Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Lucius Annaeus Senecawas a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionStatesman
conscience punishment sinner
The first and greatest punishment of the sinner is the conscience of sin.
adversity
No untroubled day has ever dawned for me.
prayer
Do not ask for what you will wish you had not got.
anger best
The deferring of anger is the best antidote to anger.
branch clear devote notions remarkable science shun toil
Shun no toil to make yourself remarkable by some talent or other; yet do not devote yourself to one branch exclusively. Strive to get clear notions about all. Give up no science entirely; for science is but one.
achieved becomes flight home internal moral morality unsettled
I never come back home with the same moral character I went out with; something or other becomes unsettled where I had achieved internal peace; some one or other of the things I had put to flight reappears on the scene.
both fear help meanest none power stand
There is none made so great, but he may both need the help and service, and stand in fear of the power and unkindness, even of the meanest of mortals.
call names
Call it Nature, Fate, Fortune; all these are names of the one and selfsame God.
crime-and-criminals
He has committed the crime who profits by it.
cast raised
Whatever fortune has raised to a height, she has raised only to cast it down.
service
You must live for another if you wish to live for yourself.
amuse anxious blessings content dependence either enjoy fears great happiness hopes mankind ourselves rest satisfied true wants whatever wise wishing within
True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.
confess laid people waking
Why do people not confess vices? It is because they have not yet laid them aside. It is a waking person only who can tell their dreams.
cute-love love sweet-love true whom
Those whom true love has held, it will go on holding.