pleasures of the 
 body with tho^e of the mind. — arbiter: in apposition with 
 
/ 
 
 DE VITA BEATA. VI. 1-VII. 2. 
 
 287 
 
 what? — praeterita respiciat, etc,: a dogma of Epicurus, that 
 the wise man enjoys present, recalls past, and anticipates future 
 pleasures; cf. Cic. De Fin. ii. \ Lips.— inmineat, let Mm reach out 
 or gras'p after., like a miser, as it were,—sag■illa,/«^?^ess, produced 
 by much eating; post-Aug.— legere, to choose. 
 
 2. cui: dat. of agent,'—Beatus ergo, etc. Compare these with 
 
 the beatitudes of the Divine Master, and although granting that 
 they embody great moral truths, to which Seneca had. attained, 
 yet we cannot but perceive how far short they are of those cheer¬ 
 ing and heart-searching truths contained in the Sermon on the 
 Mount. — iudicii rectus : cf, 5, 3, — onmem . . . suaruin, eoery 
 disposition of his affairs ; habitum: mostly post-Aug. in this sig¬ 
 nification.— Yidet et in illis, v, 1, illi. — ^\>z=^etiam. — in ♦ 
 
 illis = in wluptatibus; sc. esse .—Yidet et . . , quam turpi illud 
 loco, i. e. a man of correct judgment sees also in how ignoble 
 
 a position, etc.— Itaque negant, etc., and so they deny that pleas¬ 
 ure can he separated from rirtue .— queuiquaui vivere, sc. ita, fol¬ 
 lowed by ut with consec. subj. 
 
 3. ista tarn diversa, these things differing so widely., viz. the life 
 of pleasure and the life of virtue; tarn is rejected in some edi¬ 
 tions.— videlicet quia: the answer to the preceding question, 
 rendered by the advocate of the compatibility of virtue and. 
 pleasure, to whom the question is supposed to be addressed.— 
 huius, i, e, virtutis. — si . . . essent . . . videremus : note force 
 of impf. subj. in hypothetical period; H. 510; B. & M, 1267; A. 
 
 & G. 308. — indiscreta, not distinguishable, inseparable. — sed 
 Iiouesta, V. 1. sed non honesta, — exigenda., to be attained ., 
 
 YII.—1. Adice = quod, that.—^i, even, i. e. some are 
 
 unhappy, even with pleasure. — qua virtiis . . . indiget, which 
 (pleasure) virtue often laclcs,but never — immo diversa, nay 
 more, whose tendencies are in opposite directions. —Altum quiddain 
 est virtus . . . voluptas huinile: antithetical clauses. — cuius 
 static, whose sphere. 
 
 2. coloratam, icith heat; cf. De Const. Sap. 13,2.— bali- 
 
 nea : balineum or balneum (J3a\aveiov) primarily signifies a ba,th or 
 bathing-vessel; hence also applied to the chamber containing the 
 bath. In early times one room sufficed, but afterwards, as wealth 
 
288 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 increased, a number of rooms, even in private houses, were desig¬ 
 nated by the word balnea. Vid. Diet. Antiq., under this title.— 
 sudatoria : for the use of the sudatm'ium., or central space in the 
 thermal chamber, vid. as above. Diet. Antiq.; cf. also, Juv. Sat. 
 vi. 420.— loca aedilem metueutia : the aediles were, as has been 
 remarked, the moral police of old Eome. They superintended 
 buildings, public and private; took care of the streets and pave¬ 
 ments, and cleaning and draining the city; kept an oversight of 
 the markets and sales there, and watched the weights and meas¬ 
 ures in use. They were charged also with the duty of preserving 
 decency and order in public baths and houses of entertainment; 
 they too looked after prostitutes and houses of ill-fame. Vid. 
 Diet. Antiq. — medicamentis cosmetics, paints. — pollinctam, 
 icashed, as corpses are washed for funerals; v. 1. pollutam. 
 
 3, nescit exire, i. e. it cannot perish. — optima, being itself the 
 best, qualifies the subject of mutamt, i. e. ilia =: recta mens, above; 
 observe its position as the emphatic word.— non multum loci 
 liabet, it does not occupy much room. The idea is that pleasure is 
 short-lived and transitory in its operations and experiences, and 
 hence, in comparison with virtue, which has the contrary quali¬ 
 ties, its operations are contracted within narrow limits.— in ipso 
 . . . periturum, haring a tendency to perish in its very use .— et 
 dum . . . flnem, and eren at its beginning is near its end. 
 
 VIII.— 1. Quid, quod — quid dicam de eo, quod; nay, even, or 
 moreover ; cf. Be Brev. Vit.17, 1, n. ; also, H. 454, 2'; M. 479 d, obs. 
 1; Z. 769.— comes, follower. —2. Hoc = secundum naturam vivere. 
 —si , . . conservahimus . . . subierimus . . . possederint ... 
 fuerint : the several conditions of the protasis; the apodosis to 
 be supplied, secundum naturam vivemus. The sentiment is that 
 he can live according to nature who employs the gifts (dotes) of 
 the body as nature demands; who does not subject himself to 
 the slavish infiuences of tlie goods of this life, but uses them and 
 makes them subserve proper ends; Avho does not allow covetous¬ 
 ness or desire for another’s goods (aliena) to possess him; and 
 who does not glut himself with superfluities {adventicia), but uses 
 them as aids (auxilia) when necessity demands.— in utrumque, 
 against or /(W’ eithet' event ■=. mori aut vivere. — artifex vitae : in 
 
dp: vita BEATA. YIII. 2-IX. ]. 
 
 289 
 
 the sense of the old proverb, “ Every man is the artificer of his 
 own fortune.”—Fiducia eius —Jiducia su% self-confidence.—illi: 
 dat. placita ; H. 391; B. & M. 860.—litura, alteration or cor¬ 
 rection. The idea is, let him not determine any thing that will 
 give occasion for repentance. 
 
 3. Intellegitur, it is plain. — in iis quae . . . magniflcum, i. e. 
 in entertainments, generous.— ratio sensibus insita : the idea 
 appears to be, not that the reason inheres in or is entirely under 
 the lead of the senses, but that it acts through them. — nude rr 
 a quo. — in se revertatnr : supply et to connect with preceding 
 clause. —mundnin (v. 1. mundus) : the Stoic mundus is simply the 
 matter or substance of their deus. They “ teach that whatever 
 is real is material. Matter and force are the two ultimate prin¬ 
 ciples. . . . The working force in the universe is god. ... At 
 the end of a certain cosmical period all things are reabsorbed 
 into the deity, the whole universe being resolved into fire in a 
 general conflagration. The evolution of the world then begins 
 anew, and so on without end” (Ueberweg’s “Hist, of Philoso¬ 
 phy,” i. 194). —dens : “ there are two elements in nature ; the first 
 is v\r] TTjowrj/, oi* primordial matter, the impassive element from 
 which things are formed; the second is the active element, 
 which forms things out of matter — -reason, destiny (etfiapixsvr]), 
 god. The divine reason operating on matter bestows upon it 
 the laws which govern it, laws which the Stoics called X6yoi 
 aTrepfiariKoi, or productive causes. God is the reason of the 
 world” (Lewes's “ Hist, of Ancient Philosophy,” vol. i. p. 390). 
 Cf. Ueberweg, as above; also, Zeller’s “ Stoics,” etc., p. 192. 
 
