Seneca CXVIII
On the nature of the good
By Jacques Bailly

TEXT
Seneca Lucilio suo salutem   
[1.] Exigis a me frequentiores epistulas. Rationes conferamus: solvendo non eris. Convenerat quidem ut tua priora essent: tu scriberes, ego rescriberem. Sed non ero difficilis: bene credi tibi scio. Itaque in anticessum dabo nec faciam quo Cicero, vir disertissimus, facere Atticum iubet, ut etiam 'si rem nullam habebit, quod in buccam venerit scribat'. [2.] Numquam potest deesse quod scribam, ut omnia illa quae Ciceronis implent epistulas transeam: quis candidatus laboret; quis alienis, quis suis viribus pugnet; quis consulatum fiducia Caesaris, quis Pompei, quis arcae petat; quam durus sit fenerator Caecilius, a quo minoris centesimis propinqui nummum movere non possint. Sua satius est mala quam aliena tractare, se excutere et videre quam multarum rerum candidatus sit, et non suffragari. [3.] Hoc est, mi Lucili, egregium, hoc securum ac liberum, nihil petere et tota fortunae comitia transire. Quam putas esse iucundum tribubus vocatis, cum candidati in templis suis pendeant et alius nummos pronuntiet, alius per sequestrem agat, alius eorum manus osculis conterat quibus designatus contingendam manum negaturus est, omnes attoniti vocem praeconis expectent, stare otiosum et spectare illas nundinas nec ementem quicquam nec vendentem? [4.] Quanto hic maiore gaudio fruitur qui non praetoria aut consularia comitia securus intuetur, sed magna illa in quibus alii honores anniversarios petunt, alii perpetuas potestates, alii bellorum eventus prosperos triumphosque, alii divitias, alii matrimonia ac liberos, alii salutem suam suorumque! Quanti animi res est solum nihil petere, nulli supplicare, et dicere, 'nihil mihi tecum, fortuna; non facio mei tibi copiam. Scio apud te Catones repelli, Vatinios fieri. Nihil rogo.' Hoc est privatam facere fortunam.   
[5.] Licet ergo haec in vicem scribere et hanc semper integram egerere materiam circumspicientibus tot milia hominum inquieta, qui ut aliquid pestiferi consequantur per mala nituntur in malum petuntque mox fugienda aut etiam fastidienda. [6.] Cui enim adsecuto satis fuit quod optanti nimium videbatur? Non est, ut existimant homines, avida felicitas sed pusilla; itaque neminem satiat. Tu ista credis excelsa quia longe ab illis iaces; ei vero qui ad illa pervenit humilia sunt. Mentior nisi adhuc quaerit escendere: istud quod tu summum putas gradus est. [7.] Omnes autem male habet ignorantia veri. Tamquam ad bona feruntur decepti rumoribus, deinde mala esse aut inania aut minora quam speraverint adepti ac multa passi vident; maiorque pars miratur ex intervallo fallentia, et vulgo bona pro magnis sunt. [8.] Hoc ne nobis quoque eveniat, quaeramus quid sit bonum. Varia eius interpretatio fuit, alius illud aliter expressit. Quidam ita finiunt: 'bonum est quod invitat animos, quod ad se vocat'. Huic statim opponitur: quid si invitat quidem sed in perniciem? scis quam multa mala blanda sint. Verum et veri simile inter se differunt. Ita quod bonum est vero iungitur non est enim bonum nisi verum est. At quod invitat ad se et adlicefacit veri simile est: subrepit, sollicitat, adtrahit. [9.] Quidam ita finierunt: 'bonum est quod adpetitionem sui movet, vel