Lucius Annaeus Seneca→Lucilius Junior|c. 64 AD|Seneca the Younger|From Southern Italy (regional)|To Sicily (regional)|AI-assisted
They are lying who want it to look as if a crowd of business affairs stands in the way of their pursuit of liberal studies: they fake their busyness, they pile it up, and they keep themselves busy on their own account. I have leisure, Lucilius, I have leisure, and wherever I am, there I belong to myself. For I do not hand myself over to my affairs but only lend myself to them, and I do not go hunting for excuses to waste time; in whatever place I have taken my stand, there I work over my thoughts and turn over in my mind something that promotes my welfare.
When I have given myself to my friends, I still do not take myself away from myself, nor do I linger with those whom some occasion has thrown together with me, or some matter arising from a civic obligation; rather, I am in the company of each and every one of the best. To them, wherever they have lived, in whatever age they have lived, I send out my mind.
Demetrius [Demetrius the Cynic, a Stoic-minded philosopher whom Seneca admired], the best of men, I carry around with me, and leaving behind the wearers of purple I talk with him, half-naked as he is, and I admire him. Why should I not admire him? I have seen that he lacks nothing. Anyone can despise all things; no one can possess all things. The shortest road to riches runs through the contempt of riches. Our Demetrius, however, lives in this way: not as though he had despised all things, but as though he had left them to others to possess. Farewell.
We are deceived by those who would have us believe that a multitude of affairs blocks their pursuit of liberal studies; they make a pretence of their engagements, and multiply them, when their engagements are merely with themselves. As for me, Lucilius, my time is free; it is indeed free, and wherever I am, I am master of myself. For I do not surrender myself to my affairs, but loan myself to them, and I do not hunt out excuses for wasting my time. And wherever I am situated, I carry on my own meditations and ponder in my mind some wholesome thought. When I give myself to my friends, I do not withdraw from my own company, nor do I linger with those who are associated with me through some special occasion or some case which arises from my official position. But I spend my time in the company of all the best; no matter in what lands they may have lived, or in what age, I let my thoughts fly to them. Demetrius, for instance, the best of men, I take about with me, and, leaving the wearers of purple and fine linen, I talk with him, half-naked as he is, and hold him in high esteem. Why should I not hold him in high esteem? I have found that he lacks nothing. It is in the power of any man to despise all things, but of no man to possess all things. The shortest cut to riches is to despise riches. Our friend Demetrius, however, lives not merely as if he has learned to despise all things, but as if he has handed them over for others to possess. Farewell.
[1] Mentiuntur qui sibi obstare ad studia liberalia 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 temporis causas; et quocumque constiti loco, ibi cogitationes meas tracto et aliquid in animo salutare converso. [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 quoque sum; ad illos, in quocumque loco, in quocumque saeculo fuerunt, animum meum mitto. [3] Demetrium, virorum optimum, mecum circumfero et relictis conchyliatis cum illo seminudo loquor, illum admiror. Quidni admirer? 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. Vale.
Seneca the YoungerThe Latin Library The Classics Page
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They are lying who want it to look as if a crowd of business affairs stands in the way of their pursuit of liberal studies: they fake their busyness, they pile it up, and they keep themselves busy on their own account. I have leisure, Lucilius, I have leisure, and wherever I am, there I belong to myself. For I do not hand myself over to my affairs but only lend myself to them, and I do not go hunting for excuses to waste time; in whatever place I have taken my stand, there I work over my thoughts and turn over in my mind something that promotes my welfare.
When I have given myself to my friends, I still do not take myself away from myself, nor do I linger with those whom some occasion has thrown together with me, or some matter arising from a civic obligation; rather, I am in the company of each and every one of the best. To them, wherever they have lived, in whatever age they have lived, I send out my mind.
Demetrius [Demetrius the Cynic, a Stoic-minded philosopher whom Seneca admired], the best of men, I carry around with me, and leaving behind the wearers of purple I talk with him, half-naked as he is, and I admire him. Why should I not admire him? I have seen that he lacks nothing. Anyone can despise all things; no one can possess all things. The shortest road to riches runs through the contempt of riches. Our Demetrius, however, lives in this way: not as though he had despised all things, but as though he had left them to others to possess. 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] Mentiuntur qui sibi obstare ad studia liberalia 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 temporis causas; et quocumque constiti loco, ibi cogitationes meas tracto et aliquid in animo salutare converso. [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 quoque sum; ad illos, in quocumque loco, in quocumque saeculo fuerunt, animum meum mitto. [3] Demetrium, virorum optimum, mecum circumfero et relictis conchyliatis cum illo seminudo loquor, illum admiror. Quidni admirer? 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. Vale.
Seneca the YoungerThe Latin Library The Classics Page