- Source
- Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Ad Lucilium Epistulae Morales, Vol 1-3. Gummere, Richard Mott, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1917-1925.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:latinLit:phi1017.phi015.humanitext-lat2:112.1-112.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Seneca explains the difficulty of training Lucilius' friend by using the metaphor of grafting onto an old vine, pointing out that a person steeped in vice does not easily change even if they show temporary regret.
Cupio mehercules amicum tuum formari, ut desideras, et institui; sed valde durus capitur,1 immo, quod est molestius, valde mollis capitur et consuetudine mala ac diutina fractus. volo tibi ex nostro artificio exemplum referre.
By Hercules, I desire your friend to be formed, as you wish, and trained; but he is taken when very hard, or rather, what is more troublesome, he is taken when very soft and broken by bad and long-standing habit. I wish to bring you an example from our craft.
Non quaelibet insitionem vitis patitur; si vetus et exesa est, si infirma gracilisque, aut non recipiet surculum aut non alet nec adplicabit sibi nec in qualitatem eius naturamque transibit. Itaque solemus supra terram praecidere, ut si non respondit, temptari possit secunda fortuna, et iterum repetita infra terram inseratur.
Not every vine tolerates grafting; if it is old and decayed, if weak and slender, it will either not receive the graft or not nourish it, nor will it attach it to itself, nor will it pass into its quality and nature. Therefore we are accustomed to cut it back above the ground, so that if it does not respond, a second fortune can be tried, and, repeated again, it may be grafted below the ground.
Hic, de quo scribis et mandas, non habet vires; indulsit vitiis. Simul et emarcuit et induruit. Non potest recipere rationem, non potest nutrire. "At cupit ipse." Noli credere. Non dico illum mentiri tibi; putat se cupere. Stomachum illi fecit luxuria; cito cum illa redibit in gratiam. "
This man, about whom you write and entrust to me, has no strength; he has indulged in vices. At once he has both withered and hardened. He cannot receive reason, he cannot nourish it. “But he himself desires it.” Do not believe it. I do not say that he is lying to you; he thinks he desires it. Luxury has upset his stomach; soon he will return into favor with her.
Sed dicit se offendi vita sua." Non negaverim.2 Quis enim non offenditur? Homines vitia sua et amant simul et oderunt. Tunc itaque de illo feremus sententiam, cum fidem nobis fecerit invisam iam sibi esse luxuriam; nunc illis male convenit.3 VALE.
”But he says he is offended by his own life.” I would not deny it. For who is not offended? Men at once love and hate their own vices. Therefore, we shall pass judgment on him then, when he has made us believe that luxury is now hateful to him; at present they are on bad terms. FAREWELL.
- 112.1capitur
The passive third-person singular of the verb capio (to take, receive, undertake). Here used metaphorically to mean 'is taken in hand' or 'is received (for training)'. Accompanied by the adjectives durus (hard) and mollis (soft), it suggests the state of raw material like clay or a tree branch being worked on.
- 112.4Non negaverim
Perfect active subjunctive first-person singular, functioning as a potential subjunctive. It expresses a mild affirmation: 'I would not deny' or 'I am not inclined to deny.'
- 112.4male convenit
An impersonal construction (third-person singular). Combined with illis (dative, 'to them', referring to the man and luxury), it means 'things are going badly between them' or 'they are on bad terms,' metaphorically resembling a temporary domestic quarrel.