quod impetum animi tendentis ad se movet.' Et huic idem opponitur; multa enim impetum animi movent quae petantur petentium malo. Melius illi qui ita finierunt: 'bonum est quod ad se impetum animi secundum naturam movet et ita demum petendum est cum coepit esse expetendum'. Iam et honestum est; hoc enim est perfecte petendum. [10.] Locus ipse me admonet ut quid intersit inter bonum honestumque dicam. Aliquid inter se mixtum habent et inseparabile: nec potest bonum esse nisi cui aliquid honesti inest, et honestum utique bonum est. Quid ergo inter duo interest? Honestum est perfectum bonum, quo beata vita completur, cuius contactu alia quoque bona fiunt. [11.] Quod dico talest: sunt quaedam neque bona neque mala, tamquam militia, legatio, iurisdictio. Haec cum honeste administrata sunt, bona esse incipiunt et ex dubio in bonum transeunt. Bonum societate honesti fit, honestum per se bonum est; bonum ex honesto fluit, honestum ex se est. Quod bonum est malum esse potuit; quod honestum est nisi bonum esse non potuit. [12.] Hanc quidam finitionem reddiderunt: 'bonum est quod secundum naturam est'. Adtende quid dicam: quod bonum, est secundum naturam: non protinus quod secundum naturam est etiam bonum est. Multa naturae quidem consentiunt, sed tam pusilla sunt ut non conveniat illis boni nomen; levia enim sunt, contemnenda. Nullum est minimum contemnendum bonum; nam quamdiu exiguum est bonum non est: cum bonum esse coepit, non est exiguum. Unde adcognoscitur bonum? si perfecte secundum naturam est. [13.] 'Fateris' inquis 'quod bonum est secundum naturam esse; haec eius proprietas est. Fateris et alia secundum naturam quidem esse sed bona non esse. Quomodo ergo illud bonum est cum haec non sint? quomodo ad aliam proprietatem pervenit cum utrique praecipuum illud commune sit, secundum naturam esse?' [14.] Ipsa scilicet magnitudine. Nec hoc novum est, quaedam crescendo mutari. Infans fuit; factus est pubes: alia eius proprietas fit; ille enim inrationalis est, hic rationalis. Quaedam incremento non tantum in maius exeunt sed in aliud. [15.] 'Non fit' inquit 'aliud quod maius fit. Utrum lagonam an dolium impleas vino, nihil refert: in utroque proprietas vini est. Et exiguum mellis pondus et magnum sapore non differt.' Diversa ponis exempla; in istis enim eadem qualitas est; quamvis augeantur, manet. [16.] Quaedam amplificata in suo genere et in sua proprietate perdurant; quaedam post multa incrementa ultima demum vertit adiectio et novam illis aliamque quam in qua fuerunt condicionem inprimit. Unus lapis facit fornicem, ille qui latera inclinata cuneavit et interventu suo vinxit. Summa adiectio quare plurimum facit vel exigua? quia non auget sed implet. [17.] Quaedam processu priorem exuunt formam et in novam transeunt. Ubi aliquid animus diu protulit et magnitudinem eius sequendo lassatus est, infinitum coepit vocari; quod longe aliud factum est quam fuit cum magnum videretur sed finitum. Eodem modo aliquid difficulter secari cogitavimus: novissime crescente hac difficultate insecabile inventum est. Sic ab eo quod vix et aegre movebatur processimus ad inmobile. Eadem ratione aliquid secundum naturam fuit: hoc in aliam proprietatem magnitudo sua transtulit et bonum fecit. Vale.

