Lucius Annaeus Seneca→Lucilius Junior|c. 63 AD|Seneca the Younger|From Southern Italy (regional)|To Sicily (regional)|AI-assisted
[1] You are right to demand that we make this exchange of letters between us more frequent. Conversation does the most good, because it slips into the mind little by little. Discussions that are prepared in advance and poured out before a listening crowd have more noise in them and less intimacy. Philosophy is good counsel, and no one gives counsel at the top of his voice. Sometimes one must indeed resort to those, so to speak, public harangues, when a man who hesitates needs to be driven forward; but where the point is not to make a man want to learn but actually to learn, one must come down to these quieter words. They enter more easily and take hold; for there is no need of many words, but of effective ones.
[2] They are to be scattered like seed: however small a seed may be, once it has taken possession of suitable ground, it unfolds its strength and from the tiniest beginning spreads out into the greatest growth. Reason does the same: it does not look extensive if you glance at it, but it grows in the doing. Few are the things that are said, but if the mind has received them well, they gather strength and rise up. The condition of precepts, I tell you, is the same as that of seeds: they accomplish much, and yet they are confined within narrow limits. Only let a suitable mind, as I said, seize upon them and draw them into itself; then it too will in turn generate much of its own and give back more than it received. Farewell.
You are right when you urge that we increase our mutual traffic in letters. But the greatest benefit is to be derived from conversation, because it creeps by degrees into the soul. Lectures prepared beforehand and spouted in the presence of a throng have in them more noise but less intimacy. Philosophy is good advice; and no one can give advice at the top of his lungs. Of course we must sometimes also make use of these harangues, if I may so call them, when a doubting member needs to be spurred on; but when the aim is to make a man learn, and not merely to make him wish to learn, we must have recourse to the low-toned words of conversation. They enter more easily, and stick in the memory; for we do not need many words, but, rather, effective words.
Words should be scattered like seed; no matter how small the seed may be, if it has once found favourable ground, it unfolds its strength and from an insignificant thing spreads to its greatest growth. Reason grows in the same way; it is not large to the outward view, but increases as it does its work. Few words are spoken; but if the mind has truly caught them, they come into their strength and spring up. Yes, precepts and seeds have the same quality; they produce much, and yet they are slight things. Only, as I said, let a favourable mind receive and assimilate them. Then of itself the mind also will produce bounteously in its turn, giving back more than it has received. Farewell.
[1] Merito exigis ut hoc inter nos epistularum commercium frequentemus. Plurimum proficit sermo, quia minutatim irrepit animo: disputationes praeparatae et effusae audiente populo plus habent strepitus, minus familiaritatis. Philosophia bonum consilium est: consilium nemo clare dat. Aliquando utendum est et illis, ut ita dicam, contionibus, ubi qui dubitat impellendus est; ubi vero non hoc agendum est, ut velit discere, sed ut discat, ad haec submissiora verba veniendum est. Facilius intrant et haerent; nec enim multis opus est sed efficacibus. [2] Seminis modo spargenda sunt, quod quamvis sit exiguum, cum occupavit idoneum locum, vires suas explicat et ex minimo in maximos auctus diffunditur. Idem facit ratio: non late patet, si aspicias; in opere crescit. Pauca sunt quae dicuntur, sed si illa animus bene excepit, convalescunt et exsurgunt. Eadem est, inquam, praeceptorum condicio quae seminum: multum efficiunt, et angusta sunt. Tantum, ut dixi, idonea mens rapiat illa et in se trahat; multa invicem et ipsa generabit et plus reddet quam acceperit. Vale.
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[1] You are right to demand that we make this exchange of letters between us more frequent. Conversation does the most good, because it slips into the mind little by little. Discussions that are prepared in advance and poured out before a listening crowd have more noise in them and less intimacy. Philosophy is good counsel, and no one gives counsel at the top of his voice. Sometimes one must indeed resort to those, so to speak, public harangues, when a man who hesitates needs to be driven forward; but where the point is not to make a man want to learn but actually to learn, one must come down to these quieter words. They enter more easily and take hold; for there is no need of many words, but of effective ones.
[2] They are to be scattered like seed: however small a seed may be, once it has taken possession of suitable ground, it unfolds its strength and from the tiniest beginning spreads out into the greatest growth. Reason does the same: it does not look extensive if you glance at it, but it grows in the doing. Few are the things that are said, but if the mind has received them well, they gather strength and rise up. The condition of precepts, I tell you, is the same as that of seeds: they accomplish much, and yet they are confined within narrow limits. Only let a suitable mind, as I said, seize upon them and draw them into itself; then it too will in turn generate much of its own and give back more than it received. Farewell.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
[1] Merito exigis ut hoc inter nos epistularum commercium frequentemus. Plurimum proficit sermo, quia minutatim irrepit animo: disputationes praeparatae et effusae audiente populo plus habent strepitus, minus familiaritatis. Philosophia bonum consilium est: consilium nemo clare dat. Aliquando utendum est et illis, ut ita dicam, contionibus, ubi qui dubitat impellendus est; ubi vero non hoc agendum est, ut velit discere, sed ut discat, ad haec submissiora verba veniendum est. Facilius intrant et haerent; nec enim multis opus est sed efficacibus. [2] Seminis modo spargenda sunt, quod quamvis sit exiguum, cum occupavit idoneum locum, vires suas explicat et ex minimo in maximos auctus diffunditur. Idem facit ratio: non late patet, si aspicias; in opere crescit. Pauca sunt quae dicuntur, sed si illa animus bene excepit, convalescunt et exsurgunt. Eadem est, inquam, praeceptorum condicio quae seminum: multum efficiunt, et angusta sunt. Tantum, ut dixi, idonea mens rapiat illa et in se trahat; multa invicem et ipsa generabit et plus reddet quam acceperit. Vale.