Table Of ContentPENGUIN BOOKS- GREAT IDEAS
Ont hSeh ortonLfeife s s
Seneca
C.5 B C-AD 65
Seneca
Ont hSeh orotLfnif ees s
TRANSLATED BY C. D. N. COSTA
PENGUIN BOOKS - GREAT IDEAS
PI!NGUIN BOOkS
Publishbeytd h eP enguGirno up
Penguin Group( USAI)n c3.7,5H udson StreeNte,w Y ork,N ew Yor1k00 14,U .S.A.
Penguin Group( Canada90) E,gli n1oAnv enul!east ,S ui710e0 T,o romo,
Onlario, CanadMa4 P2 Y3( adivisi on ofP ean;oPne nguCiann adaI nc.)
PenguiBono ksL !d8,0S 1ranLdo,n doWnC 2RO RLE,nglan d
PenguIinre lan2d5S, ! S !ephenG'rse eDnu,b li2n, I relan(dadi visioonfP enguBiono ksL !d)
PenguGinro up( Australia), 250C amberwdl RoadC,am berwell,
Victo3ri1a2 4A,u stra(laidi avi sioonfP ean;oAustrnalia GrouPpr yL !dl
PenguiBno oksI ndPvti a L1dI,IC ommuniCteyn tre,
PanchshePealr k.N ewDelhi - 1100 17I,n dia
PenguiGnro up( NZ)cnr. Airborne and RosedaleR oads,A lbany,
Auckland1 310N,e wZ ealan(dadivisi on ofPcan on NewZ ealand l!d)
PenguBioonk s( SoulhAfri ca) (PrLyi)d 2.4 S nudee Avenue,
Rosebanjk,o hannesb2u1 rg9 6S,o u!hAfri ca
Penguin BooksL 1dRegist,e red Offices8:0S ttanLdo,n doWnC 2RO RLE,n gland
Fim publishedin � and L<tt<n in PenguCilasns ic1s9 97
This selectifoli"SIn publisinh Peendg uin Books( U.K.2)00 4
Firsp!u blisheind !h e UniS11ead1 oefAms e ricab yP enguiBnoo ks2 005
7 9 01 8 6
Translaticoonp yrig©h Cl. D .N .C os11a99 7
Allri gh!reseSrve d
Taken&o m !he PenguCilna sseidcsi tioonfD UJlop<.< andLm rn.
transb11 eda nde di1ebdy C .D .N .C osta
LIBRARYO P CONGRESS CATALOGINGI N PUBLICATIOND ATA
SeneGI.,L uciuAsn neausc,a 4. a c�5 AD
[Dialogi. EnglishSe.l ections]
On !hesho rmess oflire ISen eca ;rr anslab1yeG d. D.CN.o sta.
p. on.--(Greali deas)
ConwusOn: the shortnesosfllfe- --{; oruolatio1n0 H elvia--Orrna nquiloiftm yi nd.
ISBN01 43 0.3673 2
I.C onduoaf life . I.C ostCah,ar leDses mondN uttal.I IS.e necLau,a usA nnaeus,
ca4. B C�S AD. De breviatevi tae.E nglishI.n Sen.e ca, LuciusAn naeus,c a4. B C�S AD.
ConsolaadtiH oe lviamma tremE.n glish. IV SenecaL,u ciwAn naeucsa,4. ac-lAlD5.
Den-a nquilli�a!eanimi . English.V TideVI.. Se ries.
8616.D532E2500 5
188--<lc22 2005047450
Printeind th e UniteSdta teosfAm enca
Seint Monorype Dante
E.J:cepitn t hUeni teSdt atoefAms e rica,this book tsso lds ubJteoctthe condic.on
!hali ls hanlol! b,y w ayo ftt adoe ro lherwise. be lenr!e,so lhiredd. ou1o.roo:h fi'Oo"!><
circulated withoutth e publishperiro'crso nsentin any formo fbinding orc �er
other !han mali nw hichi lis publishaenddw i1hoau 1sunilar com:bnon
includi!hisn gc onditiobeni ngi mposeodn !h es ubsc:quepnwdwe1r .
The scanning. uploadianndg d islribuotif!hiso nbo ok vi!ah el memeo1r > iaan y
olherm eansw i!ho!hue1 pe rmissi ono f!h ep ublisheisr il elgaaln dp unishabbylawl .e
Pleasepurchase onlayu thorizeelde aroendiitico nasn,dd on otp articipaint eo re ncourage
electronipci raocyf c opyrigh�ed ma!CrialYso.ur su ppon of1 haeu lhorri'gsh !isS a ppreda!ed.
Contents
On theS hortnoefsL si fe
ConsolattioHo enl via 34
On TranquiolfliM tyin d 68
Ont hSeh ortnLeifses of
Most humbaeni ngPsa,u luisn, c*o mplain atbhoeu t
meanneosfsn aturbee,c auwseea rebo rn faob rr isepfa n
ofl ifaen,db ecautshei ssp eollf t imet hahta sb eegni ven
tou sr ushbeyss os wiftlayn dr apidtlhyaw ti tvhe rfye w
exceptiloinfcsee asfeostr h er esotf juuss wth enw e are
gettirnega dfyo irt N.o ri s jiutst th em ani nt hes treet
andt heu nthinkimnags so fp eoplweh og roaonv etrh is
-ast heyse ei t- univeresvailtl h:e s amef eelilnige s
behincdo mplainfrtosm evend istingumiesnh.He edn ce
thed ictuomft heg reatoefsd to ctor'sL:itif ses horatr,t
isl ongH.e'n cet oot hegri evancem,o sti mpropteora
wismea n,w hicAhri stotelxep reswsheedn h ew ast aking
naturteo t asfko ri ndulgainnigm awlist hs uchl ong
existetnhcaetsth ecya nl ivteh roufigvhe o rt enh uman
lifetiwmheisla,ef asrh ortliemri its s efto mre nw hoa re
born toa greaatn de xtensdievset iIntyi .sn ott hawte
havea shortti mteo l ivbeu,t t hawte wastae l ootf i t.
