Seneca - epistula XLVII Flashcards
Diutius te morari nolo
I do not wish to delay you longer
Libenter ex iis qui a te veniunt, cognovi familiariter te cum servis tuis vivere.
I am glad to learn, through those who come from you, that you live on friendly terms with your slaves.
“Servi sunt.” Immo homines. “Servi sunt.” Immo contubernales. “Servi sunt.” Immo humiles amici. “Servi sunt.” Immo conservi,
“They are slaves,” people declare.Nay, rather they are men. “Slaves!” No, comrades. “Slaves!” No, they are unpretentious friends. “Slaves!” No, they are our fellow-slaves
Nocte tota ieiuni mutique perstant.
All night long they must stand about, hungry and mute.
Sic fit, ut isti de domino loquantur, quibus coram domino loqui non licet.
The result of it all is that these slaves, who may not talk in their master’s presence, talk about their master
Deinde eiusdem arrogantiae proverbium iactatur, totidem hostes esse quot servos. Non habemus illos hostes, sed facimus.
Finally, the saying, in allusion to this same highhanded treatment, becomes current: “As many enemies as you have slaves.” They are not enemies when we acquire them; we make them enemies.
“Servus est.” Sed fortasse liber animo. “Servus est.” Hoc illi nocebit? Ostende, quis non sit; alius libidini servit, alius avaritiae, alius ambitioni, omnes timori. Dabo consularem aniculae servientem, dabo ancillulae divitem, ostendam nobilissimos iuvenes mancipia pantomimorum! Nulla servitus turpior est quam voluntaria.
“He is a slave.” His soul, however, may be that of a freeman. “He is a slave.” But shall that stand in his way? Show me a man who is not a slave; one is a slave to lust, another to greed, another to ambition, and all men are slaves to fear. I will name you an ex-consul who is slave to an old hag, a millionaire who is slave to a serving-maid; I will show you youths of the noblest birth in serfdom to pantomime players! No servitude is more disgraceful than that which is self-imposed.
in loco parentis
instead of the parent/taking the place of the parent
