Plain
Seneca — The Senator

At the exact moment when this leader was throwing crowds of helpless people to be crushed by exotic beasts, when he was staging battles between such mismatched creatures, when he was spilling so much blood in front of the Roman people — blood he would soon spill even more freely — he thought he ruled the entire world. But later, betrayed by the Alexandrians, he had to offer his throat to the knife of the lowest slave. Only then did he realize how hollow his title "The Great" really was.

On the Shortness of Life, Section 13 59 of 87
Human Nature What Matters Most
Seneca — The Senator Original

at the moment at which he was casting so many troops of wretches to be trampled on by outlandish beasts, when he was proclaiming war between such different creatures, when he was shedding so much blood before the eyes of the Roman people, whose blood he himself was soon to shed even more freely, he thought himself the master of the whole world; yet he afterwards, deceived by the treachery of the Alexandrians, had to offer himself to the dagger of the vilest of slaves, and then at last discovered what an empty boast was his surname of "The Great."

On the Shortness of Life, Section 13 59 of 87
Seneca — The Senator

This leading statesman — someone who tradition says was known for his exceptional kindness among ancient leaders — thought it was a great spectacle to kill men in a completely new way. Do they fight to the death? Not cruel enough. Are they torn apart? Still not cruel enough. Let them be crushed flat by enormous animals. It would be better if we forgot such things entirely. Otherwise, some future ruler might hear about it and try to copy this sophisticated brutality. How badly great success can blind our minds!

On the Shortness of Life, Section 13 58 of 87
Human Nature Doing The Right Thing
Seneca — The Senator Original

The leading man in the state, and one who, according to tradition, was noted among the ancient leaders of the state for his transcendent goodness of heart, thought it a notable kind of show to kill men in a manner hitherto unheard of. Do they fight to the death? that is not cruel enough: are they torn to pieces? that is not cruel enough: let them be crushed flat by animals of enormous bulk. It would be much better that such a thing should be forgotten, for fear that hereafter some potentate might hear of it and envy its refined barbarity. O, how doth excessive prosperity blind our intellects!

On the Shortness of Life, Section 13 58 of 87
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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