The Death of Marcus Aurelius

The Death of Marcus Aurelius

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Seneca, On Peace of Mind 16.3


Let us praise one who deserves such constant praises, and say, "The braver you are the happier you are! You have escaped from all accidents, jealousies, diseases; you have escaped from prison; the gods have not thought you worthy of ill-fortune, but have thought that fortune no longer deserved to have any power over you."

I must stop thinking only of what has been given, and instead start thinking of what I can give. Life is an active, not a passive, affair.

“Well, that’s clearly a load of nonsense. I told the truth the other day, and everyone laughed at me. I spoke kind words to a friend, and he said I was a loser. I called out the boss, and then I lost my job.”

Yes, of course all of that will happen. Happenings aren’t the measure of a life; life is about doing. Did I first care for my own character? If I only love the convenience found in things, there is no real love.

Fortitude will be necessary to find peace in virtue for its own sake, and thereby to rise above the vagaries of fortune. Once I see that my conscience can be secure, all the rest can fall into place. With that kind of judgment, happiness is now able to rely upon what is inside instead of what is outside.

This passage speaks to me on two levels, and thereby addresses to the full range of circumstances I might face.

Whatever may take place, whatever others may decide to do, bravery of conscience will always be fundamentally liberating. I can leave the events beyond my power right where they are, and so focus on nurturing and grooming what is my own.

When I have managed to stay the course, I am amazed at the strength that comes from such conviction. I am then no longer a slave to things of the world, precisely because I have chosen to understand that they do not define me.

First, this will happen while I still live, in that my ability to stand for myself allows me to become ever more impervious to the actions of fortune. This is freedom.

Second, this will likewise happen if I must die, in that all the worry about pleasure and pain will now be completely behind me. This is also freedom.

Either way, I have both lived and died with some dignity. The person who can do this right, the sage or the saint, remains totally unconquerable. It is possible by casting off the chains of impressions and desires.

The man I thought the victim can now appear quite differently to me, as one who has received the greatest reward. In life and in death, he has the blessing of liberty. He should be admired instead of pitied.

Written in 12/2011

IMAGE: Francesco Rosaspina, Allegory of Fortitude

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