Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

[XII.] It was not possible to dissolve the fear concerning the most sovereign matters for someone who did not thoroughly know what the nature of the universe is, but suspected something of the matters according to the myths; so that it was not possible without natural philosophy to obtain pure pleasures. [XIII.] There was no benefit in securing safety from men while the things above remained objects of suspicion, as well as the things beneath the earth and simply those in the infinite. [XIV.] Even if safety from men has been achieved up to a certain point, the safety that arises from quietude and withdrawal from the multitude becomes the purest, in power of resistance and abundance of resources.

[XV.] The wealth of nature is both limited and easily procured; but that of empty opinions falls away into infinity. [XVI.] Chance falls across the wise man in small matters, but the greatest and most sovereign matters reason has managed, and throughout the continuous time of life manages and will manage. [XVII.] The just man is the least disturbed, but the unjust man is full of the greatest disturbance. [XVIII.] Pleasure does not increase in the flesh once the pain from want is removed, but is only varied. But the limit of the mind in respect of pleasure was generated by the rational calculation of these very things and of those akin to them, as many as used to produce the greatest fears in the mind.

[XIX.] Infinite time contains an equal pleasure to finite time, if one measures its limits by reason. [XX.] The flesh received the limits of pleasure as infinite, and infinite time provided it. But the mind, having acquired the reflection concerning the end and limit of the flesh and having dissolved the fears concerning eternity, procured the complete life, and had no further need of infinite time; nor indeed did it avoid pleasure, nor, when circumstances prepared the exit from living, did it end as though lacking anything of the best life.

[XXI.] He who thoroughly knows the limits of life knows how easily procured is that which removes the pain from want and renders the whole of life complete; so that he has no further need of things that involve struggles. [XXII.] One must reflect upon the underlying end and all the evident perception to which we refer our opinions; otherwise, everything will be full of indecision and disturbance. [XXIII.] If you fight against all sensations, you will not even have that to which you refer when judging whichever of them you claim to have been deceived.

[XXIV.] If you reject any sensation outright and do not distinguish what is opined in accordance with what awaits confirmation and what is already present in sensation, in the passions, and in every apprehending impression of the mind, you will confuse the remaining sensations with empty opinion, so that you will reject every criterion. And if you affirm in your opinionative thoughts everything that awaits confirmation and that which lacks witnessing confirmation, you will not escape error; for you will have retained every doubt in every judgment of what is correct or not correct.

[XXV.] If you do not on every occasion refer each of your actions to the end of nature, but turn aside beforehand in making either avoidance or pursuit toward something else, your actions will not be consistent with your words. [XXVI.] Among desires, whichever do not lead to pain if they are not fulfilled are not necessary, but possess an appetite that is easily dispersed whenever they appear difficult to procure or productive of harm. [XXVII.] Of the things which wisdom procures for the blessedness of the complete life, by far the greatest is the acquisition of friendship. [XXVIII.] The same conviction that made us confident that nothing terrible is eternal or long-lasting also perceived that security within these very limited bounds is most especially brought to completion through friendship.