 4. persuasione, conviction., usual post-Aug. meaning.—Quae . . . 
 tetigit, i. e. when all the parts of the mind under the guidance 
 of reason work harmoniously, each performing its own proper 
 functions, then has the mind attained the highest good, i. e. 
 peace of mind.—lit ita dicam, so to speak. — 5. arietet, it stumbles; 
 frequent in Seneca; cf. Be Prov. 1, 3, n., arietet., in pram ; labet, in 
 lubrico; Lips.—pngiiam, a conflict, i. e. a want of harmony in the 
 mind.—dissident vitia, vices are always at variance with each other. 
 
 IX, —1. herbulae, i. e. the flower. — 2. placet: denotes the 
 cause ; deleetat, the effect. — Suinmum bonuin in ipso iudicio : 
 
290 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 in other words, the highest good is dependent on the exercise 
 of human reason—a sentiment not in accord with revelation or 
 experience.— liahitu optimae mentis. Zeno (quoted by Cicero) 
 used to say that not only the practice of virtue, but the posses¬ 
 sion of a virtuous mind was excellent and praiseworthy, yet no 
 . one ever possessed virtue who did not practise it.— qnae = et ea 
 — mens; B. & M. 701.— Nihil enim extra totum est, i. e. a vir¬ 
 tuous mmd has all good within itself— 3. ipsa pretium sui; 
 virtue is its own reward.— snbtilitas : Lips, conjectures svhlimi- 
 tas .— laxior, disordered. 
 
 X.—1. Dissimulas, you profess ignorance of. —iucunde vivere, 
 nisi . . . vivit : the sentiment of Epicurus, in his letter to Menoe- 
 ceus (given in Diog. Laert. x. 132), “ One cannot live pleasantly 
 who does not also live discreetly and honestly ;” and he then 
 adds, “ Nor rightly unless pleasantly, for kindred virtues belong 
 to a pleasant life, and cannot be separated from it.” — qnodzz: 
 honeste virere. — inqnit, v. 1. vitani, qnam, etc., i. e. true 
 
 pleasure is inseparably connected with a life of virtue.— Atqui: 
 admits that which precedes, but opposes something else to it; 
 Z. 349.— Toluptatihus vestris : sensual pleasures merely, as op¬ 
 posed to pleasures of the mind.— stultissimos quosque : cf. M. 
 485, on force of quisque with superlat. 
 
 2. fluentis —fluentes. — segnis animi indormientis sihi, i. e. a 
 mind that is so absorbed in itself as to be negligent of all duties 
 external to itself.— 3. aurem i>ervellit : proverb, to pull by the 
 ears, i. e. admonishes or incites to serious reflection.— temperan- 
 tia autem . . . minuat, sainmi ... est ; adversative and anti¬ 
 thetical, embodying the Epicurean idea of moderation in pleas¬ 
 ures, as opposed to temperantia laeta est., the restraint of which is 
 obnoxious to the Epicureans, who placed all good in pleasure.— 
 Tn, i. e. the follower of Epicurus whose views he is controvert¬ 
 ing.— ego utor. St. Augustine says, “We enjoy God, but use 
 everything else.” Florus also (bk. ii.) remarks of Hannibal, after 
 the battle of Cannae, that “ althougli he could have used his 
 victory, he preferred to enjoy it; and, leaving Rome behind, 
 passed into Campania and Tarentum,” —de illo loquor, i. e. I 
 do not assert this of myself, who have not yet arrived to that 
 
DE VITA BEATA. X. 3-XI. 3, 
 
 291 
 
 excellence, but of that ideal wise man, who has reaehed the 
 highest good. 
 
 XI.—1. nedum voluptas, i. e. much less would I call him 
 happy who is a slave to voluptuousness; M. 461, obs. 3.—nmndi 
 fragores = earthquakes, thunder-storms, etc. — adversario, i. e. 
 mluptas. —suasura sit: fut. part, denotes purpose and tendency, 
 likely to persuade; H. 549, 3; B. & M. 1355.—cui: dative of pos¬ 
 session. 
 
 2. Virtus ailtem : for similar line of argument against a dogma 
 of Aristotle, cf. Be Ira, i. 9, 2.— cum ... sit: causal subj.; H. 
 517; B. & M. 1250.— pareutis . . . imperaiitis : gen. of duty or 
 custom; M. 282.— a tergo . . . imperat? do you place the leader 
 l)ehind f — praegustare : to perform, as it were, the office of a prae- 
 gustator to pleasure, as to a mistress. The passage is similar tb 
 one in Cicero {Be Fin. ii. 21, 69), where Cleanthes is represented 
 as drawing the picture of the goddess Voluptas, arrayed in regal 
 attire and sitting on a throne. The Virtues stand near as attend¬ 
 ants, both to minister to her wishes and aid her with counsel; 
 that she may do nothing imprudent, which might result in pain, 
 — apiid quos=:a quibus.—^\ loco cessit, if she has yielded her 
 proper place, i. e. t\\Q first and highest. — de quo agitur, concerning 
 the matter in question. — fatearis : subj. dependent uj)on necesse est, 
 which also may take accus. with infin., ut omitted; H. 502; B. 
 & M. 1222. 
 
 3. Nomentauum: a noted spendthi-ift and epicure. Horace 
 frequently refers to him as an example of extreme dissoluteness. 
 Cf. Sat. i. 1.102, 8.11; ii. 1. 22, 3.175, etc.—Apicium : M. Gabius 
 Apicius, the most renowned of a trio of that name, who gained 
 celebrity by their gluttony, flourished under Tiberius. After 
 finding that he had spent some $3,000,000 in riotous indulgence, 
 and had only about $300,000 left, he put an end to his career by 
 poison, as it would be impossible for him, he thought, to live on 
 such a pittance. Schools in the culinary art were named from 
 liim. Cf. Consol, ad Heir. 10, 2; Epist. 94,43; 120, 20; also, Class. 
 Diet.—conquirentis, recognoscentis = conquirentes, recognoscentes ; 
 cf. Z. 68, note.—omnium gentium animalia: birds and fish were 
 sought from all parts of the world; cf. Consol, ad Heir. 9, 9.— 
 
292 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 c suggestu rosae,/r(?m the hed of roses; a reference, probably, to 
 tlie richness of the couches on which they reclined at dinner, or 
 perhaps to the wearing of chaplets or garlands of roses at meals, 
 Roses were distributed at the mensa secunda^ and were sujDposed 
 to exercise beneficial influence. The suggest,us is supiDosed to be 
 the couch in the semicircular shape called sigma,, from its resem¬ 
 blance to that letter, which replaced the more ancient triclinium,, 
 after round tables came into general use, Cf. Becker’s “Gallus,” 
 p. 261; Guhl & Koner’s “ The Life of the Greeks and Romans,” 
 l^p. 444, 445.— spectantis = spectantes, — aures . . . oculos : the 
 wealthy Romans enliyened their dinners with music, histrionic 
 performances, delicious odors, etc.— fomentis : according to Lips., 
 reference is here intended to the rubbing by slaves of their mas¬ 
 ters’ limbs at bathing and other times. Bouillet makes the word 
 equivalent to pulvillis,, small cesseiit, i. e. a mluptate. — 
 
 parentatur: impers. governs dat., appropriately used, as if they 
 were feasting at their own funerals; cf. Epist, 122, 3; 12, 8. The 
 latter furnishes a striking illustration of the reckless indecency 
 of a noted debauchee, Pacuvius.— nee tainen . . . gaudent, and 
 yet it will not go pleasantly with them (i. e. they will not be happy), 
 because they talce no pleasure in goodness, 
 
