Sénèque citations Page 4

“La mauvaise Fortune ne brise que celui que la bonne Fortune a aveuglé.”

Consolation à Marcia (Ad Marciam de consolatione)

“Si un grand homme tombe, c'est un grand homme qui est à terre et je dirai qu'on ne le méprise pas plus qu'on ne piétine les ruines d'un temple consacré que les personnes pieuses révèrent tout autant que si les murs étaient encore debout.”

Consolation à ma mère Helva (Ad Helviam matrem de consolatione)

“Il doit nécessairement craindre beaucoup, celui qui est craint de beaucoup.”

Consolation à ma mère Helva (Ad Helviam matrem de consolatione)

“[…] un malheur n'a jamais que l'importance que nous lui accordons.”

Sénèque Citations

“Les destins conduisent celui qui veut, ils traînent celui qui ne veut pas.”

Consolation à Marcia (Ad Marciam de consolatione)

“Personne ne meurt trop tôt puisque personne n'était destiné à vivre plus longtemps qu'il n'a vécu.”

“Là où il n'y a plus d'amélioration possible, le déclin est proche.”

Consolation à Marcia (Ad Marciam de consolatione)

“Quand tu auras désappris à espérer, je t'apprendrai à vouloir.”

Consolation à Marcia (Ad Marciam de consolatione)

“Si on nous donnait le choix entre ne pas être longtemps heureux et ne jamais l'être, mieux vaudrait un bonheur prêt à s'envoler que pas de bonheur du tout.”

“On n'est jamais méprisé par autrui que si on commence par se mépriser soi-même.”

Consolation à Marcia (Ad Marciam de consolatione)

“La véritable joie est une chose sérieuse.”

Consolation à ma mère Helva (Ad Helviam matrem de consolatione)

Sénèque livre Lettres à Lucilius

Lettres à Lucilius (Epistulae morales ad Lucilium)

“Ce serait une sorte de consolation pour notre fragilité comme pour celle des choses qui nous touchent, si tout était aussi lent à périr qu’à croître; mais le progrès veut du temps pour se développer : la chute vient au pas de course.”

“La croissance est lente, mais la chute est rapide.”

Sénèque: Citations en anglais

“Nothing lasts forever, few things even last for long: all are susceptible of decay in one way or another; moreover all that begins also ends.”
Nihil perpetuum, pauca diuturna sunt; aliud alio modo fragile est, rerum exitus variantur, ceterum quicquid coepit et desinit.

Seneca the Younger livre To Polybius

From Ad Polybium De Consolatione (Of Consolation, To Polybius), chap. I; translation based on work of Aubrey Stewart
Other works

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”
Confragosa in fastigium dignitatis via est.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXIV: On gathering ideas, Line 13

“What is wisdom? Always desiring the same things, and always refusing the same things.”
quid est sapienta? semper idem velle atque idem nolle.

Here, Seneca uses the same observation that Sallust made regarding friendship (in his historical account of the Catilinarian conspiracy, Bellum Catilinae[XX.4]) to define wisdom.
Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XX: On practicing what you preach, Line 5

“And yet life, Lucilius, is really a battle.”
Atqui vivere, Lucili, militare est.

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XCVI

“The shortest way to wealth is through the contempt of wealth.”
Brevissima ad divitias per contemptum divitiarum via est.

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXII

“For sometimes it is an act of bravery even to live.”
Aliquando enim et vivere fortiter facere est

Seneca, Ad Lucilium epistulae morales, transl. Richard M. Grummere, 1920 ed., Epistle LXXVIII, pp. 181-182
Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXVIII: On the Healing Power of the Mind

“If one doesn't know his mistakes, he won't want to correct them.”
Nam qui peccare se nescit, corrigi non vult.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XXVIII: On travel as a cure for discontent, Line 9

“Just as an enemy is more dangerous to a retreating army, so every trouble that fortune brings attacks us all the harder if we yield and turn our backs.”
Quemadmodum perniciosior est hostis fugientibus, sic omne fortuitum incommodum magis instat cedenti et averso.

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXVIII: On liberal and vocational studies

“The cause of anger is the belief that we are injured; this belief, therefore, should not be lightly entertained. We ought not to fly into a rage even when the injury appears to be open and distinct: for some false things bear the semblance of truth. We should always allow some time to elapse, for time discloses the truth.”
Contra primus itaque causas pugnare debemus; causa autem iracundiae opinio iniuriae est, cui non facile credendum est. Ne apertis quidem manifestisque statim accedendum; quaedam enim falsa ueri speciem ferunt. Dandum semper est tempus: ueritatem dies aperit.

Seneca the Younger Moral Essays

De Ira (On Anger): Book 2, cap. 22, line 2
Alternate translation: Time discovers truth. (translator unknown).
Moral Essays

“It is quality rather than quantity that matters.”
Non refert quam multos sed quam bonos habeas.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XLV: On sophistical argumentation, Line 1

“Who is everywhere is nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances, but no friends.”
Nusquam est qui ubique est. Vitam in peregrinatione exigentibus hoc evenit, ut multa hospitia habeant, nullas amicitias.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter II: On discursiveness in reading, Line 2.

