The False Excuse of Business and Mental Freedom with the Sages — Seneca the Younger, Moral Letters to Lucilius 62.1–62.3, Latin & English

§62.1

Mentiuntur, qui sibi obstare ad studia liberali¹ turbam negotiorum videri volunt; simulant occupationes et augent et ipsi se occupant. Vaco, Lucili, vaco et ubicumque sum, ibi meus sum. Rebus enim me non trado, sed commodo, nec consector perdendi temporis² causas. Et quocumque constiti loco, ibi cogitationes meas tracto et aliquid in animo salutare converso.

They lie, who wish it to appear that a crowd of affairs stands in their way to liberal studies; they feign occupations and magnify them and busy themselves. I am free, Lucilius, I am free, and wherever I am, there I am my own master. For I do not surrender myself to affairs, but merely lend myself to them, and I do not hunt for excuses for wasting time. And in whatever place I have halted, there I handle my thoughts and turn over in my mind something salutary .

§62.2

Cum me amicis dedi non tamen mihi abduco, nec cum illis moror, quibus me tempus aliquod congregavit aut causa ex officio nata civili, sed cum optimo quoque³ sum; ad illos, in quocumque loco, in quocumque saeculo fuerunt, animum meum mitto.

When I have given myself to my friends, I do not nevertheless withdraw myself from myself, nor do I linger with those with whom some chance occasion or some cause arising from public duty has brought me together, but I am with all the best men; to them, in whatever place, in whatever age they lived, I send my mind.

§62.3

Demetrium, virorum optimum, mecum circumfero et relictis conchyliatis cum illo seminudo loquor, illum admiror. Quidni admirer?⁴ Vidi nihil ei deesse. Contemnere aliquis omnia potest, omnia habere nemo potest. Brevissima ad divitias per contemptum divitiarum via est. Demetrius autem noster sic vivit, non tamquam contempserit omnia, sed tamquam aliis habenda permiserit.⁵ VALE.

I carry Demetrius, the best of men, about with me, and leaving behind the purple-clad, I speak with him who is half-naked, and admire him. Why should I not admire him? I have seen that nothing is lacking to him. Anyone can despise all things; no one can have all things. The shortest path to riches is through the contempt of riches. But our Demetrius lives in such a way, not as if he has despised all things, but as if he has left them for others to possess. FAREWELL.

Syntax notes5 items

62.1studia liberali
Usually emended to 'studia liberalia' (liberal studies) in modern editions. It is treated as the accusative plural neuter of the adjective 'liberalis' modifying 'studia', or a simple copyist's error, meaning 'liberal studies' or 'intellectual pursuits'.
62.1perdendi temporis
A genitive gerundive construction. The noun 'temporis' agrees with the gerundive 'perdendi' in gender and number (neuter singular), and the whole phrase functions as a genitive modifier of the noun 'causas' (excuses, causes).
62.2optimo quoque
The superlative adjective 'optimus' combined with 'quisque' (each) conveys a collective meaning while retaining individual force, meaning 'all the best' or 'everyone who is best'.
62.3Quidni admirer?
The present subjunctive 'admirer' (first-person singular) combined with the interrogative 'quidni' (why not) is a deliberative subjunctive, functioning as a rhetorical question: 'Why should I not admire?'
62.3aliis habenda permiserit
The word 'habenda' is the gerundive (neuter accusative plural) of 'habere', acting as a predicative adjunct to the unexpressed object of 'permiserit' (referring to 'omnia'), expressing purpose: 'left them to be possessed by others.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:latinLit:phi1017.phi015.humanitext-lat2:62.1-62.3