 XII,—1. inquit, i. e. the advocate of pleasure, the epicure.— 
 quod = et. id: accus. subject of infin. — inaeqiiales = inconstantes: 
 at one time elated with joy, at anotlier depressed with sadness. 
 — sub ictu poeniteutiae : literally, under the blow of penitence,, i. e. 
 in the power of penitence, since sorrow and shame are apt to 
 follow close upon the heels of folly.— liilarem iusaniam insa* 
 nire, they are mad with a pvial madness; insaniam, cognate 
 accus.; H. 371, i. 2,1; B. & M. 713; cf Hor. Sat. ii. 3, 302. 
 
 2. reniissae,,w27<i or cheerful. — vix notabiles, scarcely observ¬ 
 able. — ut quae . . . veniant, since tliey come unsought; causal 
 sentence— ut merely strengthens the causal relative sentence; 
 H. 517; B. & M. 1253.— accersitae == qiiamvis . . . 
 
 accesscrint: concessive subj.; quamvis however 
 
 much you will,, and the subj. by itself expresses the concession.— 
 per quod vitiuin, i. a. per quam societatem (viz. virtuti voluptatem 
 implicare ).— pessimis quibusque adulantur, they pay court to all 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XII. 2-XIII. 2. 293 
 
 the onost corrupt; adulare is properly used of dogs, and signifies 
 primarily to creep or sneak up to a person, and in th^t sense al¬ 
 ways takes accus. In its figurative sense of servile flattery it is 
 also used with accus., but more commonly with dat.; Z. 389, 
 note 3; quisque: cf. 10,1, n. , 
 
 3. lUe, that one^ by way of example, one of the class cliafacter- 
 ized by pessim'us. —ructabundus : Lips, prefers this to reptdbundus 
 of Pincian and others, on the ground that it is more consonant 
 with ebrius. —vitiis . . . inscribit: led on by the example of 
 those afiirming the compatibility and identity of pleasure and 
 virtue, the vitest openly flaunt their excesses, and take refuge 
 under the banner of Epicurus, whose wisdom they claim to pos¬ 
 sess.— profltetur: he boasts of his vices as worthy of praise. 
 The vicious may (and do) say. We follow a life of pleasure. 
 Why liot? Epicurus says it is the highest good. 
 
 4. ilia : used with reference to what is well known. The idea 
 is, he who wishes for an excuse for his vices does not consider 
 how moderate was the pleasure advocated by Epicurus, who is 
 rarely credited with his real views.— peccandi verecuudiam : in 
 apposition with bonum. —ideoque, etc.: no chance for youth to 
 recover from vicious follies when once deceived by the fallacies 
 of Epicureanism, 
 
 XIII.—1. quod corrumpit adparet: the very name and praise 
 of pleasure are corrupting, because they afford an occasion and a 
 means to the vicious of cloaking their vices, and of perverting 
 that which has some good in it.— (iiivitis hoc . . . dicam), 
 say this., though the men of our (the Stoic) school dissent; popularis: 
 used of one belonging to a party, sect, faction, etc. "Sallust {Catil. 
 24) uses it of the accomplices of Catiline.— saiicta Epicurum : cf. 
 Epist. 33,1-3.— tristia, sacere, exacting .— virtuti legem, i. e. ad 
 naturam mrere ; cf. 3, 3, n. ; also, Eqnst. 4, 8. 
 
 2. parere naturae : cf Eqnst. 4, just quoted, for what is meant 
 by obedience to nature, viz. to be free from hunger, thirst, cold, 
 etc.— Quid ergo : what, then, is the objection against praise of 
 pleasure ?— bouum . . . auctorein, i. e. he seeks some honorable, 
 philosophical authority for a ])ad thing.— illo : adv. thither, viz, 
 bonum auctorem. —blaudo nomine inductus ; under cover of a fair 
 
 ■ - N2 
 
294 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 name.— audit = discit a pMlosophis. —inde,/r<??7i that time. — aper- 
 to capite : ablat, abs. = in the sight of all men ; v. 1. operto. — male 
 audit, it has a load reputation., i. e. it hears itself disparagingly 
 mentioned. 
 
 3. interius admissus: one who has been admitted to an inti¬ 
 mate knowledge of the teachings of the Epicurean sect.—Frons 
 eius ipsa, etc. Its very'approaches give occasion for conjectures 
 of something vicious within, or for gross misrepresentation. Epi¬ 
 curus had his Garden, as Plato his Academy, Zeno his Stoa or 
 Porch, and Aristotle his Lyceum. At the entrance of the Gar¬ 
 den was placed this inscription : “ The hospitable keeper of this 
 mansion, where you will find pleasure the highest good, will present 
 you liberally with barley cakes and water fresh from the S 2 )ring. 
 The gardens will not provoke your appetite by artificial dainties, 
 but satisfy it with natural suj^plies. Will you not be well enter¬ 
 tained ?” Cf. Lewes, Ueberw^eg, and Zeller, already referred to.— 
 stolam, V. 1. stola: a w^oman’s loose, flowing robe; also, the dress 
 of a voluptuary; cf. Hor. 8at.\. 2, 99. Government of? H. 377; 
 B. & M. 733?—tibi: ethical dat.; cf. H. 389; B. & M. 838.—veri- 
 tas, V. 1. mrilitas. —patieiitiae; endurance of unnatural lust or 
 passion; cf Be Pror. 3,11; Cic. in Verr. ii. 5,13.—tympanum ; a 
 mark of lasciviousness, since it waas used by the Corybantes in 
 their orgies in the worshiy^ of Cybele.—cum = simul ac, as soon as. 
 
 4. generosae indolis spem, of noble qualities. —perventu- 
 
 rus : fut. part.; cf 11,1, n.— ex eis = eorum. —Agedum, well then; 
 used, in transitions in discourse.— in ipsa est modus. The idea 
 that there can be no excess in virtue, and that in one all are 
 comprehended, seems almost general among the ancient philoso¬ 
 phers. The idea here is that a virtue can be neither more nor 
 less a virtue; there is no golden mean. Lips, (in his “Manuduc- 
 tio,” hi. Diss. 4) quotes Menedemus and Ariston (3d century b.c,) 
 as saying, “ There is but one virtue, though set ofi* under various 
 titles.” See also Cic. Be Fin. v. 23 (67); cf “ Epistles of L, A. 
 Seneca, with large Annotations,” by Thomas Morell, D.D., vol. i. 
 p. 259, on Epist. 67.— quod magiiitudine laborat sua : cf these 
 words of Livy in the Preface to his History. 
 
 XIV.—1. RationabUem; post-Aug.— porro: marks the prog- 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XIV. l.-XV. 2. 
 
