Book 2, Chapter 22

51 “The softer part of his mind obeyed reason as a dutiful soldier obeys a stern commander. But the man who possesses perfect wisdom—we have certainly never yet seen one, though the philosophers’ teachings describe what he would be like, if ever he should exist—that man, or rather the reason within him, complete and perfect, will command his lower part as a just father commands good sons. A nod will accomplish his wish, without labor or trouble. He will rouse himself, rise up, marshal and arm himself, to resist pain as he would an enemy. What are these weapons? Exertion, firm resolve, and an inward conversation, as he says to himself:

52 “‘Beware of anything shameful, feeble, unmanly.’ Let honorable images pass before his mind. Let Zeno of Elea stand before him, who suffered everything rather than reveal his fellow conspirators in the overthrow of a tyranny. Let him think of Anaxarchus, the follower of Democritus, who fell into the hands of Timocreon, king in Cyprus, and neither begged off nor refused any form of torture. Calanus the Indian, uneducated and barbarian, born at the foot of the Caucasus, willingly let himself be burned alive. Yet we cannot bear it if a foot aches, or a tooth—[suppose, though, the whole body aches]. It is a certain feeble, womanish opinion, the same in pleasure as in pain: when we melt and dissolve in softness under its influence, we cannot bear a bee’s sting without crying out.

53 “But Gaius Marius, a man of the soil, yet unmistakably a man, when he underwent the operation I mentioned earlier, first forbade them to tie him down. No one before Marius is said to have been operated on unbound. Why were others operated on unbound afterward? His example carried weight. Do you see, then, that the evil lies in opinion, not in nature? Yet Marius himself showed that pain’s bite was sharp: he did not offer his other leg. So he bore pain as a man of courage, and, as a human being, refused to bear more without compelling need.

“The whole matter, then, consists in commanding yourself. I have shown what kind of command this is. And thinking about what best befits endurance, courage, and greatness of spirit not only holds the mind in check but somehow makes the pain itself milder.”

51 “His mind’s weaker side took reason’s orders as a soldier with a sense of shame takes orders from a stern commander. Now consider perfect wisdom. We ourselves have never met anyone who has it, but philosophers describe the sort of person he would be, if he ever existed. He—or the thoroughly complete, fully developed reason he possesses—will rule the mind’s lower side as a just father rules well-behaved sons. A gesture will be enough to get his way, with no strain or distress. He’ll get to his feet, stir himself into action, prepare and arm himself against pain as though facing an enemy. His weapons? Bracing himself, standing firm, talking inwardly to himself:

52 “‘Nothing disgraceful, nothing feeble, nothing unmanly!’ His mind should keep fine examples in view. He can picture Zeno from Elea, ready to suffer anything rather than name his fellow plotters against the tyranny. He should think about Democritus’ follower Anaxarchus, who fell into King Timocreon’s hands on Cyprus and neither begged to escape any torture nor refused it. There was Callanus too, an Indian born at the Caucasus’ foot, without education, a foreigner, who voluntarily let himself be burned while still alive. Yet let a foot or a tooth hurt us, and we can’t take it. The trouble is a flimsy, womanish belief, no different in matters of pleasure from matters of pain. We give in to it, dissolve, and flow away in softness, until we can’t even take the sting of a bee quietly.

53 “But Gaius Marius was different. He was a country man, but very much a man. As I said earlier, when the cutting began, he first forbade them to tie him down. It’s said no one before Marius had been operated on without being tied. Why did others do it afterward, then? His example had power. So do you see that the badness comes from belief, not nature? Even so, Marius himself showed that the bite of pain was sharp: he didn’t offer the other leg. So he both bore pain like a man and, being human, refused to bear more without a compelling reason.

“The whole point, then, is to command yourself. I’ve shown what kind of command I mean. Thinking about what’s most worthy of endurance, courage, and greatness of spirit doesn’t just keep the mind in check. Somehow it also makes the pain itself milder.”