Book 3, Chapter 31

“Here they offer me moderate degrees. If these are natural, what need is there of consolation? Nature herself will set the limit. But if they depend on opinion, let the opinion be removed altogether.

“I believe enough has been said to show that distress is the opinion of a present evil, an opinion which includes the belief that one ought to take on distress.

75 “Zeno rightly adds to this definition that the opinion of a present evil must be fresh. They interpret this word not merely to mean what happened a little earlier: as long as the supposed evil retains a certain force, flourishing and possessing a kind of greenness, so long it is called fresh. Take Artemisia, the wife of Mausolus, king of Caria, who built that famous tomb at Halicarnassus. As long as she lived, she lived in mourning, and was finally wasted away and consumed by it. For her that opinion was fresh every day; it ceases to be called fresh only when it has dried up with age.

“The duties of consolers, then, are these: to remove distress from its roots, or to quiet it, or to diminish it as much as possible, or to hold it in and not let it spread further, or to turn the mind to other things.

76 “Some think the consoler’s one duty is to show that the supposed evil is no evil at all, as Cleanthes holds; some, that it is no great evil, as the Peripatetics; some draw us away from evils to good things, as Epicurus does; some think it enough to show that nothing unexpected has happened, <as the Cyrenaics […]> no evil. Chrysippus, however, thinks the chief task in consolation is to remove the mourner’s belief that he is performing a just and binding duty. Some also combine all these kinds of consolation, since different people are moved in different ways. Thus in my Consolation I gathered almost all of them into a single consolation: my soul was swollen, and every kind of treatment was being tried upon it. But the right moment must be chosen in diseases of the soul no less than in those of the body. So with Aeschylus’ Prometheus, who, when told: “‘Yet I believe you know this, Prometheus: “‘Reason can heal anger,’ “replied: “‘Yes, if one applies the medicine at the proper time, “‘And does not strike the wound with his hand and make it worse.’”

“At this point they propose moderate amounts. Do these arise by nature? Then comfort is unnecessary: nature will keep them within bounds unaided. Do they arise from opinion instead? Then get rid of the opinion altogether.

“I think we’ve said enough to establish that distress is a belief that something bad is present, with the further belief included that one ought to take on distress.

75 “Zeno’s addition to the definition is right: the belief about a present evil has to be fresh. Here’s what they understand by that. They don’t restrict ‘fresh’ to an event of a short while ago. They use it for as long as the supposed evil retains an active force, staying vigorous and, as it were, green. Artemisia illustrates it. She was the wife of Mausolus, Caria’s king, and built his celebrated tomb in Halicarnassus. Throughout her remaining life she kept mourning; it wore her out and wasted her away. Each day renewed her belief. Only after time has dried the belief up does it cease to be called fresh.

“So these are the tasks of people offering consolation: to remove distress completely, calm it, reduce it as much as possible, hold it back and not let it spread further, or redirect it to something else.

76 “For some, the consoler has a single job: demonstrate that there’s no evil in the event. Cleanthes takes that position. The Peripatetics want to show instead that the evil isn’t great. Epicurus turns us from evils toward good things. The Cyrenaics are among those who think showing that nothing happened unexpectedly is sufficient […] nothing evil. Chrysippus puts the emphasis elsewhere: take away the belief that mourning fulfills a rightful, obligatory duty. Still others gather every method together, because people respond differently. That’s largely what I did in the Consolation, bringing everything into one attempt to comfort. My mind was swollen; every possible cure was tried on it. But illnesses of mind need properly timed treatment just as bodily ones do. In Aeschylus, Prometheus hears: “‘Prometheus, I’m sure you know that this is so: “‘Reason can supply a cure for anger.’ “His reply is: “‘Yes, provided treatment comes at the proper time “‘And no heavy hand strikes the wound and makes it worse.’”