 295 
 
 ress of ideas developed in the last chapter, especially the thought 
 above, agedum^ etc.—sortitis naturam, to those who have received 
 a reasonable nature. — [si hoc placet . . . coniitatu]; Fickert 
 brackets this sentence as an interpolation on the part of some 
 one desirous of explaining the words, si 'placet ista iunctura .— 
 excelsissiaiam, v. 1. excellentissimam. — voluptati . . . ancillam, 
 etc.: cf. 12, 2, n. on praegustare.—csL\A^Mi\^ = concipientis: pred. 
 gen.—temperatores = 'moderatores .—nihil coget, sc. sed. 
 
 2. ei = w, V. 1. hi; this orthography of the plur. is very rare; cf. 
 M. 83, obs. 1.— principia = precedence, the first place, a metaphor 
 drawn from military life; cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. ix. 35, 54.— mari : 
 why ablat. without preposition ? H. 425, ii. 2; B. & M. 937, 2.— 
 Syrtico : the Syrtes, Greater and Lesser, on the eastern half of 
 the northern coast of Africa; cf. Class. Diet. — 3. caecae, v. 1. 
 caeco .— habentes = ii qui habent .— quo . . . eo : ablatives of ex¬ 
 cess and deficiency ; H. 423; B. & M. 929, 30. 
 
 4. Permanere libet . . . imagine = I am disposed to continue 
 still further the comparison which I have just now employed.— 
 bestiarum . . . feras : hestia., an animal without reason, in con¬ 
 tradistinction to man; fera., a wild animal living on land, in 
 contradistinction to domestic animals; cf. Ramshorn’s Latin 
 Synonyms, p. 96. — laqueo captare, etc.: quoted from Virgil, 
 Qeorg. i, 139, 40.— latos, v. 1. magnos .— olliciis : ablat. of separa^ 
 tion; cf. M. 262.— pro ventre dependit, sc. se, he gives himself 
 over for the sake of his lelly, as Apicius, Nomentanus, etc., 11, 3. 
 
 XV.—1. confundi = .' in a good sense.—summuin bo- 
 
 nvim. — virtus .—Quia pars, etc., i. e. no part of the honorable can 
 be dishonorable; and the argument is, if pleasure as an end is 
 dishonorable, it hence cannot be part of or one with virtue, the 
 chief good. The expression is very concise, a good instance of. 
 multum in parvo. —gaudium: according to the Stoics, gaudium 
 is suited to the wise man alone, voluptas never. The former in¬ 
 dicates the emotion which is caused by delight at some real or 
 imagined good; the latter the pleasurable sensation created by 
 a high degree of pleasure through the senses—voluptuousness. 
 Cf. Ramshorn’s Latin Synonyms. 
 
 2. cousequeiitia . . . non consuminantia, i. e. they do not con- 
 
296 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 stitutc a part of the chief good.—ita demum, etc.: the invinci¬ 
 bility of virtue is conditioned only by the law that nothing is 
 preferred before or e'stiniated higher than herself. — sequitur 
 vita anxia: the man who takes pleasure as his guiding prin¬ 
 ciple becomes a slave to the caprices of fortune, and cannot en¬ 
 dure the ills of body and vicissitudes of life with the same equa¬ 
 nimity which he displays who makes virtue his aim. 
 
 3. benignus interpres : one who puts the most favorable con¬ 
 struction on the ills that befall him, and regards them as a dis¬ 
 cipline to a good end. .The spirit of the passage {quomodo Mc^ 
 etc.) reminds one of the words of St. Paul (Rom. viii. 18), “I 
 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to 
 be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”— 
 patriae . . . propiigiiator: cf. Hor. Od. iv. 9,51. 
 
 4. frangendiis: the height is to be diminished by the as¬ 
 cent ; when once the steep is scaled, it ceases to exist as a diffi¬ 
 culty to be overcome. Hence the peculiar force oijrangmdu^. — 
 legem esse^naturae, i. e. he will know that the deity or fate has 
 sent upon him all the difficulties of times and occasions; Lips. 
 
 5. illud . . . vetus praeceptum, deam sequere: Lips, quotes 
 Boethius {De Consol. Phil. i. 4) as ascribing this precept to Py¬ 
 thagoras, and Cicero {De Fin. iii. 22, 73) as attributing it to one 
 of the Seven Wise Men. The Stoics even sometimes formulated 
 this as the highest good or chief end of man. Lips, also refers 
 to Philo Judaeus (1st century a.d.) as saying {De Migrat. Abrah. 
 p. 462), “ The end, according to Moses, the holy one, is to follow 
 God.” 
 
 6. ex transverso, unexpectedly., though sent by deity or fate. 
 
 —(Jiiicquid . . . patieiidiim est:. an allusion to the doctrine of 
 fate and secondary causation. All things were connected to¬ 
 gether in a series by a universal nexus. —usurpetur: a conjectural 
 reading of Fickert’s ; Haase gives suscipiatur. The mss. vary 
 much in respect to this passage; some have, magno xisu (or nisu) 
 cripiatur ; Lips, suggests, nobis excipiatur. —sacrameiitnin : 
 
 fox jusjurandum., a military figure. As the soldiers are compelled 
 by oath to follow the standard and obey the general, so are we 
 forced to endure the casualties common to men ; hence the infer¬ 
 ence, let us endure them courageously {magno animo). Gf. Epist. 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XV. G-XVII. 1. 
 
 297 
 
 95, 35. — In regno, i. e. fortunae an verius fati; Lips. Lodge 
 translates, “ We are born under a royal domination. It is liberty 
 to obey God.”—deo parere : Lips, calls this a golden saying, and 
 quotes Philo, the Jewish writer, “ To obey God is not only better 
 than liberty, but better far than ruling.” Bee Parallels or Re¬ 
 semblances to Scripture, at end of Introduction, p. 43. 
 
 XVI. —1. qua fas est, as far as it is the dvoine will .—deuni 
 effingas. This is language worthy of a Christian, when uttered 
 from a Christian standpoint—that one should portray by his life 
 the divine attributes in such wuse as to exemplify by imitation 
 the divine being, as far as it is possible for man so to do, We 
 might almost believe that Seneca had heard of the apostle’s 
 wmrds, “Partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. i. 4). Cf. Be 
 Const. Sap. 8, 2.—pro hac expeditioiie = in return for this ener¬ 
 getic bearing.—et, even. —cogeris: fnt. pass. 2d sing. How does 
 it differ from pres. pass. ?—ex senteiitia, according to your wish. 
 
 2, sufiiciat . . . superfluat : why subj. ? H. 485 ; B. & M. 1180. 
 — iinmo superfluat : immo gives an additional emphasis, or makes 
 a correction, to what precedes; translate, nay., I should rather ask., 
 why is it {virtus or ilia perfecta^ etc.) not more than sufficient, ad 
 leate vivendum? — extrinsecus : used adjectively; cf. jDe Tranq, 
 10, 5.— opus ; predicate; H. 414, iv. note 4; B. & M. 673, obs. 4. 
 — qui . . . tendit i the wise man only has fully attained; others 
 who are striving are merely on the road, but still are in the right 
 course.— luctanti: agrees with ei. — quod, that. — adligati , . . 
 adstricti . . . destricti : observe distinction in these words. 
 See Lexicon. 
 
