Lucius Annaeus Seneca→Lucilius Junior|c. 63 AD|Seneca the Younger|From Rome|To Sicily|AI-assisted
You have promised to be a good man; you have
enlisted under oath; that is the strongest chain which will hold you to
a sound understanding. Any man will be but mocking you, if he declares
that this is an effeminate and easy kind of soldiering. I <Ep1-253>
will not have you deceived. The word of this most honourable compact
are the same as the words of that most disgraceful one, to wit: "Through
burning, imprisonment, or death by the sword." From the men who hire out
their strength for the arena, who eat and drink what they must pay for
with their blood, security is taken that they will endure such trials even
though they be unwilling; from you, that you will endure them willingly
and with alacrity. The gladiator may lower his weapon and testy of
the people; but you will neither lower your weapon nor beg for life.
You must die erect and unyielding. Moreover, what profit is it to
gain a few days or a few years? There is no discharge for us from
the moment we are born.
"Then how can I free myself?" you ask.
You cannot escape necessities, but you can overcome them By force a way
is made.
And this way will be afforded you by philosophy.
Betake yourself therefore to philosophy if you would be safe, untroubled,
happy, in fine, if you wish to be, - and that is most important, - free.
There is no other way to attain this end. Folly is low, abject,
mean, slavish, and exposed to many of the cruellest passions. These
passions , which are heavy taskmasters, sometimes ruling by turns,
and sometimes together, can be banished from you by wisdom, which is the
only real freedom. There is but one path leading thither, and it
is a straight path; you will not go astray. Proceed with steady step,
and if you would have all things under your control, put yourself under
the control of reason; if reason becomes your ruler, you will become ruler
over many.
<Ep1-255>
[1] Quod maximum vinculum est ad bonam mentem, promisisti virum bonum, sacramento rogatus es. Deridebit te, si quis tibi dixerit mollem esse militiam et facilem. Nolo te decipi. Eadem honestissimi huius et illius turpissimi auctoramenti verba sunt: 'uri, vinciri ferroque necari'. [2] Ab illis qui manus harenae locant et edunt ac bibunt quae per sanguinem reddant cavetur ut ista vel inviti patiantur: a te ut volens libensque patiaris. Illis licet arma summittere, misericordiam populi temptare: tu neque summittes nec vitam rogabis; recta tibi invictoque moriendum est. Quid porro prodest paucos dies aut annos lucrificare? sine missione nascimur. [3] 'Quomodo ergo' inquis 'me expediam?' Effugere non potes necessitates, potes vincere.
et hanc tibi viam dabit philosophia. Ad hanc te confer si vis salvus esse, si securus, si beatus, denique si vis esse, quod est maximum, liber; hoc contingere aliter non potest. [4] Humilis res est stultitia, abiecta, sordida, servilis, multis affectibus et sacrissimis subiecta. Hos tam graves dominos, interdum alternis imperantes, interdum pariter, dimittit a te sapientia, quae sola libertas est. Una ad hanc fert via, et quidem recta; non aberrabis; vade certo gradu. Si vis omnia tibi subicere, te subice rationi; multos reges, si ratio te rexerit. Ab illa disces quid et quemadmodum aggredi debeas; non incides rebus. [5] Neminem mihi dabis qui sciat quomodo quod vult coeperit velle: non consilio adductus illo sed impetu impactus est. Non minus saepe fortuna in nos incurrit quam nos in illam. Turpe est non ire sed ferri, et subito in medio turbine rerum stupentem quaerere, 'huc ego quemadmodum veni?' Vale.
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You have promised to be a good man; you have enlisted under oath; that is the strongest chain which will hold you to a sound understanding. Any man will be but mocking you, if he declares that this is an effeminate and easy kind of soldiering. I <Ep1-253>
will not have you deceived. The word of this most honourable compact are the same as the words of that most disgraceful one, to wit: "Through burning, imprisonment, or death by the sword." From the men who hire out their strength for the arena, who eat and drink what they must pay for with their blood, security is taken that they will endure such trials even though they be unwilling; from you, that you will endure them willingly and with alacrity. The gladiator may lower his weapon and testy of the people; but you will neither lower your weapon nor beg for life. You must die erect and unyielding. Moreover, what profit is it to gain a few days or a few years? There is no discharge for us from the moment we are born. "Then how can I free myself?" you ask. You cannot escape necessities, but you can overcome them By force a way is made. And this way will be afforded you by philosophy. Betake yourself therefore to philosophy if you would be safe, untroubled, happy, in fine, if you wish to be, - and that is most important, - free. There is no other way to attain this end. Folly is low, abject, mean, slavish, and exposed to many of the cruellest passions. These passions , which are heavy taskmasters, sometimes ruling by turns, and sometimes together, can be banished from you by wisdom, which is the only real freedom. There is but one path leading thither, and it is a straight path; you will not go astray. Proceed with steady step, and if you would have all things under your control, put yourself under the control of reason; if reason becomes your ruler, you will become ruler over many. <Ep1-255>
Latin / Greek Original
[1] Quod maximum vinculum est ad bonam mentem, promisisti virum bonum, sacramento rogatus es. Deridebit te, si quis tibi dixerit mollem esse militiam et facilem. Nolo te decipi. Eadem honestissimi huius et illius turpissimi auctoramenti verba sunt: 'uri, vinciri ferroque necari'. [2] Ab illis qui manus harenae locant et edunt ac bibunt quae per sanguinem reddant cavetur ut ista vel inviti patiantur: a te ut volens libensque patiaris. Illis licet arma summittere, misericordiam populi temptare: tu neque summittes nec vitam rogabis; recta tibi invictoque moriendum est. Quid porro prodest paucos dies aut annos lucrificare? sine missione nascimur. [3] 'Quomodo ergo' inquis 'me expediam?' Effugere non potes necessitates, potes vincere.
et hanc tibi viam dabit philosophia. Ad hanc te confer si vis salvus esse, si securus, si beatus, denique si vis esse, quod est maximum, liber; hoc contingere aliter non potest. [4] Humilis res est stultitia, abiecta, sordida, servilis, multis affectibus et sacrissimis subiecta. Hos tam graves dominos, interdum alternis imperantes, interdum pariter, dimittit a te sapientia, quae sola libertas est. Una ad hanc fert via, et quidem recta; non aberrabis; vade certo gradu. Si vis omnia tibi subicere, te subice rationi; multos reges, si ratio te rexerit. Ab illa disces quid et quemadmodum aggredi debeas; non incides rebus. [5] Neminem mihi dabis qui sciat quomodo quod vult coeperit velle: non consilio adductus illo sed impetu impactus est. Non minus saepe fortuna in nos incurrit quam nos in illam. Turpe est non ire sed ferri, et subito in medio turbine rerum stupentem quaerere, 'huc ego quemadmodum veni?' Vale.