Win life's race. Seneca, Epistles 4.30.13-14

How to prepare for pain, and death: reflect that no great pain lasts long, and that the arrival of death should be greeted with joy rather than terror, as a blessing the gods grant to crown mortal success.

Fateor ergo ad hominem mihi carum ex pluribus me causis frequentius venisse, ut scirem an illum totiens eundem invenirem, numquid cum corporis viribus minueretur animi vigor; qui sic crescebat illi quomodo manifestior notari solet agitatorum laetitia cum septimo spatio palmae appropinquat. Dicebat quidem ille Epicuri praeceptis obsequens, primum sperare se nullum dolorem esse in illo extremo anhelitu; si tamen esset, habere aliquantum in ipsa brevitate solacii; nullum enim dolorem longum esse qui magnus est. Ceterum succursurum sibi etiam in ipsa distractione animae corporisque, si cum cruciatu id fieret, post illum dolorem se dolere non posse. Non dubitare autem se quin senilis anima in primis labris esset, nec magna vi distraheretur a corpore. Ignis qui valentem materiam occupavit aqua et interdum ruina exstinguendus est: ille qui alimentis deficitur sua sponte subsidit.

I confess that I often visited Bassus, who was dear to me for so many reasons, just to see whether I would find him always the same, or if the vigor of his mind would decline along with his bodily strength. His mind actually grew stronger and more alive, rising like the joy evident in the face of charioteers approaching the palm of victory at the close of their seventh, and last, lap. He would say that he followed closely the instruction of Epicurus, which was first to hope that no pain accompanied our last breath, but then, if pain were present, to take solace in its being necessarily brief—for no long-lasting pain is ever great. Bassus declared that pain itself would be a welcome distraction for soul and body in his final moment, since he would be incapable of suffering anything at all after it, no matter how awful its torture might be. He had no doubt but that his ancient soul was on the brink of escape, that drawing it from his body would not require much effort. “The fire that has taken hold of something substantial must be extinguished with water and the occasional crushing stamp; but flames lacking fuel go out of their own accord.” His words.