 XVII. —1. Quare . . . vivis ? wherefore do you talk more strictly 
 than you live f The argumentum ad hominem, here and following, 
 is one which Seneca has often had made against him. A writer 
 in the Westminster Review (July, 1867) says, “ Seneca’s position 
 was equivocal. He was immensely rich, and he professed to ad¬ 
 mire poverty. ... In his frequent eulogiums on poverty we do 
 not think he was wholly insincere, though we regret that he did 
 not recommend his theory by his practice. . . . After all abate¬ 
 ments, we allow' that Seneca was inconsistently and ungracefully 
 
298 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 rich.” Cf. also Merivale’s “ History of the Romans under the 
 Empire,” vol. vi. pp. 43,186.—verba submittis, why do you ten¬ 
 der deceitful expressions f hence, why do you flatter? 
 
 2. cultius rns, a moi'e ornamented country-seat .— naturalis usas : 
 a reference to the Stoic dogma, which the objector intimates 
 Seneca does not keep.— cur . . . coenas : cf. De Tranq. 1, 3, n.~ 
 nitidior : a reference, probably, to the magnificent citron tables 
 of Seneca; cf. De Tranq. 1, 4, n.— apiid te, at your house. Seneca 
 himself was very temperate, but he seems to have conformed 
 freely to the convivial customs of his day in respect to entertain¬ 
 ments.— vinum aetate tua vetustius: probably the celebrated 
 wine known as the Vinum Opimianum. The vintage of the year 
 when L. 023imius was consul, b.c. 121, was of unprecedented 
 quality, owing to the extraordinary heat of the autumn. A large 
 quantity was stored and preserved for many years. Cicero, in 
 his Brutus (83), some eighty-five years afterwards, mentions its 
 existence; and Pliny {Nat. Hist. xiv. 4, 5) mentions, a.d. 77, that 
 even then some of this wine still remained. It was so strong 
 and so much like rough honey, he tells us, that it could not be 
 drunk unless largely diluted with water.— cur annuum dispo- 
 iiitur? Another troublesome passage. The readings of mss. - 
 vary; Haase gives for annuum; Pincian conjectures, cur 
 
 laute domus ; Michaelis, argentum; andXipsius reads, cur autem 
 dispomtur ? — arbores .; . .-daturae: the wealthy Romans had 
 extensive -groves of laurel, cypress, and plane trees.— uxor tua, 
 i. e. Pompeia Paulina; cf. De Brer. Vit. 1, 1, n.— locupletis . . ^ 
 auribus gerit. The Roman ladies wore very costly gems on 
 their fingers and in their ears. Pliny tells of a pearl valued at 
 60,000,000 sesterces =r about $2,000,000. Seneca also speaks of 
 “ hanging from each ear the worth of two or three men’s patri¬ 
 monies ” {De Benef. vii. Q, 4).— paedagogium : cf. De Tranq. 1, 5, n. 
 — pretiosa veste ; a tunic embroidered with gold.— temere et 
 ut libet, icithout regard to order., and at each onds pleasure .— scin- 
 dendi obsoiiii magister, a master in earring. The carver is called 
 also structor and carptor. His art consisted not only in carving 
 in a skilful manner, but also in dancing, and keeping regular 
 time in his movements; cf. Becker’s “ Gallus,” p. 121. Juvenal 
 makes use of the term chironomonta {8at. v. 120). 
 
DE VITA BEATA. -XVII. 3-XIX. 3. 
 
 ‘299 
 
 3. trails mare : in Britain and elsewhere.— cur plura, sc. pos- 
 sides; plura may include both servants and lands.— plures, sc. 
 
 quorum iiotitiae memoria sufficiat: Fickert thinks Sen¬ 
 eca may have written, quorum memoriae sufficias .— Adiuvabo : the 
 reply to the objector’s criticisms begins here.— Non sum sapiens ; 
 though the Stoic held that there was such a thing as a wise man^ 
 yet he never hoped or expected to become one wholly himself.— 
 4, ohiurgare, to correct^ i. e. by words and writings, and hence to 
 repress; Lips.— sauitatem m sapientiam Stoicam. 
 
 XVIII.—1. ego enim, etc. The author modestly disclaims 
 any excellence, so that he may not be a stumbling-block to oth¬ 
 ers. He speaks rather for those who have made some progress 
 {aliquid acti). — Aliter . . . aliter = alio . . . alio, i. e., in com¬ 
 mon phrase, “You say one thing and do another.” — capita ca- 
 pitulum, post-Aug.; Lips.) : in apposition with hoc . — dicebant, 
 were accustomed to say. — Q\im=:simul ac, as soon as . — vivam quo- 
 modo oportet, / icill live as I ought. 
 
 2. VOS: accus. object of necatis; malevolence drinks its own 
 poison, and l^ecomes its own victim. — quo minus : after verbs of 
 hindering; Z. 543.— et: has force of etsi, even if. —3. Rutilius: 
 cf. Be Prov. 3, 5, n.— qiiibus : dat. of interest = in ivhose opinion . — 
 Demetrius Cynicus : cf. Be Prov. 3,3, n. — Cyuicos : cf. Ueberweg’s 
 “ Hist, of Philosophy,” vol. i. p. 92-94; Zeller’s “ Stoics,” etc., p. 
 286-290.— Tides enim ? ironical. 
 
 XIX,—1. Diodorum, Epicureum : little or nothing is known 
 of this Diodorus.— negaiit ex decreto, etc., they deny that he act¬ 
 ed in accordance with the teaching of . Epicfurus. —coiiscientiae : 
 governed hy plenus; H. 399, 3 ; B. & M. 776.— aetatis . . . actae : 
 the figure is that of a ship lying at anchor in a quiet harbor. 
 He is represented as passing a peaceful and quiet life, ajpart from 
 the sea of turmoil and strife belonging to a public career.— vobis : 
 dat. of agent. — Tixi, etc.: Virg. Aen. iv. 653. — 2. audeatis: a 
 nominal question.— Negatis quemquam : cf. 18,1, x. aliter. 
 
 3. loquantur . . . conentur: causal subj.; H. 518; B. & M. 
 1250.— omnis = owi/ies.— religere ; to release themselves from tlie 
 crosses which natural lusts and desires have erected for each 
 
300 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 one. Every man by every act of vice and by inordinate desire 
 drives a nail into his own cross, on wliicli he must pay the pen¬ 
 alty.—ad supplicium . . . pendent: yet when brought to pun- 
 4shment they hang suspended on a single beam ; i. e. those who 
 are in pursuit of wisdom are not distracted by as many desires 
 as you are.—in se ipsi; Lips, reads, in se ipsos, and makes it refer 
 to the subject of pendent^ i. e. those in the pursuit of wisdom.— 
 ant maledici, etc., i. e. the slanderers are charmed over the dis¬ 
 grace of another. 
 
