Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON FIRMNESS, iii. 1-4^is reason, that he babbles crazy words, that he M-ill.enture to do whatever his violent disorder impelslira to do ; while you deny that a wise man is ever a1 1\ e, you do not likewise go on to deny that he will-old, that he -will do what he is ordered to do, and.der to his master the services of a slave. So, forall your lofty assumption, you reach the same level asthe other schools—only the names of things arehanged. And so I suspect that something of this-ort lurks behind this maxim also, A wise man 'willi-eceive neither injury nor insult '—a maxim which, atfirst sight, appears noble and splendid. But it makesa great difference whether you place the wise manbeyond feehng injured or beyond being injured.lor if you say that he will bear injury calmly, he hasno peculiar advantage ; he is fortunate in possessinga common quaUty, one which is acquired from thevery repetition of injuries—namely, endurance. Ifyuu say that he Avill not receive injury, that is, thatno one will attempt to injure him, then, abandoningall other business, I am for becoming a Stoic." "I assuredly did not intend to deck up the wiseman with the fanciful honour of words, but to placehim in the position where no injury may reach him.'What then? " you say "; will there be no one toa--ail him, no one to attempt it " ? Nothing in theworld is so sacred that it will not find some one toprofane it, but holy things are none the less exalted,even if those do exist who strike at a greatness thatis set far beyond them, and which they will neverdamage. The invulnerable thing is not that which isnot struck, but that which is not hurt ; by this markI will show you the wise man. Is there any doubtjthat the strength that cannot be overcome is a truer*55