Here are some quotes from the great ancient philosopher... Seneca (the Younger).
His words and thoughts span 2,000 years and his truth is just as alive today.
These quotes here are written first in Latin... then in English.
Seneca is a powerful spokeman for the Stoic philosophy which emphasises Man's ability to
overcome Fate's slings et arrows.
ENCIPE! (BEGIN!)
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QUOTES FROM SENECA
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Sicut precaris vitae, morem stude.
(on Providence)
Just as you pray for life, study Death.
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Fortunae opprimit formidabilis est solum cum inexpectatus venit;
sustinet cum facile si vir pro et semper vigililis.
(Helvia)
Fortune's assult is formidable only when it comes as a surprise; it is sustained with ease if one is always on the alert for it.
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Non potest ut quicquam malum, bonus vir.
(on Providence)
It is not possible that anything evil can befall a good man.
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Fortuna non potestas est supra unus quis scit mori.
(Suicide)
Fortune is powerless over one who knows how to die.
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Per luxuriam et neglegentiam cum vita dissipo est et pro non bono finio consumes,
scimus reliquebat....prior cognitamus ibat.
(Shortness of Life)
When Life is squanderredd through luxury and indifference and spent for no good end,
we realize it is gone before we were aware it is gone.
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Omnibus latuibus vitabus circumimur et obsumus quae licent non nos surgere
et tollere oculi nostrum sapienti veritatis sed tenent et nos vinciunt.
(Shortness of Life)
On all sides, we are surrounded and beset by vices which do not permit uss to surge
and to life our eyes to the wisdom of Truth but hold and chain us.
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Cum necesse est tu relinquis vita, quomodo tardus hora incepere vivere.
(Shortness of Life)
When you must depart from life, how late the hour to begin to live.
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Quod posse surgere altier ut vir quis altissime quam fortuna est?
(Shortness of Life)
What is able to rise higher than the man who is higher than Fortune?
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Quot vita vostrum alius furebantur sine sciris, quot vitae peribas?
(Shortness of Life)
How much life of yours has, by others, been pilferred without you knowing...
how much of life have you lost?
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Ubi est non certus pretium supra tempi; viri id utuntur ut sic id sine preti venit.
(Shortness of Life)
There is no certain value upon time...men use it as if it comes without price.
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Cum necesse est tu relinquis vita, quomodo tardus hora incepere vivere.
(Shortness of Life)
When you must depart from life, how late the hour to begin to live.
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Honores, monumentumi omnus ut ambitio proferebat in inscriptibus aut saxo altus acervo
celeriter pernicei mergent; est nihil tempus non perit et delet.
(Shortness of Life)
Honors, monuments, all that ambition has brought forth in inscriptions or piled high in
stone will speedily sink to ruin; there is nothing that time does not dilapidate or
exterminate.
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Pendite ratiem tuus et numerite dies vitam tuus: ut residuum parvisier est et plurimum faecisem videbis.
(Shortness of Life)
Balance your account and count the days of your life. You will see that the residue is very small and mostly dregs.
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Tempus non vocabit attentiam ipse celereitae
(Shortness of Life)
Time will not call attention to its' speed
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Immoderates omnis iniures sunt sed rem secunda intemperanem gravis maximus est.
(Providence)
All excesses are injurious but immoderate prospseerity is the most dangerous.
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Ratio quis humanus et di rem portaat irrevocabilis est.
(Providence)
The course that carries human afffairs and divine is irrevocable.
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Natura patitur nunquam bonum laesurus esse bono; inter bonum et di amicitas sunt virta dum vinculum.
(Providence)
Nature never allows the good to be harmed by the good; beetween good men and the gods there is a friendship with virtue as the bond. (chain)
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Incediumo aurum conatus est, vir fortis fortuna adversa.
(Providence)
Gold is tried by fire, brave men by misfortune.
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Scio ut omnis res lexi perferunt quod fixus et immortalitas est.
(Providence)
I know all things are carried forth by law which is fixed eternal.
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Sis deus superes; perferens mlus eximet (reliquit), ad id susper surgis.
(Providence)
You can surpass a god; he is exempt from enduring evil, you rise superior to it.
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Humanitas motio perpetuus est; mundum hunc mutabilis cotidie est.
(Helva)
Humanity is in perpetual motion; in this world there is change daily.
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Sapiens nec animus elatus copia neque animus afflectus resebus adversebus.
(Helvia)
The sage is neither elated by prosperity nor depressed by adversity.
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Vir qui luxu non tenet, sub calamitati non concedit
(Helva)
The man who is not held up by luxury woes not collaspe under adversity.
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Quoquamque virum excellentia est pars exterior viri potens panit; potest dari nec adimi.
(Helva)
Whatever is excellent in man lies outside man's power; neither can it be given nor taken away.
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Vir qui intus vinculo naturae se tenet...non paupertatem tanget; sed onus qui illa vincules excedet
pauperate insecto erit etiam maxime luxum.