 XX. — 1. non est quod: cf. De Tranq. 2, 2, n. — Studiornin 
 salutarium, etc.: a motto well worth remembering.— citra ef- 
 fectum : cf. Apuleius (quoted by Lqjsius), omnibus bonis in rdbiis 
 conatus laude^ effectus in casu est .— conantis = conantes. —2. ador- 
 natis, sc. Us: dat. of agent.— Qui, such an one .— andiain quo vi- 
 debo: by hyperbaton for videbo quo audiam ; this figure is quite 
 frequent in Seneca. The sentiment is that the approach of my 
 own death will not move me more than the news of another’s 
 death.— Ego . . . sentiam, i. e. I will look with indifference 
 upon fortune, whether she comes or goes.— hoc nomine, on this 
 account. 
 
 3. Quo eniin: the idea is, for what better purpose could nat¬ 
 ure use me than for others ?— omnis := omnes. — quod dignus ac- 
 Cipiet, which a worthy man shall receive at my hands .— nihil opini- 
 onis causa : cf. De Ira., iii. 41, conscientiae satisjiat; nihil in famam 
 laboremus.—\^oip}i\o . . . credain . . . faciam, I will believe that 
 whatever I d'oi,when I dm the only witness., is done in the sight of the 
 whole world. Similar noteworthy sentiments occur in other parts 
 of Seneca’s writings. —4. erit: what is the subject?— hos supra, 
 etc. : cf. De Prov. 6, 3,— natura, i. e. dii .— ratio dimittet, in ref¬ 
 erence to the Stoic teaching on suicide; cf. De Prov. 6, 6, n. 
 
 XXI. —1. tenuerit, \.o,.iter,cursum .—niagnis tamen excidit 
 ansis: cf. Ovid, Metam. ii. 328.—nihil novi facitis, you do nothing 
 new, that is, because you dare nothing noble and great. The 
 thought is antithetical to the first: novi, partit. gen.—hiscite, etc. 
 Those who abuse the virtuous are addressed under the figure of 
 a dog.—2. Quai’C ille philosophiae, etc.: probably an allusion 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XXI. 2-XXII. 2. 301 
 
 to some attack on Seneca himself, who was very wealthy; cf. 
 
 17.1, N. 
 
 3. noil, sc. ait ista debere contemni .—non ahig*!! ilia: Lij)sius 
 quotes the elder Seneca as saying, “ Who will reject the gifts of 
 inflowing fortune?” — abigit . . prosequitur, v. 1. . . . 
 
 prosequetur .—ubi tutius fortuna deponet . . . est ? where indeed 
 diall fortune more safely deposit her treasures than in a place whence 
 she will recover them without complaint of the restorer? —M. Cato, 
 i. e. Cato Uticensis, or the Younger; vid. Class. Diet.—Curium; 
 M. Curius Dentatus, the conqueror of Pyrrhus and the Samnites; 
 cf. De Tranq. 3,16, n.—C oruncanium : Tiberius Coruncanius, con¬ 
 sul B.c. 280, a friend of Dentatus, was the first plebeian who be¬ 
 came pontifex maximus. He was eminent as a statesman, and 
 possessed a profound knowledge of pontifical and civil law, Cf. 
 Class. Diet. — censorium crimen: a crime to be noted by the 
 censor. In b.c. 275 Corn. Rufinus, proconsul and ex-dictator, 
 was expelled from the Senate by the censors, C. Fabrieius and 
 Q. Aemil. Papus, because he possessed ten pounds of silver plate. 
 Cf. Livy, Epit. xiv.—lamellae: dat. of possession; cf. De Brev.Vit. 
 
 12.1. —quadragies — quadragies centena millia sester- 
 
 tiorum^ 4,000,000 sesterces, about |150,000; cf. Z. 873. Lips, con¬ 
 jectures, quadringenties sestertium ^ about $1,600,000.—Crassus: 
 M. Crassus, noted for his wealth, was said to have possessed es¬ 
 tates outside of Rome valued at 200,000,000 sesterces.—Censo- 
 rius Cato: the great-grandfather of Cato of Utica.—Non aniat 
 divitias . . . vult: on the whole, the best excuse which Seneca 
 could offer for being very rich, and using his riches in personal 
 and social enjoyment, while preaching the opposite; cf. 17,1, n. ; 
 also. Introduction, pp. 21, 22. 
 
 • 
 
 XXII.—1. maior materia sapient! viro, etc.: the wise man 
 alone knows how to use riches aright; the foolish abuse them.— 
 sit: consecutive subj. with after . . . dubii; H.496, 3-; 
 B. & M. 1232.—cum . . . sit . . . liabeat: causal subj. What 
 is subject of —campum ... patentem, i. e. an unobstructed 
 field of action. — staturae: descriptive gen., limits subject of 
 fuerit. 
 
 2. hoc, sc. malit; Lips, reads haec. —Quaedam: such, accord- 
 
302 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 ing to the maxims of Zeno, were riches, health, physical strength, 
 etc.—in summani rei, in respect to the chief matte)'. —adiciiiiit rr: 
 adjiciunt. —ex yirtute iiascentem : the otfspring of virtue were 
 joy and serenity of mind, as the Stoics held.—ferens ventus: cf. 
 Virg. Aen. iv. 430, expectet facilemque fugam, rentosque ferentes .— 
 hruiiia: properly, the winter solstice, used for the period near 
 tlie solstice, almost always stormy.—apriciis, exposed to the sun. 
 
 8. alia aliis : good, bad, and indifferent comj^rised the Stoic 
 category. Virtue only was good, vice only bad; all other things 
 were indifferentia —utility alone determined their relative valua- 
 - tion. Of these, some were to, preferable things; others, 
 
 ahducta. The producta were of three kinds—those of the mind., 
 of the body, and externa. Of the mind were ingenium, ars, scien- 
 tia; of the body were sanitas. xires; externa were opes, gloria, 
 ndbilitas. Of these some are preferable to others—as those of the 
 mind to those of the body ; those of the body to those external; 
 Lips.—4, cum . . . liaheaut: cf. § 1, hdbeat. — queni, as; object 
 of habeant understood.— divitiae, etc.: riches belong to me, you 
 belong to riches; in other words, riches are my slaves, you arc a 
 slave to your riches. 
 
 XXm.—1. pecuniar ablat. of separation; interdicereh some¬ 
 times used with dat. of person and ablat. of thing; A. & S. 251, 
 ‘R. 2.— paupertate : ablat. of punishment. Verbs of condemning, 
 instead of gen. of the crime, sometimes take ablat. of the punish¬ 
 ment ; H. 410, III. 5 ; B. & M. 795, obs. 3. —HaheMt philosoplms, 
 etc.: a plea in his own defence.— nec alieno . . . partas, i. e. not 
 acquired as .the spoil or confiscated property of a proscribed and 
 slain enemy. —sine sordidis quaestibus, i. e. gained without des- 
 picafcle means. — In quantum vis, as much as you please .—cum 
 . . . sint: concessive subj., although, etc. — 2. per lionesta, hy 
 honest means, Iwnestly .—Quod . . . tollat, let each one take what 
 he has recognized as his own .— 0 magnum: M. 530. —optime: adv. 
 ■—iniciat = injiciat. 
 
 3. denariiiin: a silver coin = about 18 cents. — loco: besides 
 i\iQ d.iit-yinvidere frequently has the ablat. with or without in; 
 ii^,inxidere igne rogi miseris; Lucan’s Pharsalia,\ii. 798.—hospi- 
 teutur : post-Aug., let them enjoy his hospitality. —iufruiiiti, silly, 
 
DE VITA BEATA. ' XXIII. 3-XXIV. 4. 
 
