On Anger, Book 3, Section 18 — In Plain English

Seneca — The Senator

Maybe Marius deserved such torture. Maybe it was fitting for Sulla to order it and for Catiline to carry it out. But Rome itself didn't deserve to be stabbed by the swords of both her enemies and her so-called protectors. Why am I digging into ancient history? Just recently, Gaius Caesar had Sextus Papinius flogged and tortured — a man whose father had been consul. He did the same to Betilienus Bassus, his own quaestor, and several other senators and knights, all on the same day. This wasn't for any legal investigation. He just wanted to entertain himself. He was so eager for the sick pleasure that his monstrous cruelty always craved that he couldn't even wait. While strolling with some ladies and senators in his mother's gardens, along the path between the columns and the river, he had some of their heads chopped off by lamplight. What was he afraid of? What public or private danger could possibly threaten him in a single night? Would it have been such a huge favor to wait until morning and not kill Roman senators while wearing his slippers?

Seneca — The Senator Original

Though Marius deserved such tortures, yet it was worthy of Sulla to order them, and of Catiline to execute them; but it was unworthy of the State to be stabbed by the swords of her enemy and her avenger alike. Why do I pry into ancient history? quite lately Gaius Caesar flogged and tortured Sextus Papinius, whose father was a consular, Betilienus Bassus, his own quaestor, and several others, both senators and knights, on the same day, not to carry out any judicial inquiry, but merely to amuse himself. Indeed, so impatient was he of any delay in receiving the pleasure which his monstrous cruelty never delayed in asking, that when walking with some ladies and senators in his mother’s gardens, along the walk between the colonnade and the river, he struck off some of their heads by lamplight. What did he fear? what public or private danger could one night threaten him with? how very small a favour it would have been to wait until morning, and not to kill the Roman people’s senators in his slippers?

Seneca — The Senator

I wish such cruelty had stayed in foreign lands. I wish we hadn't imported this brutal anger and punishment along with all the other vices that have corrupted Roman society! Marcus Marius — the man who had statues built in every street, who received offerings of incense and wine from the people — was ordered by Lucius Sulla to have his legs broken, his eyes torn out, his hands cut off. His whole body was slowly torn apart piece by piece, as if Sulla was killing him over and over with each wound. And who carried out Sulla's orders? None other than Catiline, already training his hands for every kind of evil. He butchered Marius right in front of the tomb of Quintus Catulus — a horrible burden on the ashes of that gentle man. Above that tomb, someone who was certainly a criminal, but still beloved by the people, someone who deserved love even though people loved him too much, was forced to bleed to death drop by drop.

Seneca — The Senator Original

Would to heaven that such savagery had contented itself with foreign examples, and that barbarity in anger and punishment had not been imported with other outlandish vices into our Roman manners! Marcus Marius, to whom the people erected a statue in every street, to whom they made offerings of incense and wine, had, by the command of Lucius Sulla, his legs broken, his eyes pulled out, his hands cut off, and his whole body gradually torn to pieces limb by limb, as if Sulla killed him as many times as he wounded him. Who was it who carried out Sulla’s orders? who but Catiline, already practising his hands in every sort of wickedness? He tore him to pieces before the tomb of Quintus Catulus, an unwelcome burden to the ashes of that gentlest of men, above which one who was no doubt a criminal, yet nevertheless the idol of the people, and who was not undeserving of love, although men loved him beyond all reason, was forced to shed his blood drop by drop.