Book 2, Chapter 27
Original Latin
65 Atque in primis meditemur illud, ut haec patientia dolorum, quam saepe iam animi intentione dixi esse firmandam, in omni genere se aequabilem praebeat. saepe enim multi, qui aut propter victoriae cupiditatem aut propter gloriae aut etiam, ut ius suum et libertatem tenerent, volnera exceperunt fortiter et tulerunt, idem omissa contentione dolorem morbi ferre non possunt; neque enim illum, quem facile tulerant, ratione aut sapientia tulerant, sed studio potius et gloria. itaque barbari quidam et inmanes ferro decertare acerrume possunt, aegrotare viriliter non queunt. Graeci autem homines, non satis animosi, prudentes, ut est captus hominum, satis, hostem aspicere non possunt: eidem morbos toleranter atque humane ferunt. at Cimbri et Celtiberi in proeliis exultant, lamentantur in morbo. nihil enim potest esse aequabile, quod non a certa ratione proficiscatur.
66 sed cum videas eos, qui aut studio aut opinione ducantur, in eo persequendo atque adipiscendo dolore non frangi, debes existimare aut non esse malum dolorem aut, etiamsi, quicquid asperum alienumque natura sit, id appellari placeat malum, tantulum tamen esse, ut a virtute ita obruatur, ut nusquam appareat. quae meditare quaeso dies et noctes. latius enim manabit haec ratio et aliquanto maiorem locum quam de uno dolore occupabit. nam si omnia fugiendae turpitudinis adipiscendaeque honestatis causa faciemus, non modo stimulos doloris, sed etiam fulmina fortunae contemnamus licebit, praesertim cum paratum sit illud ex hesterna disputatione perfugium.
67 ut enim si cui naviganti, praedones <si> insequantur, deus qui dixerit: ‘eice te navi; praesto est qui excipiat: vel delphinus, ut Arionem Methymnaeum, vel equi Pelopis illi Neptunii, qui per undas currus suspensos rapuisse dicuntur, excipient te et quo velis perferent’, omnem omittat timorem, sic urguentibus asperis et odiosis doloribus, si tanti sint, ut ferendi non sint, quo sit confugiendum, tu vides.
Haec fere hoc tempore putavi esse dicenda. sed tu fortasse in sententia permanes.
Minime vero, meque biduo duarum rerum, quas maxime timebam, spero liberatum metu.
Cras ergo ad clepsydram; sic enim diximus, et tibi hoc video non posse deberi.
Ita prorsus; et illud quidem ante meridiem, hoc eodem tempore.
Sic faciemus tuisque optumis studiis obsequemur.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted translation from the Latin. Latin transcription by the Perseus Project, Trustees of Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0.
65 “Above all, let us practice this: the endurance of pain, which I have so often said must be strengthened by the mind’s exertion, should show itself consistent in every kind of suffering. Many who have bravely received and borne wounds for the desire of victory or glory, or even to preserve their rights and freedom, cannot bear the pain of illness once they relax their effort. They had not borne the pain they found so easy through reason or wisdom, but rather through zeal and glory. Thus some savage barbarians can fight most fiercely with the sword, yet cannot face illness like men. Greeks, on the other hand, not very high-spirited but reasonably sensible by human standards, cannot face an enemy; yet these same men bear illness patiently and humanely. The Cimbri and Celtiberians exult in battle and lament in sickness. Nothing can be consistent unless it springs from a settled principle of reason.
66 “But when you see that people led by zeal or opinion are not broken by pain in pursuing and attaining their aim, you ought to conclude either that pain is not an evil, or that, even if we choose to call everything harsh and contrary to nature an evil, it is still so slight that virtue overwhelms it until it disappears from sight. Reflect on this, I beg you, by day and night. This reasoning will spread wider and occupy a much greater territory than pain alone. If we do everything to avoid disgrace and attain honor, we may despise not only the stings of pain but even the thunderbolts of fortune—especially since yesterday’s discussion has provided us with that refuge.
67 “Suppose a man is sailing with pirates in pursuit, and some god says to him, ‘Throw yourself out of the ship. Someone is here to receive you: either a dolphin, as it received Arion of Methymna, or those horses of Pelops, Neptune’s horses, which are said to have drawn his chariot suspended over the waves. They will receive you and carry you wherever you wish.’ He would abandon all fear. So, when harsh and hateful pains press upon you, if they are too great to bear, you see where you may take refuge.
“This is about what I thought should be said for now. But perhaps you remain of your former opinion.”
“Not at all. I hope that in two days I have been freed from fear of the two things I most dreaded.”
“Tomorrow, then, to the water clock: that was our agreement, and I see I cannot leave this debt to you unpaid.”
“Exactly so. That in the morning, and this at the same time as today.”
“So we shall do, and attend to your excellent pursuits.”
Plain English translation
Complete independent machine-assisted translation directly from the Latin. Latin transcription by the Perseus Project, Trustees of Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0.
65 “Above all, let’s practice making our endurance of pain consistent in every kind of situation. I’ve often said we must strengthen it through mental effort. Many people have bravely accepted and borne wounds because they wanted victory or glory, or even wanted to preserve their rights and freedom. But once they stop making that effort, they can’t bear the pain of illness. They didn’t bear the pain that came so easily to them through reason or wisdom, but through eagerness and a desire for glory. So some wild and savage peoples can fight fiercely with swords but can’t be manly when they’re sick. Greeks aren’t particularly spirited, but they’re sensible enough by human standards. They can’t face an enemy, yet they bear illness patiently and reasonably. The Cimbri and Celtiberians delight in battle but weep in sickness. Nothing can be consistent unless it starts from a settled principle.
66 “But when you see people led by eagerness or belief pursuing and gaining their aim without being broken by pain, you should draw this conclusion. Either pain isn’t bad, or, even if we choose to call everything harsh and unwelcome to nature bad, it’s still so small that virtue overwhelms it and leaves no trace of it to be seen. Please think about these things day and night. This reasoning will spread further and cover considerably more ground than the single subject of pain. If everything we do aims at avoiding shameful conduct and gaining moral goodness, we’ll be able to disregard not just the stings of pain but even fortune’s thunderbolts. Especially since we have that refuge ready from yesterday’s discussion.
67 “Suppose a man is sailing and pirates are chasing him. A god says to him, ‘Throw yourself out of the ship. There’s someone ready to catch you. A dolphin, as with Arion of Methymna, or those horses Neptune gave Pelops, which are said to have raced over the waves with a chariot held above them, will catch you and carry you wherever you want.’ He’d put all his fear aside. In the same way, when harsh and hateful pains press us, if they’re so great that they can’t be borne, you see where we can find refuge.
“That’s more or less what I thought should be said on this occasion. But perhaps you still hold your opinion.”
“Not at all. I hope that in two days I’ve been freed from fear of the two things I was most afraid of.”
“Then tomorrow we’ll speak by the water clock. That’s what we agreed, and I see you can’t be let off that.”
“Exactly. And that exercise before noon, this one at the same time as today.”
“We’ll do that, and accommodate your excellent interests.”
About this section
Book 2, Chapter 27 is part of Tusculan Disputations by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is part 76 of 189 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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