 303 
 
 or senseless. —ntrumne, whether ; never used in single questions.— 
 4. cscendere: ctDe Prm. 1, 6, n.; De Tranq. 15, 17.—IiabeMt, 
 
 i. e. he will esteem riches, yet as fleeting and transitory.—quid 
 expeditis sinum? for the purpose of receiving a gift, forsooth.— 
 rationem esse reddendam, that an account must J)e rendered for 
 stewardship .—nain inter turpes iacturas, etc., i. e. a gift unwor¬ 
 thily bestowed is thrown away.—exeant, i. e. consilio. —excidat, 
 
 1. e. casu aut leritate. 
 
 XXIV.—1. Hunc promereor, I win the favor of this one by my 
 gifts; usually construed with de and ablat.—ilium instruo, i. e. 
 I furnish him with ampler and more liberal means.—deducat, 
 etc.: one who deserves not to be taken away from higher pur¬ 
 suits, by the necessity of daily labor, on account of poverty; Lijjs. 
 reads diducat., subj. of result after dignus; H. 501, iit. ; B. & M. 
 1226.—inculcabo, i, e. upon the modest and unexacting.—nomi- 
 na facio: nomen facere means, to write items of debts in an account- 
 booTc; hence, \\GveyI never put money at interest so well as when, etc. 
 
 2. recepturus: expresses purpose, to receive again. —perditu- 
 
 rns: to squander as prodigals, really the antithesis of the thought 
 in the preceding question.—Eo loco = tali loco., a praiseworthy 
 sentiment.—domus: the household and slaves.—togatos : Roman 
 citizens, as opposed to foreigners, or Roman soldiers.—liberi . . . 
 libertiui: cf. Ramshorn’s Latin Synonyms.^ingenui,/ree-&orn.— 
 iustae libertatis: complete and legal liberty. This was obtained 
 by slaves through the process of manumission in one of three 
 ways, viz. vindicta, censu, testamento. On this subject, cf. Diet. 
 Antiq.—inter amicos datae, sc. libertatis. This was not really a 
 legal manumission, but might be revoked by the master. Of. 
 Diet. Antiq. • 
 
 3. quae = et ea .—libero aniino: a mind that acts voluntarily, 
 and is not constrained.—apud sapientem=a sapiente .—Non est 
 ergo, quod: cf. 2,1, n. ; for the subj. exaudiatis, cf De Tranq. 1, 
 
 2, N.—4. Aliud . . . aliud, one thing . . . and another .— Ille : re¬ 
 fers to which, the nearer or more remote subject ? cf Lat. Prose 
 Comp. 377,.— inter mala volutor plurima : in other words, I am 
 involved in the weaknesses and imperfeetions of human nature. 
 — ad formulam meani : according to a rule or law which I have 
 
304 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 laid down for myself to follow.—Adsecutns vero, etc., hat he who 
 has attained the height of human wisdom (i. e. virtue).—Primuiii 
 . . . senteutiaiti, firsts you are not to ^mss judgment on your betters, 
 
 6. promittam . . . aestimem: indirect questions; M. 356.— 
 si essent, boiios facerent : for the Stoics held that it was a char¬ 
 acteristic of good always to confer good; hence, that which could 
 be used both for good and evil i)urposes was not good—a not 
 very cogent conclusion.— adferentis = adferentes. 
 
 XXV.— 1. quid praestein, etc., lehat I value in them differently 
 from you; an indii’ect question; M. 356.— aliud quaiii: aliud in 
 the older writers stands with quam'va negative propositions, or 
 in interrogatives with a negative sense. In writers later than 
 Livy this distinction is not observed; M. 444, obs. 1. — suspiciain, 
 honor or res'pect. — In sublicium pontem : where mendicants were 
 accustomed to gather, because of the numbers who passed by; 
 cf. Juv. Bat. iv. 115; xiv. 132 ; Martial, Epigram, x. 5.— quid enim 
 ad rem, sc. est.ffor what is it to the case whether., etc. Again we 
 have the Stoic doctrine of suicide, his only resource under certain 
 trials and calamities. Cf. Be Prov. 6, 6, n.— deest : what is its 
 subject? B. & M. 1147 ; H. 549. 
 
 2. instrumeiitis splendentibus: such as golden and purple 
 couches, richly carved tables, etc.; cf. Be Trang. 1, 3, n. ; v. 1. 
 stramenlis. — inolle . . . aniiculum; a luxurious purple cloak 
 made of the finest wool. It was worn at supper and at ban¬ 
 quets.—purpura: purple couches and carpets; cf. Cicero, in M. 
 Anton. {Philippica), ii. 27, 67; Virg. Aen. i. 700.— cervix = 
 
 — Circense tomentum ; a cushion made of cheap wool and stuffed 
 with feathers, or more frequently with chaff and broken straw; 
 called Circense, says Lips., because they were to be purchased at 
 the Circus, or because the poor were accustomed' to lie upon 
 them at that place ; cf. Martial, Epig. xiv. 159.— praetextatus, 
 i. e. clad in the robes of office. Lips, prefers the reading, pexatus. 
 — clilamydatus. The manuscripts vary much here. Haase reads 
 gausapatus; other readings are, candidatus, causatus, camisatus, 
 canusinatus. —3. cedant . . . subtexantur : concessive subjs., the 
 particle licet being omitted.— non ob, etc., sc. taTnen. — bine il- 
 linc,/rm every quarter. — =zinfelix, infaustus. 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XXV. 4-XXVI. 5. 
 
 305 
 
 4. ille, i. e. celeberrimus. —delicatus . . . cnrrus : the triumphal 
 cliariot of LUjer or Bacchus, enriched witli gold and gems, and 
 wreathed with ivy and the grape.— atl Tliehas : Thebes, said to 
 be the birthplace of Bacchus, and to which he returned in tri¬ 
 umph from India, which country he had subjugated.—Peiiatium : 
 Fickert suggests whether iura Penatium not signify ius vitae 
 or veniam vivendi^ and quotes Macrobius, Saturn. Gonviv. iii. 4, in 
 
 . illustration. Lips, approves the reading Persarum.^ because the 
 Persians were the most powerful nation in the Orient.—fericu- 
 lum = fei'culum: in order that they might be more readily seen, 
 the most illustrious captives were borne on the ferculum on occa¬ 
 sion of a conqueror’s triumph.—non humilior, etc., i. e. I will bear 
 the same mind as I would were I the triumphing general. 
 
 5. veniant: malo sometimes is followed by the subj. with or 
 without ut., instead of the accus. with the infin, ; Z. 624.—stimu- 
 lis: as, for instance, in adversity. — frenis : as in prosperity.— 
 0. per devexum, down a declivity., i, e, without difficulty .—Acer- 
 rinias, sc. virtutes. — quae suspensuiii graduui, i. e. which ad¬ 
 vance with leisure step. 
 
