SENECA - College of Stoic Philosophers

EPISTLE LXXVIII.
ills, and tells lies to himself. And that which was
bitter to bear is pleasant to have borne ;
it is natural
to rejoice at the ending of one's ills.
Two elements must therefore be rooted out once
for all, the fear of future suffering, and the recollection
of past suffering
;
since the latter no longer
concerns me, and the former concerns me not yet.
But when set in the very midst of troubles one
should say
:
Perchance some day the memory of this sorrow
Will even bring delight."
Let such a man fight against them with all his might :
if he once gives way, he will be vanquished
;
but if
he strives against his sufferings, he will conquer.
As it is, however, what most men do is to drag down
upon their own heads a falling ruin which they
ought to try to support. If you begin to withdraw
your support from that which thrusts toward you
and totters and is
ready to plunge, it will follow you
and lean more heavily upon you but if
; you hold
your ground and make up your mind to push against
it,
it will be forced back. What blows do athletes
receive on their faces and all over their bodies !
Nevertheless, through their desire for fame they
endure every torture, and they undergo these things
not only because they are fighting but in order to be
able to fight. Their very training means torture.
So let us also win the way to victory in all our
struggles, for the reward is not a garland or a palm
or a trumpeter who calls for silence at the proclamation
of our names, but rather virtue, steadfastness of
soul, and a peace that is won for all time, if fortune
has once been utterly vanquished in any combat.
You say, "I feel severe pain." What then; are
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