Mortality and the brevity of life
idea · 2 works · 3 mentions · 3 anchored passages
mortality · death · frailty · mortal · the brevity of life · this breath of ours · while we draw breath
spoken of as
1 expressionBrevity of life / mortality1 mention
Letters to Lucilius (Latin)
Yet nothing will profit you so much toward temperance in all things as the frequent reflection upon the brevity of life, and that this is uncertain;
in the texts
Letters to Lucilius
The Stoic theme that human life is fragile, uncertain, and can end at any moment.
We plan long voyages and a late return to our homeland after wandering along foreign shores, military service and the slow wages of the labours of the camp, posts of administration and a climb through one office to another, while all the while death stands at our side, and because it is never thought of save in others, examples of mortality are continually thrust upon us, destined to stay no longe …
Every day, every hour shows us how mere a nothing we are, and warns by some fresh proof those who have forgotten their frailty;
By now Senecio was reaching toward riches, to which two most effective qualities were leading him, the knowledge both of getting and of keeping, either one of which by itself could have made him wealthy.
On Anger
The Stoic recognition that human life and breath are brief, used as grounds for renouncing anger and revenge and instead cultivating humane behavior
While we look back, as they say, and turn about, mortality will already be at hand.
Soon we shall breathe out this breath of ours.