Lifiesl onegn ougahn,d a s ufficiengtelnye roaumso unt
hasb eeng ivetno u sf ort heh igheascth ievemeifn itts
were allin vweesltleB du.tw heni ti sw asteidnh eedless
luxurayn ds penotn n og ooda ctiviwtey a,r ef orceadt
lasbtyd eathfi'nsac lo nstrtaoir neta ltizhea itth asp assed
*Afri endo fS eneca's.
tH ippocrates.
Seneca
awayb efowreek newi tw asp assiSnogi .ti sw:e a ren ot
givean s hortl ifbeu tw e makei ts horatn,d w e aren ot
ill-supbpultwi aesdt efuolfi tJ.u sats w hena mplaen d
princely fwaelatllosta h b ado wneri ti ss quandeirne d
a momentb,u tw ealth howmeovdeers itf,e ntrusttoe d
a goodc ustodiiannc,r eawsietshu ses,o o url ifetime
extenadmsp liyfy oum anagietp roperly.
Why do we complaainb ounta turSeh?e h asa cted
kindllyi:fi esl onigf y ouk nowh owt ou sei tB.u to ne
manis g rippbeydi nsatigarbeleead n,o thbeyra l aborious
dedicatitooun s eletsass kOsn.e m ani ss oakeidnw ine,
anothselru ggiwsiht h idlenemsasn.i swO onrne o utb y
political amwbhiitciihos an l,w ayastt hem ercoyf t he
judgemeonfto therAnso.t hert hrouhgohp eo fp rofiits
drivehne adloonvge arl lla ndasn ds eabsy t heg reeodf
tradiSnogm.e a ret ormentebdy a passion folri faer,m y
alwayisn teonntin flictdianngg eornso theorrsa nxious
aboudta ngetrot hemselSvoemse.a rew orn outb yt he
self-impsoesrvietdu doef t hankless attone ntdhaen ce
greaMta.n ya reo ccupibeyd e ithepru rsuinogt her
peoplmeo'nse yo rc omplainaibnogut th eiorw n.M any
pursuneo fixed goalb,u ta ret osseadb ouit ne ver
changidnegs igbnysa ficklenwehsisc hi ss hiftinign,
constaanntdn evesra tiswfiietdhi tseSlofm.e h aven o
aimsa ta llf ort heilri fec'osu rsbeu,td eattha ketsh em
unawaraesst heyya wnl angui-dsloym uchs ot haIt
cannodto ubtth et rutohft haotr aculraerm arokf t he
greatoefsp to et'sI:it sa s malplar to fl ifwee reallliyv e.'
Indeeadl,tl h er esitsn otl ifbeu tm ereltyi meV.i ces
surrouanndd a ssamieln from eversyi dea,n dd o not
allotwh emt ori sea gaiann dlift theeiyre tso d iscetrnh e
2
On thSeh ortonfLe ifses
trutbhu,tk eept hemo verwhelmaenddr ooteidnt heir
desirNeesv.e cra nt herye covtehre itrru es elveIsfb. y
chancteh eya chiesvoem et ranquijlulsiatts ya , s well
remaionnst hed eespe eav eanft etrh ew indh asd ropped,
sot heyg oo nt ossianbgo uatn dn evefinrd resfrto m
theidre sirDeos y.o ut hinIka m speakionngl oyf t hose
whosew ickedneissas c knowledgLeodo?k a tt hose
whoseg oodf ortune peoplgea thetro s eet:h eya re
chokebdy t heiorw n blessinHgosw. manyfi ndt heir
richeas burdeHno!w manyb ursat b loovde ssbeyl
their eloqanudet nhceedi ar isltyri vintgos howo fft heir
talenHtosw! manya rep alfreo m constapnlte asures!
How manya rel eftn ofr eedomb yt hec rowodf c lients
surrounditnhge mI!n a wordr,u nt hrougthh ema ll,
from lowestto h igheosnte:c alflosr l egaals sistance,
anothceorm etso h elpo;n ei so nt riaanlo,t hdeerf ends
hima,n othgeirv easj udgmennto;o nem akehsi csl aim
toh imsebluft,e acihs e xploiftoeardn othesra'kseA .s k
aboutth osweh osnea measr el earnebdy h earta,n dy ou
will seet hatth eyh avet hesdei stinguimsahriknsXg:
cultivYa taensdY cultivZa t- enso o neb othearbso ut
himselAfg.a inc,e rtaipne oplree vetahle m osts tupid
indignatitohne:yc omplaaibno utth ep rideo ft heir
superiobresc autshee dyi dn oth avet imte ogi vet hem
ana udiencweh ent hewya nteodn eB.u tc an anydoanree
toc omplaainb ouatn otheprri'dsew henh eh imsenlefv er
hast imef orh imse?lY fetw hoeveyro ua ret,h eg reat
man hass ometimgeazse du pony ou,e veni fh isl ook
wasp atronizinhgeh, a sb enhti esa rtso y ourw ordsh,e
hasl eyto uw albke sihdiem B.u ty oun evedre igtnol ook
aty oursoerll fi stteoyn o urseSloyf o.u h avneo r eastoon
3
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