Introduction
This letter urges Lucilius to stay focused on what is truly good, not on what seems good. The first few sections describe in a lively way with quick strokes what ambitious people strive for. Then Seneca says that those who have attained their goals form new goals, because the initial goals are now insufficient to satisfy their ambition. And the cycle goes on, with ever new goals. What Seneca and Lucilius need to do is to realize that the good is not a thing that is always out of reach like that. The good is at once more simple, easier, and more difficult and hard to grasp. Namely, being immune to fortune. It is a great good, and only by understanding and adopting the view that material goods, honor, money, etc. are all indifferent can one attain that good. Only by being in accord with one's own nature can one be good. Those external indifferents can become good in the hands of a person who is morally upright, says Seneca (contrary to what hardline Stoics would say, who believe that those things themselves are neither good nor bad, and the person is what is truly good). Once one achieves accord with one's own nature, one also becomes immune to fortune.

Commentary
CXVIII. SENECA LVCILIO SVO SALVTEM.
[1] Exigis a me frequentiores epistulas. Rationes conferamus: soluendo non eris. Conuenerat quidem ut tua priora essent: tu scriberes, ego rescriberem. Sed non ero difficilis: bene credi tibi scio. Itaque in anticessum dabo nec faciam quod Cicero, uir disertissimus, facere Atticum iubet, ut etiam ‘si rem nullam habebit, quod in buccam uenerit scribat’.
 
Rationes conferamus: soluendo non eris: accounting metaphors. solvendo sum = "I am solvent," "I am able to pay my debts in full." | tua priora: why plural? | essent ... scriberes ... rescriberem ...: all one big nominal ut clause and hence the subjunctives: the clause is the subject of convenerat, which is, hence, not really impersonal (but the English translation usually is: "there had been an agreement that ..."). | bene credi tibi scio: credi impersonal passive infinitive, with both its usual meaning "trust" and a financial overtone "extend credit." | in anticessum: obviously meaning "beforehand," this phrase is from the financial world too, used of payments "in advance." | quod Cicero ... facere Atticum iubet: 4 of Cicero's extant letters, all ad Atticum (1.12§4, 7.10§1, 12.1§2, and 14.7§2) include a phrase similar to this, the closest of which is 1.12§4 (si rem nullam habebis, quod in buccam venerit scribito): note that Seneca's version differs from what we believe Cicero wrote. The differences could be because a) we are wrong about Cicero's text and Seneca is reporting what Cicero wrote, b) Seneca had a different Cicero text that had departed from what Cicero wrote, c) Seneca is writing from memory and is a bit off, d) Cicero's line had become a sort of 'meme' in Latin and precise verbatim wording was not the point. All of those possibilities are worth keeping in mind in the absence of compelling evidence for one. | iubet: although Cicero wrote the letter long before Seneca wrote his letter, Seneca nonetheless uses present tense of Cicero’s writing, just as in English even today we might say that “Cicero says ....” These timeless uses of the tenses are interesting and more frequent than one realizes. | habebit, ... venerit: habebit and venerit are future from the point of view of when Cicero wrote the letter. | quod in buccam uenerit: clearly an idiom equivalent to English “whatever comes into your head.” | scribat: scribat is present subjunctive in primary sequence indirect command introduced by ut.
 
[2] Numquam potest deesse quod scribam, ut omnia illa quae Ciceronis implent epistulas transeam: quis candidatus laboret; quis alienis, quis suis uiribus pugnet; quis consulatum fiducia Caesaris, quis Pompei, quis arcae petat; quam durus sit fenerator Caecilius, a quo minoris centesimis propinqui nummum mouere non possint. Sua satius est mala quam aliena tractare, se excutere et uidere quam multarum rerum candidatus sit, et non suffragari.
 
quod scribam: although this might be a relative clause of purpose, perhap it makes best sense to consider this an indirect question, to which all 7 indirect questions later in the sentence are appositives. Compare English "It never happens that I don't know what to say." | ut ... transeam: ut + subjunctive result clause. | quis alienis, quis suis viribus pugnet: supply the verb and viribus in the first clause from the second clause. | quis consulatum fiducia Caesaris, quis Pompei, quis arcae petat: three parallel clauses. The first and second clauses lack a verb. Supply it from the third clause. The second and third clauses lack a direct object and an ablative of instrument for their genitives to depend on. Supply them from the first clause. | fenerator: also spelled faenerator. | a quo minoris centesimis propinqui nummum mouere non possint: taken almost verbatim from Cicero ad Atticum 1.12§1 (opinor, ad Considium, Axium, Selicium confugiendum est; nam a Caecilio propinqui minore centesimis nummum movere non possunt). | minoris: genitive of price. | centesimis: ablative of comparison. Interest was reckoned each month, thus the annual rate was either 12% or, if the interest compounded, more. | propinqui: nominative plural. | possint: subjunctive in a clause subordinate to the indirect question quam durus sit fenerator Caecilius. | sua satius est mala quam aliena tractare: This sentence, if fully expressed, and in a more English word order, would be Tractare sua mala est satius quam tractare aliena. The subject of est is tractare. Tractare has a direct object, sua mala. Suus, -a, -um is a reflexive adjective, but when there is no personal subject for it to refer to, it can be translated using the generic “one’s own.” Satius is a comparative and is predicate nominative. It is neuter because it agrees with tractare (all infinitives are neuter). Quam “than” depends on the comparative satius. | se excutere  et videre quam ... : infinitives in apposition to sua mala tractare. quam and the indirect question following it depends on these infinitives. | et non suffragari: suffragari is yet another infinitive in apposition to sua mala tractare. It has an understood direct object, which can be supplied from the thought preceeding.
 