 XXVI.—1. Cum hoc ita dirisum sit, since this distinction has 
 l>een made., viz., in respect to the virtues above mentioned.— vos 
 iiliter auditis, sc. quam loquor. — habere voluiniis ? sc. divitias .— 
 Divitiae enim, etc. : cf. 22, 1,4, n. — 2. iiidictum est : an allusion 
 to the customary and formal declaration of war by the fetiales; 
 vid. Livy, i. 32, 5, etc.— tamquam . . . possit . . . traiiscenderiiit 
 . . . siiit: tamquam is a particle of comparison, introducing a 
 condition of which the conclusion is omitted or implied, and is 
 usually followed by the present or perf. subj,; H, 503; A, & G. 
 312. 
 
 3. quo iUa pertineant, what end these (engines) loould serve; 
 cf. Caesar, Bell. Gall. ii. 30 ; Tac. Ann. xii. 45. —Sapienti . . , re- 
 linquet; cf. words of Bias of Priene (about n.c. 550), who, al¬ 
 though he had lost house, wealth, and everything, exclaimed, 
 “ I carry all my property with me;” cf. DeProv. 3, 3, it. — 4. ille : 
 cf. 25, 4, N.—actum vitae, course of life .—vitiorum : governed in 
 gen, by inmunis. 
 
 5. Existimatio . . . your good name. —bouae spei eiura- 
 
306 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 tio : the tliought is that men who assail virtue are to be despaired 
 of; there is no hope of moral recovery for them, since they for¬ 
 swear virtue.— sed nc dis . . . evertunt : cf De Constant. Sap. 4, 
 2, “ Even as celestial things are not subject to human hands, and 
 they that overturn temples and melt images can in no way hurt 
 god, so whatever is maliciously attempted against a wise man is 
 attempted in vaincf. also, De Benef. vii. 7, 3. 
 
 6. alas inposuit: an allusion to Jupiter’s visit, in the form of 
 a swan, to Leda, by whom he became father to Castor, Pollux, 
 and Helen.— alius cornua : he assumed the form of a bull, when 
 he ravished Europa.— saevum in deos ; Jupiter dethroned Saturn, 
 hurled Vulcan headlong to the earth, suspended Juno out of 
 heaven by her feet, etc. — raptorum, etc.: probably an allusion 
 to the seizure and abduction of Granymede, whom Jupiter made 
 his cup-bearer; cf. Class. Diet, for ancient mythology.— quibus 
 . . . actum est, etc., ty which nothing else was aimed at, etc. In 
 this we have Seneca’s estimate of the noxious tendency of pagan 
 mythology. We can judge, also, how little faith cultivated men 
 of his day put in the popular system of pagan religion then pre¬ 
 vailing.— liominibus : ablat. of separation* 
 
 7. favete linguis, i. e. Jceep silence. When the sacred name of 
 virtue has been mentioned, maintain silence if you can say noth¬ 
 ing in her praise, or in praise of those in pursuit of her. At the 
 celebration of ancient religious rites silence was enjoined, in 
 order that there might not be any disturbing influence.—Hoc 
 verbuin . . . obstrepeiite : these words are regarded by some as 
 an interpolation, but they are found in all the books, and have 
 reference to the beginning of the next chapter. 
 
 XXYII.-l. oraculo, i. e. of virtue or a virtuous man.— sis- 
 trum : a bronze rattle, according to Apuleius, used by the an¬ 
 cient Egyptians in their religious ceremonies, especially in the 
 worship of Isis. (Cf. Diet. Antiq.) The Romans became familiar 
 with its use by the introduction of Isis-worship into Italy, shortly 
 before the Christian era. The sistrum is still used in Nubia and 
 Abyssinia.— secandi . . , artifex, i. e. a priest of Bellona or Cy- 
 bele.— suspensa inanu, with sparing laurum : a symbol of 
 
 inspiration, worn by the priests of xVpollo, used here in connection 
 
DE VITA BEATA. XXVII. 1-6. 
 
 307 
 
 with ululat, to denote a claim to prophetic powers.—liiitealus: 
 after the maimer of the Egyptian priests.—diviiium, divinely in¬ 
 spired. 
 
 2 , transite, i. e. in silence; ctfamte Unguis^ 26, 7, N.— Aristo- 
 pliaui: the famous comic poet, contemporary with Socrates, etc.; 
 cf. Class. Diet. — iiiateriaiii iocoruiii, i. e. in his comedy called 
 “ The Clouds,” in which Socrates is sharply satirized as the head 
 of the tribe of sophists, and tlie corrupter of the moral principles , 
 of the youth.—maims, hand or company^ referring to other comic 
 poets of the day, as Eupolis, Cratinus, etc. 
 
 3* produci, etc., to he dragged forth and put to the test.^ as gladi¬ 
 ators and athletes.—illi, i. e. virtue.—in vadoso mari, placed in 
 the midst of a restless sea; v. 1. undoso; Lips.—4. main suo : dat., 
 to its own harm. —Papulas observatis, etc. The philosopher is 
 represented as turning upon his accusers. Cf. St. Matt. vii. 3-5; 
 St. Luke vi. 41, 42. 
 
 5. Obicite petierit pecuuiam : when he voyaged to 
 
 Sicily to meet Dionysius and Dion. — quod acceperit, sc. jjecu- 
 niam; from Alexander, who was his pupil, and who, on one oc¬ 
 casion, presented him with 800 talents.— Democrito : cf. Be Prov. 
 6,1, N. —quod consumpserit : it was charged that Epicurus ex¬ 
 pended one mina per day for articles of food.— milii ipsi, i. e. 
 Socrates, in whose mouth is put this address to the detractors 
 of the wise man. Some would refer this and the following to 
 Seneca, on account of chronological difficulties in making Soc¬ 
 rates speak of Aristotle and Epicurus, who were not born till 
 after Socrates’s death; but there is so little propriety in consid¬ 
 ering the words as coming from Seneca that it seems better to 
 regard them here as a sort of poetic license or anticipation.— 
 Alcibiadem : a man of fine abilities, but utterly lacking in moral 
 principle, although he had been a pupil and admirer of Socrates. 
 Alcibiades is the young man who is represented by Aristophanes, 
 in “ The Clouds,” as corrupted by the sophistries of Socrates. 
 Cf. § 2, N. — Pliaedrum : a friend of Plato’s, and also one of Soc¬ 
 rates’s pupils. Very little is known of him. Plato gives the 
 name Phaedrus to one of his Dialogues. 
 
 0. 0 VOS iisu maxiine, etc., i, e. happy would you be if in your 
 daily experience you would endeavor to follow the lives of wise 
 
308 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 men, since in that event you would acquire tlie name of seekers, 
 even if you could not become the possessors of wisdom ; Micha- 
 elis. — VOS; accus. of exclamation. — eo loco = faZi loco^ i. e. all 
 men are not in such condition as you. 
 
 XXVIII. — VOS, etc. Socrates continues to speak.— fortunae : 
 dat. governed'by alienum. — quibus : dat. of interest.— iiimineaut 
 . . . accesserint : indirect questions.— Quid porro ? sc. dicam .— 
 etiam si paruiii sentitis, even if you scarcely discern it .—* * * ♦ * * 
 The close of this treatise is lost. Some critics are in favor of 
 joining the imperfect treatise, Otio aut Secessii Sapientis., to the 
 present, but with no good or sufRcient reason, since its content® 
 and treatment are quite diverse from the De Vita Beata. 
 
 
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