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Monday, January 20, 2020

Seneca, On Peace of Mind 4.1


 Chapter 4

To me, my dearest Serenus, Athenodorus seems to have yielded too completely to the times, to have fled too soon: I will not deny that sometimes one must retire, but one ought to retire slowly, at a foot's pace, without losing one's ensigns or one's honor as a soldier: those who make terms with arms in their hands are more respected by their enemies and more safe in their hands.

I find it interesting how Seneca thought that Athenodorus was a bit too willing to withdraw from the world. I have obviously never met Seneca, but I feel that I have come to know something about him over the many years of reading his works.

He seems a man of great courage, and he seems a man dedicated unconditionally to public service. In this, he was a great Roman, and he was doubly so for following his chosen path with character and integrity.

Still, some modern readers will criticize him, suggesting that he was a failure in his attempts to educate the young Nero, and that his commitment only led him to his own death. He played the game of politics, and he lost.

Yes, he did fail at trying to turn that spoiled brat into an actual man. Yes, he did fail at restoring the values of the Republic in an Imperial age. Yes, he did die, by his own hand, at the order of his twisted Emperor.

And yet I see none of that as a failure at all, because I see a man who did his duty, not to his pride, or to his country, or to his legacy, but to Nature Herself, and to Nature’s God.

He knew who he was, he knew where he was at, and he knew what he had to do. He was a political player, but he was, far more often than not, an honest player.

He saw his worth in the merit of his character, not in the accumulation of his profit or fame. And that will kill you. Socrates proved as much.

I could never be a Seneca, of course. I have no inherited wealth or position, I am awkward and ungainly, I am a poor speaker, and, most importantly, I do not have the gift of playing that game. I suspect I am a bit more like an Athenodorus than I am like a Seneca. In modern terms, Seneca was the total extrovert, while I am the total introvert.

For a man like Seneca, a complete engagement in the political life was what fulfilled his personal calling. Your calling, or my calling, may be somewhat different, but it is still ordered toward the same end.

Live as a senator, or live as a hermit; through it all, above all else, live with love and a sense of service for your fellow man. Respect your own nature. Revere God. Stand your ground, surrendering nothing of yourself, if you really know it to be right. Die with the dignity of your conscience, especially when you have nothing else left.

All the rest is dispensable. Keep your hand tightly on that standard, and hold it high with your last strength.

Written in 7/2011


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