Face death without flinching. Seneca, Epistles 4.30.6-8

Seneca discusses the way death affects us. In general, we flee her. Then, confronted with the inevitable in some quick moment, we rush to close and end things at once (like a cowardly gladiator, who would rather live, but rushes to die quickly when escape is impossible). Not every death will allow this, though. Some come slowly and wait, denying every escape. These demand courage. We must face death, knowing her, and not flinch. Such courage is the fruit of wisdom, Seneca says.

Ergo inquit mors adeo extra omne malum est ut sit extra omnem malorum metum. Haec ego scio et saepe dicta et saepe dicenda, sed neque cum legerem aeque mihi profuerunt neque cum audirem iis dicentibus qui negabant timenda a quorum metu aberant: hic vero plurimum apud me auctoritatis habuit, cum loqueretur de morte vicina. Dicam enim quid sentiam: puto fortiorem esse eum qui in ipsa morte est quam qui circa mortem. Mors enim admota etiam imperitis animum dedit non vitandi inevitabilia; sic gladiator tota pugna timidissimus iugulum adversario praestat et errantem gladium sibi attemperat. At illa quae in propinquo est utique ventura desiderat lentam animi firmitatem, quae est rarior nec potest nisi a sapiente praestari.

“Death is so far beyond every mortal evil,” Bassus said, “that she is also beyond every fear such evils inspire.” Sentiments like this have often been uttered, I know, and indeed they demand utterance, becoming cliché, but I have never taken any profit from them when reading or hearing them in the mouths of people far removed from the terror they affect to despise. Bassus had much more power over me, because he spoke of death when she was near. I will tell you what I feel: I believe that the man in death's grasp is stronger than the one who has only just drawn near to her. The prospect of death gives courage even to cowards, inspiring them to cease avoiding the inevitable. In this fashion, the gladiator who has fled for an entire fight finally presents his neck to the foe, whose wandering blade he guides against himself. The death that stands close without closing requires a different cast of mind than this, one that is tough, firm, and quite hard to find―so rare that only the wise can reveal it.