Sénèque citations

Page 7

“Nul ne sait répondre aux bienfaits que le sage : l’insensé aussi y répondra d’une manière telle quelle, selon sa portée; le savoir lui manquera plutôt que la volonté. La volonté ne s’apprend point.”
Nemo referre gratiam scit nisi sapiens : stultus quoque, utcumque scit et quemadmodum potest, referat; scientia illi potius, quam voluntas desit. Velle non discitur.

“La mort n'est ni un bien ni un mal : en effet, il faut être quelque chose pour pouvoir être bon ou mauvais; mais ce qui en soi n'est rien et ramène tout au néant, ne nous abandonne à aucune Fortune : en effet, les maux et les biens s'exercent sur la matière. La Fortune n'a pas prise sur ce que la Nature a laissé échapper et celui qui n'est plus ne peut-être malheureux.”

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

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“La véritable joie est une chose sérieuse.”

“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.”

“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.”

“Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember.”

“The conditions of conquest are always easy. We have but to toil awhile, endure awhile, believe always, and never turn back.”

“There is no great genius without some touch of madness.”

“If one does not know to which port is sailing, no wind is favorable.”

“The wise man is joyful, happy and calm, unshaken, he lives on a plane with the gods.”

“Would not anyone who is a man have his slumbers broken by a war-trumpet rather than by a chorus of serenaders?”

“Marcet sine adversario virtus.”

“Besides, he who is feared, fears also; no one has been able to arouse terror and live in peace of mind.”

“Socrates is reported to have replied, when a certain person complained of having received no benefit from his travels: “It serves you right! You travelled in your own company!””

“The point is, not how long you live, but how nobly you live. And often this living nobly means that you cannot live long.”

“But how foolish it is to set out one’s life, when one is not even owner of the morrow!”

“All the Good of mortals is mortal.”

“As our acts and our thoughts are, so will our lives be.”

“Is it for this purpose that we are strong—that we may have light burdens to bear?”

“Pain he endures, death he awaits.”

“So near at hand is freedom, and is anyone still a slave?”

“But the wise man knows that all things are in store for him. Whatever happens, he says: “I knew it.””

“He knows his own strength; he knows that he was born to carry burdens.”

“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.”

“Fortune has taken away, but Fortune has given.”

“That which Fortune has not given, she cannot take away.”

“There is no sorrow in the world, when we have escaped from the fear of death.”

“Let us greedily enjoy our friends, because we do not know how long this privilege will be ours.”

“I am endeavouring to live every day as if it were a complete life.”

“We are weak, watery beings standing in the midst of unrealities; therefore let us turn our minds to the things that are everlasting.”

“Our luxuries have condemned us to weakness; we have ceased to be able to do that which we have long declined to do.”

“And what is freedom, you ask? It means not being a slave to any circumstance, to any constraint, to any chance; it means compelling Fortune to enter the lists on equal terms.”

“No man ought to glory except in that which is his own.”