No greatest hits. Seneca, Epistles 4.33.1-2

Seneca looks askance at Lucilius' request for great quotes. Ancient students would try to summarize philosophers in their most characteristic aphorisms, which they wanted to be as poignant and poetic as possible. Seneca thinks this approach is ultimately a mistake.

Desideras his quoque epistulis sicut prioribus adscribi aliquas voces nostrorum procerum. Non fuerunt circa flosculos occupati: totus contextus illorum virilis est. Inaequalitatem scias esse ubi quae eminent notabilia sunt: non est admirationi una arbor ubi in eandem altitudinem tota silva surrexit. Eiusmodi vocibus referta sunt carmina, refertae historiae. Itaque nolo illas Epicuri existimes esse: publicae sunt et maxime nostrae, sed illo (†) magis adnotantur quia rarae interim interveniunt, quia inexspectatae, quia mirum est fortiter aliquid dici ab homine mollitiam professo. Ita enim plerique iudicant: apud me Epicurus est et fortis, licet manuleatus sit; fortitudo et industria et ad bellum prompta mens tam in Persas quam in alte cinctos cadit.

You want me to include some sayings of our elders in these epistles, as I did in earlier ones. The old masters weren't concerned with pretty phrases: as a rule, their expression is direct and bold, manly in its style. And yet you want to see asymmetry in it, as though one phrase might loom over the rest, standing out by its deviation. But a single tree cannot capture our admiration thus, as you want, when the entire forest has risen to a uniform height. History and poetry are full of great expressions, each as vigorous and worthy in its own right as the rest. I would not therefore have you think such utterances unique to Epicurus: they are public property, and belong to us more than anyone. Indeed, they stand out more in the mouth of Epicurus because they are rarer with him, and thus unexpected: it is quite amazing that a person as dedicated to weakness as he should speak so vigorously, with such strength. But he does, as many others recognize. In my mind Epicurus is a strong character, though he wear the garb of the weak. Strength, industry, and a mind ready for war arise as readily among the Persians as among those who bind their tunics high (‡).

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(†) Erasmus inserts a preposition here: sed in illo.

(‡) The garb of the weak here, in Seneca's Latin, is anything with long sleeves (which impede work, especially in hotter climates). The Persians wore sleeves and pants, which are also suspect: hard Roman or Greek workers would bind their tunics at the waist ('girding the loins'). No pants.