On Peace of Mind, Section 8 — In Plain English

Seneca — The Senator

Do you think Demetrius was happier? He was Pompey's former slave who became incredibly wealthy. He wasn't even ashamed that he had more money than Pompey himself. Every day, someone brought him a list counting all his slaves — like a general getting reports on his army. Really, he deserved nothing more than two attendants and a slightly bigger prison cell than the other slaves.

But Diogenes had only one slave, and that slave ran away. When someone pointed the runaway out to Diogenes, he didn't think the man was worth chasing down. "It would be shameful," he said, "if Manes can live without Diogenes, but Diogenes can't live without Manes."

Seneca — The Senator Original

Do you call Demetrius, Pompeius's freedman, a happier man, he who was not ashamed to be richer than Pompeius, who was daily furnished with a list of the number of his slaves, as a general is with that of his army, though he had long deserved that all his riches should consist of a pair of underlings, and a roomier cell than the other slaves? But Diogenes's only slave ran away from him, and when he was pointed out to Diogenes, he did not think him worth fetching back. "It is a shame," he said, "that Manes should be able to live without Diogenes, and that Diogenes should not be able to live without Manes."