“Impurity is caused by attitude, not events.”
Mens impudicam facere, non casus, solet.

“Should I be surprised that dangers which have always surrounded me should at last attack me? A great part of mankind, when about to sail, do not think of a storm. I shall never be ashamed of a reporter of bad news in a good cause.”

Phaedra line 735; translation by Emily Wilson
Tragedies

“Do you seek Alcides' equal? None is, except himself.”

Variant translation: I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good.
On Tranquility of the Mind

Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens

Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), line 84.
Tragedies

“For love of bustle is not industry – it is only the restlessness of a hunted mind.”
Nam illa tumultu gaudens non est industria sed exagitatae mentis concursatio.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter III: On true and false friendship, Line 5.

“My master Attalus used to say: "Evil herself drinks the largest portion of her own poison." The poison which serpents carry for the destruction of others, and secrete without harm to themselves, is not like this poison; for this sort is ruinous to the possessor.”
Quemadmodum Attalus noster dicere solebat, 'malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit'. Illud venenum quod serpentes in alienam perniciem proferunt, sine sua continent, non est huic simile: hoc habentibus pessimum est.

Quemadmodum Attalus noster dicere solebat, 'malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit'.
Illud venenum quod serpentes in alienam perniciem proferunt, sine sua continent, non est huic simile: hoc habentibus pessimum est.
Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXI: On benefits, Line 22

“A trifling debt makes a man your debtor; a large one makes him an enemy.”
Leve aes alienum debitorem facit, grave inimicum.

“Our minds must have relaxation: rested, they will rise up better and keener. Just as we must not force fertile fields (for uninterrupted production will quickly exhaust them), so continual labor will break the power of our minds. They will recover their strength, however, after they have had a little freedom and relaxation.”

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XIX: On worldliness and retirement, Line 11.

On Tranquility of the Mind

“A sword by itself does not slay; it is merely the weapon used by the slayer.”
quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit: occidentis telum est.

Seneca is here describing arguments used by 'certain men,' not stating his own opinion.
Alternate translation: A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. (translator unknown).
Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXXXVII: Some arguments in favor of the simple life, Line 30

“"Although," said he [Cato], "all the world has fallen under one man's sway, although Caesar's legions guard the land, his fleets the sea, and Caesar's troops beset the city gates, yet Cato has a way of escape; with one single hand he will open a wide path to freedom. This sword, unstained and blameless even in civil war, shall at last do good and noble service: the freedom which it could not give to his country it shall give to Cato!”
"Licet," inquit, "omnia in unius dicionem concesserint, custodiantur legionibus terrae, classibus maria, Caesarianus portas miles obsideat; Cato qua exeat habet; una manu latam libertati viam faciet. Ferrum istud, etiam civili bello purum et innoxium, bonas tandem ac nobiles edet operas: libertatem, quam patriae non potuit, Catoni dabit.

Seneca the Younger Moral Essays

De Providentia (On Providence), 2.10; translation by John W. Basore
Moral Essays

“Men do not care how nobly they live, but only how long, although it is within the reach of every man to live nobly, but within no man's power to live long.”
Nemo quam bene vivat sed quam diu curat, cum omnibus possit contingere ut bene vivant, ut diu nulli.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XXII: On the futility of half-way measures, Line 17.

“You can tell the character of every man when you see how he gives and receives praise.”
qualis quisque sit scies, si quemadmodum laudet, quemadmodum laudetur aspexeris.

Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LII: On choosing our teachers, Line 12.

“Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your betters.”
sic cum inferiore vivas quemadmodum tecum superiorem velis vivere.

This can be related to other expressions on the ethics of reciprocity, often referred to as the variants of the Golden Rule.
Source: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter XLVII: On master and slave, Line 11

“Valor withers without adversity.”
Marcet sine adversario virtus.

“Why then do you occupy me with the words rather than with the works of wisdom? Make me braver, make me calmer, make me the equal of Fortune, make me her superior.”

Seneca the Younger Moral Essays

De Providentia (On Providence), 2.4
Moral Essays

“Tell me what to avoid, what to seek, by what studies to strengthen my tottering mind, how I may rebuff the waves that strike me abeam and drive me from my course, by what means I may be able to cope with all my evils, and by what means I can be rid of the calamities that have plunged in upon me and those into which I myself have plunged. Teach me how to bear the burden of sorrow without a groan on my part, and how to bear prosperity without making others groan; also, how to avoid waiting for the ultimate and inevitable end, and to beat a retreat of my own free will, when it seems proper to me to do so.”

Seneca the Younger livre Lettres à Lucilius

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter CXVI: On Real Ethics as Superior to Syllogistic Subtleties