§91.15Itaque formetur animus ad intellectum patientiamque sortis suae et sciat nihil inausum esse fortunae, adversus imperia illam idem habere iuris quod adversus imperantes, adversus urbes idem posse quod adversus homines.
Therefore let the mind be formed to the understanding and patience of its lot, and let it know that nothing is untried for fortune, that she has the same right against empires as against those who rule them, and can do the same against cities as against men.
Nihil horum indignandum (unnecessarily) emend to read centesimus septimus.
None of these things is to be felt indignant about (unnecessarily) emend to read centesimus septimus.
But Seneca was using round numbers.
But Seneca was using round numbers.
est.
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In eum intravimus mundum, in quo his legibus vivitur.
Into this world we have entered, in which we live under these laws.
Placet; pare. Non placet; quacumque vis, exi.
If it pleases you, obey; if it does not, exit by whatever way you wish.
Indignare, si quid in te iniqui proprie constitutum est; sed si haec summos imosque necessitas alligat, in gratiam cum fato revertere, a quo omnia resolvuntur.
Feel indignant if anything unjust has been specially established against you; but if this necessity binds both the highest and the lowest, return into favor with fate, by which all things are dissolved.
§91.16Non est quod nos tumulis metiaris et his monumentis, quae viam disparia praetexunt; aequat omnes cinis.
There is no reason for you to measure us by our tombs and these monuments which line the road in unequal sizes; ash equals everyone.
Inpares nascimur, pares morimur.
We are born unequal, we die equal.
Idem de urbibus quod de urbium incolis dico: tam Ardea capta quam Roma est.
I say the same of cities as of the inhabitants of cities: Ardea was captured as much as Rome.
Conditor ille iuris humani non natalibus nos nec nominum claritate distinxit, nisi dum sumus.
That founder of human law made no distinction among us by birth or by the fame of our names, except while we exist.
Ubi vero ad finem mortalium ventum est, "discede," inquit, "ambitio! omnium, quae terram premunt, siremps lex esto. "Ad omnia patienda pares sumus; nemo altero fragilior est, nemo in crastinum sui certior.
But when we have come to the end of mortals, "Depart," he says, "ambition! Let there be one and the same law for all things that press upon the earth." To endure all things we are equal; no one is more fragile than another, no one more certain of himself for tomorrow.
§91.17Alexander Macedonum rex discere geometriam coeperat, infelix, sciturus, quam pusilla terra esset, ex qua minimum occupaverat.
Alexander, king of the Macedonians, had begun to learn geometry—unhappy man, destined to learn how tiny the earth was, of which he had occupied a very small part!
Ita dico: infelix ob hoc, quod intellegere debebat falsum se gerere cognomen.
I say it thus: unhappy for this reason, that he ought to have understood that he was bearing a false cognomen.
Quis enim esse magnus in pusillo potest? Erant illa, quae tradebantur, suptilia et diligenti intentione discenda, non quae perciperet vesanus homo et trans oceanum cogitationes suas mittens.
For who can be great in a tiny thing? Those things which were being taught were subtle and to be learned with diligent attention, not things to be perceived by a madman and one sending his thoughts across the ocean.
"Facilia," inquit, "me doce.
"Teach me easy things," he said.
"Cui praeceptor "ista," inquit, "omnibus eadem sunt, aeque difficilia. " §91.18Hoc puta rerum naturam dicere: "ista, de quibus querelis, omnibus eadem sunt.
To whom his preceptor said, "These things are the same for everyone, equally difficult." Think that the nature of things says this: "Those things about which you complain are the same for everyone.
Nulli dare faciliora possum, sed quisquis volet, sibi ipse illa reddet faciliora.
I can give easier things to no one, but whoever wishes will render those things easier for himself." How?
"Quomodo? Aequanimitate.
By equanimity.
Et doleas oportet et sitias et esurias et senescas, si tibi longior contigerit inter homines mora, et aegrotes et perdas aliquid et pereas.
You must grieve, and thirst, and hunger, and grow old, if a longer stay among men happens to fall to you, and fall ill, and lose something, and perish.
§91.19Non est tamen quod istis, qui te circumstrepunt, credas; nihil horum malum est, nihil intolerabile aut durum.
Yet there is no reason why you should believe those who clamor around you; none of these things is an evil, none intolerable or hard.
Ex consensu istis metus est.
Their fear comes from common consent.
Sic mortem times quomodo famam.
You fear death in the same way as reputation.
Quid autem stultius homine verba metuente? Eleganter Demetrius noster solet dicere eodem loco sibi esse voces inperitorum, quo ventre redditos crepitus.
But what is more foolish than a man fearing words? Our Demetrius is accustomed to say elegantly that the voices of the unlearned are in the same place for him as noises returned from the belly.
"Quid enim," inquit, "mea, susum isti an deosum sonent?" §91.20Quanta dementia est vereri, ne infameris ab infamibus? Quemadmodum famam extimuistis sine causa, sic et illa, quae numquam timeretis, nisi fama iussisset.
"For what," he says, "does it matter to me whether they sound from above or from below?" What great madness is it to fear lest you be defamed by the infamous? Just as you have dreaded reputation without cause, so also you dread those things which you would never fear unless reputation had ordered it.
Num quid detrimenti faceret vir bonus iniquis rumoribus sparsus?
Would a good man suffer any loss when sprinkled with unjust rumors?
§91.21Ne morti quidem hoc apud nos noceat; et haec malam olitionem habet.
Let this not harm even death among us; this too has a bad odor.
Nemo eorum, qui illam accusant, expertus est.
None of those who accuse it has experienced it.
Interim temeritas est damnare, quod nescias.
Meanwhile, it is rashness to condemn what you do not know.
At illud scis, quam multis utilis sit, quam multos liberet tormentis, egestate, querellis, suppliciis, taedio.
But you do know this: how many people it is useful to, how many it frees from tortures, poverty, complaints, punishments, and weariness.
Non sumus in ullius potestate, cum mors in nostra potestate sit.
We are in no one's power, since death is in our power.
VALE.
FAREWELL.