Free to serve philosophy. Seneca, Epistles 1.8.7-10

Seneca ends his epistle quoting Epicurus, Publilius Syrus, and Lucilius. He emphasizes that wisdom is available in many places where people might not expect it, notably the farces that were sort of like ancient Roman memes or Youtube clips: simple plays presented by actors who did not have any special training. Contrary to what some might think, it is not wrong to look outside cultural boundaries for wisdom. A Stoic can find wisdom in Epicurean philosophy, in poetry, in low comedy, in his friends' conversation, and in his own mind. If you serve philosophy well, you are free to find her everywhere. <Latin>.

Sed iam finis faciendus est et aliquid, ut institui, pro hac epistula dependendum. Id non de meo fiet: adhuc Epicurum compilamus, cuius hanc vocem hodierno die legi: philosophiae servias oportet, ut tibi contingat vera libertas. Non differtur in diem qui se illi subiecit et tradidit: statim circumagitur; hoc enim ipsum philosophiae servire libertas est.

Potest fieri ut me interroges quare ab Epicuro tam multa bene dicta referam potius quam nostrorum: quid est tamen quare tu istas Epicuri voces putes esse, non publicas? Quam multi poetae dicunt quae philosophis aut dicta sunt aut dicenda! Non attingam tragicos nec togatas nostras: habent enim hae quoque aliquid severitatis et sunt inter comoedias ac tragoedias mediae. Quantum disertissimorum versuum inter mimos iacet! Quam multa Publilii non excalceatis sed coturnatis dicenda sunt!

Unum versum eius, qui ad philosophiam pertinet et ad hanc partem quae modo fuit in manibus, referam, quo negat fortuita in nostro habenda: alienum est omne quidquid optando evenit. Hunc sensum a te dici non paulo melius et adstrictius memini (*): Non est tuum, fortuna quod fecit tuum. Illud etiamnunc melius dictum a te non praeteribo: dari bonum quod potuit auferri potest. Hoc non imputo in solutum: de tuo tibi. Vale.

But now I must put an end to this epistle, and offer you something valuable in return for the effort of reading it—as is my custom. It will not come from me. We are still plundering the store of Epicurus, in whose work I read this utterance today: "It is right that you should serve philosophy, in order that you may thereby touch true liberty." The one who has done this, handing himself to philosophy as her subject, does not waste his attention each day. He is constantly moving, going about her business. This is precisely what true liberty means: to serve philosophy.

Perhaps you shall ask me now why I quote so many fine sayings from Epicurus rather than look at our own authors. Don't you suppose that these aphorisms of Epicurus are viable for public use? Why not? How many poets utter things that were said, or should be said, by philosophers! Looking for wisdom among poets, I won't restrict myself even to tragedies or our own toga-clad dramas, which carry some gravity, portraying events midway between comedy and tragedy. How many wise verses lie buried in farces! (†) How many sayings of Publilius (‡) deserve to be uttered not by hacks, but by the finest tragic actors!

I shall quote one verse of his that pertains to philosophy, specifically to the doctrine that was just discussed, viz. that chance-outcomes lie outside our power: "What happens by wish does not belong to us." I recall that you once put this observation to words even better, with less waste: "The gifts of fortune are not yours." At this point I certainly am not going to overlook an even better saying of yours: "Any benefit that can be given can be taken away." You owe me nothing for these gems, which come back to you from your own store. Farewell.

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(*) I prefer the readings of Bücheler (sensum) and Muretus (et) to the MSS, which offer versum and sed.

(†) Ancient Romans were familiar with many different genres of poetry. Seneca mentions four that were performed regularly for audiences in public and private shows: (1) tragedy, generally agreed to be very serious and sublime, with mythological themes and story-arcs inherited from the Greeks; (2) comedy, which presented stock characters going about their daily lives in situations reminiscent of Shakespeare and some sit-coms, with a Greek flavor but not serious; (3) toga-clad dramas, which were Roman creations, walking the line between tragedy and comedy similar to Shakespeare's historical plays; and (4) farces, which were simplified presentations of stock scenes from all the other genres. Tragedy was high culture; farces were low. Seneca enjoyed both, and even wrote some tragedies himself, to mixed acclaim: he was no Sophocles, but his audience were not classical Athenians, either.

(‡) Publilius Syrus (floruit 85-43 BCE) was a slave taken from Syria, as his name indicates, and freed eventually by his master, a member of the gens Publilia who had him educated and supported his career as a successful writer of farces. His one-liners were so good that a collection was made, and it survives today as the Sentences.