(Helva)
A man who keeps himself within the bounds of nature will not feel (touch) poverty; but one who exceeds those bounds will be pursued by poverty even in the greatest luxury.
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Animus est ut viros dives facit.
(Helva)
It is the mind that makes men rich.
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Olim virtus animum tuus tenebat, virtus invulnerabilis animum tuus faciet.
(Helva)
Once virtue has touched your spirit, virtue will render it invulnerable.
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Nemo ullo odisse nisi prima se odit.
(Helva)
Noone can be despised by another unless he is first despised by himself.
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Vir sapiens domicillo ubique est.
(Helva)
The wise man is at home everywhere.
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Aviditati nihil satietem est.
(Helva)
For Greed, nothing is enough.
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Animus est ut viros dives facit
(Helva)
It is the mind that make men rich
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Ubi periculum omnibus latibus minatur, vir virtus novult minuere aut virtus eius abdere.
(Tranquility)
When danger from all sides threatens, the true man does not wish to lesssen or hide away his virtue.
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Si supra finem viae tuus videat, non ut poenam sed dum lex naturae et metum moris cordi tuus iacis tum non alius metus veniet.
(Helva)
If you look upon the end of your life not as punishment but as a law of nature and have cast fear of death from your heart, then no other fear will venture into it.
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Viri locis altus, non invidamus quod altus spectat, incertus est.
( Tranquility)
We should not envy men in high places, what looks lofty is precarious.
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Esti virtus non sciri sit, nunquam tota nescit est, signa praesentae eius dat et dignus conabitur eam invenire.
(Tranquility)
Although virtue may not be known, never is it totally not known; it gives signs of its presence and the worthy will attempt to find it.
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Mors, captivitas, ruina, ignis certus sunt; non illus inexpectatus sunt.
(Tranquility)
Death, captivity, ruin, fire are actualities; non of them is unforseen.
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Dumado vivit, vir discat quomodo vivere.
(The Sole Good)
As long as man lives, a man should know how to live.
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Vir sapiens non requirit ambulare timidus et praetendit viam suis.
(Tranquility)
The wise man does not need to walk timidly and grope his way.
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Loco non tui si non ubi es.
(Philosophy et Progress)
A place is not yours if you are not there.
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Viri magni etiam viruti cedunt carmeni elegantae.
(Philosophy et Progress)
Even great men fall from virtue by the charm of eloquence.
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Vir ad exemplem laborat, fastidiosa contemponis necesse est.
(Suicide)
A man making his way to an ideal must be contemptuous of contempt.
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Bonum solum...est quid animam vetior facit.
(The Sole Good)
The only good is what makes the soul better.
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Sapientia scientia est rerum divinus et humanus.
(Philosophy)
Wisdom is knowledge of things divine and human.
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Contra virtus calamitas, amisso, et iniuria non potens habent.
(A Happy Life)
Against virtue, disaster, losses and injury have no power.
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Dies festus observere sine stimulua ipse potest.
(Holidays)
It is possible to observe holidays without self indulgence.
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Profer aliquid proprius!
(Maxims)
Bring forth something of your own!
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Vir qui alius sequitur non solum nihil invenit; ne etiam videns est.
(Maxims)
The man who follows another finds nothing; he is not even looking.
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Anima viri sapiens qualis dei habeat.
(A Happy Life)
The soul of a wise man should have the quality of a god's.
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Ars quisque assimilis natural est.
(Causes)
Every art is an imitation of nature.
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Nonne vir sine Deus bonum est.
(God in Man)
No man is good without God.
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Qualis viatis gravis maior est quam loco.
(Travel)
The quality of the travelor is more important than the place.
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Quid infelix maior posse ut vir sub necessitas (vir) malus esse?
(Clemency)
What can be more unhappy than a man under compulsion to be bad?
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Vir qius celer condemet, procul non gaudet condemnere.
(Clemency)
A man who quickly condems, not far is he glad to condem.
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Fac non conspicuus vestimentum et vita tuus!
(Moderation)
Do not make your dress or mode of life conspicious!
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Cognita longe utrum vir admittet tuus amicitae sit.
(Friendship)
Think long whether a man should be admitted to your friendship.
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Quod evadas?
Multitudo dico...numquam ingenium idem reddo ut me tuli.
(Crowds)
What should you avoid?
Crowds I say.
I never return the same character I took with me.
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Fiducens omnibus et fiducens nemo ambo inuiram.
(Friendship)
Trusting all and trusting no one are both wrong.
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Consocite virumm quis te emendant, admittee virum quis emendare potes.
(Crowds)
Associate with men who may improvve you, admit men who you are able to improve.
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Contactus multitude non bonum est; vitium lepidus faciet nobis ante etiam et scimus.
(Crowds)
Contact with the crowd is not good; vice will be made attractive too us even before we know it.
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THE END
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