Adversity as the Tax of Life and Living as Military Service — Seneca the Younger, Moral Letters to Lucilius 96.1–96.5, Latin & English

§96.1

Tamen tu indignans aliquid aut querens¹ et non intellegis nihil esse in istis mali nisi hoc unum, quod indignans et querens? Si me interrogas, nihil puto viro miserum nisi aliquid esse in rerum natura,² quod putet miserum. Non feram me,³ quo die aliquid ferre non potero. Male valeo; pars fati est. Familia decubuit, faenus offendit, domus crepuit, damna, vulnera, labores, metus incucurrerunt; solet fieri. Hoc parum est; debuit fieri.

Yet you are indignant at something or complaining, and you do not understand that there is nothing of evil in those things except this one thing, that you are indignant and complaining? If you ask me, I think nothing is wretched for a man except that there is something in the nature of things which he thinks is wretched. I will not endure myself on the day when I am unable to endure something. I am in bad health; it is part of fate. My household has fallen ill, my investments have met with a setback, my house has creaked, losses, wounds, labors, fears have rushed in upon me; it is accustomed to happen. This is too little; it ought to happen.

§96.2

Decernuntur ista, non accidunt. Si quid credis mihi, intimos adfectus meos tibi cum maxime detego; in omnibus, quae adversa videntur et dura, sic formatus sum: non pareo deo, sed adsentior. Ex animo illum, non quia necesse est, sequor. Nihil umquam mihi incidet, quod tristis excipiam, quod malo vultu. Nullum tributum invitus conferam. Omnia autem, ad quae gemimus, quae expavescimus, tributa vitae sunt; horum, mi Lucili, nec speraveris immunitatem nec petieris.

Those things are decreed, they do not happen by chance. If you believe me at all, I am disclosing my innermost feelings to you at this very moment; in all things which seem adverse and hard, I am so formed: I do not obey God, but I agree with Him. I follow Him from my heart, not because it is necessary. Nothing will ever happen to me which I will receive with sadness, or with a bad face. I will pay no tribute unwillingly. But all things at which we groan, which we dread, are the tributes of life; of these, my Lucilius, you should neither hope for nor seek immunity.

§96.3

Vesicae te dolor inquietavit, epistulae venerunt parum dulces, detrimenta continua, propius accedam, de capite timuisti. Quid, tu nesciebas haec te optare, cum optares senectutem? Omnia ista in longa vita sunt, quomodo in longa via et pulvis et lutum et pluvia. "

Pain of the bladder has disquieted you, letters have arrived that are not very sweet, continuous losses—I will come closer—you feared for your life. What, did you not know that you were wishing for these things when you wished for old age? All those things are in a long life, just as both dust and mud and rain are in a long journey.

§96.4

Sed volebam vivere, carere tamen incommodis omnibus." Tam effeminata vox virum dedecet. Videris, quemadmodum hoc votum meum excipias; ego illud magno animo, non tantum bono facio: neque di neque deae faciant, ut te fortuna in deliciis habeat.⁴

”But I wanted to live, yet to be free from all discomforts.” Such an effeminate voice is unbecoming to a man. You will see how you receive this wish of mine; I make it with a great mind, not merely with a good one: may neither gods nor goddesses allow fortune to keep you in luxury.

§96.5

Ipse te interroga, si quis potestatem tibi deus faciat, utrum velis vivere in macello an in castris. Atqui vivere, Lucili, militare est. Itaque hi, qui iactantur et per operosa atque ardua sursum ac deorsum eunt et expeditiones periculosissimas obeunt, fortes viri sunt primoresque castrorum; isti, quos putida quies aliis laborantibus molliter habet, turturillae sunt, tuti contumeliae causa.⁵ Vale. THE EPISTLES OF SENECA

Ask yourself, if some god should give you the choice, whether you would wish to live in a market or in a camp. And yet to live, Lucilius, is to do military service. Therefore those who are tossed about and go up and down through painful and steep places and undergo the most dangerous expeditions, are brave men and the leaders of the camp; those whom a rotten ease holds softly while others labor, are turtle-doves, safe by reason of their ignominy. Farewell. THE EPISTLES OF SENECA

Syntax notes5 items

96.1indignans aliquid aut querens
A construction where the finite verb (such as 'es') for 'tu' is omitted, or the participles are acting attributively or appositively to the subject. This translation treats them as modifying 'tu' in coordination with 'et non intellegis' ('you, while being indignant... do not understand?').
96.1aliquid esse in rerum natura
An accusative with infinitive (ACI) construction introduced by the conjunction of exception 'nisi'. It limits 'nihil' in the preceding clause, meaning 'except that there is something...'.
96.1Non feram me
An expression using the verb 'ferre' (to bear, tolerate, or carry on). It plays on the double meaning of bearing the burdens of life ('aliquid ferre') and bearing oneself (continuing to live, 'me ferre'), thus implying a readiness for suicide.
96.4faciant, ut te fortuna in deliciis habeat
The hortatory or optative subjunctive 'faciant' expressing a wish ('may neither gods nor goddesses make...'). The 'ut' clause is a noun clause of result or effort depending on 'faciant', with 'in deliciis habere' meaning 'to keep in luxury/pamper'.
96.5tuti contumeliae causa
The adjective 'tuti' (safe) is paired with 'causa' modifying the genitive 'contumeliae' (contempt/ignominy). It is a cynical stoic remark: they are safe from danger only because they are too despicable to be noticed or attacked.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:latinLit:phi1017.phi015.humanitext-lat2:96.1-96.5