[3] Hoc est, mi Lucili, egregium, hoc securum ac liberum, nihil petere et tota fortunae comitia transire. Quam putas esse iucundum tribubus uocatis, cum candidati in templis suis pendeant et alius nummos pronuntiet, alius per sequestrem agat, alius eorum manus osculis conterat quibus designatus contingendam manum negaturus est, omnes attoniti uocem praeconis expectent, stare otiosum et spectare illas nundinas nec ementem quicquam nec uendentem?
 
Hoc est ... liberum: cf. the English sentence, “This is what being free is, to make one’s own decisions.”  petere et transire are in apposition to hoc. | tribubus: a Roman “tribe” was a voting division, of which there were 35. | Quam putas ... nec uendentem: the structure of this interrogative question is as follows:
alius ... alius ... alius ... : "one ... another ... another ...." | pendeant ... pronuntiet ... agat ... conterat ... negaturus est: verbs in clauses subordinate to indirect speech are in the subjunctive, unless they are presented on the authority of the author, as negaturus est is here (which heightens the cynical/satirical tone of this dig at politicians). These cum clauses might have been subjunctive even if not in indirect speech, as cum circumstantial clauses. | pendeant: literally "(candidates) hang," but this probably refers to offerings which were hung in temples, or perhaps more simply to tarrying in the temple (pendeo can have both the sense of "hang something on a hook" and "hang around somewhere"). The 'temple' may be an area of the Field of Mars during an election (a templum could be any space marked off as sacred), although that is speculation. | nummos pronuntiet: Seneca describes a candidate who promises money (either in the temple of the previous clause or to other people), presumably an inducement, a bribe. | designatus: = "once elected." This perfect participle expresses time prior to negaturus est. Seneca is accusing candidates of fawning on and flattering people to get elected but then, once declared designatus, "elected," of not wanting anything to do with those people.

[4] Quanto hic maiore gaudio fruitur qui non praetoria aut consularia comitia securus intuetur, sed magna illa in quibus alii honores anniuersarios petunt, alii perpetuas potestates, alii bellorum euentus prosperos triumphosque, alii diuitias, alii matrimonia ac liberos, alii salutem suam suorumque! Quanti animi res est solum nihil petere, nulli supplicare, et dicere, ‘nihil mihi tecum, fortuna; non facio mei tibi copiam. Scio apud te Catones repelli, Vatinios fieri. Nihil rogo.’ Hoc est priuatam facere fortunam.

quanto: ablative of degree of difference with a comparative (maiore). | fruitur: fruor takes the ablative. | qui : antecedent is hic. | magna illa: modifies an understood neuter plural supplied from the preceding context. | alii ... alii ... alii ... alii ... alii ... : "some ... others ... others ... others ... others ... ." All five clauses introduced by in quibus are parallel to each other, with the verb petunt common to all five. | quanti animi: genitive of description, also called "predicate genitive." | res est: the subject of est is all the infinitive phrases which follow (including the quoted speech). | solum nihil petere: solum is the accusative subject of petere (just as otiosum in a previous section was the subject of an infinitive there). | supplicare: takes dat. | nihil mihi tecum, fortuna: understand est. mihi is predicate dative. fortuna is vocative. | non facio mei tibi copiam: copia + mei. Copiam facere + gen. = "give access to ... ." | Catones ... Vatinios: these two figures are used as types, of the stoic and the opportunist, respectively. Cato refers to the stoic Cato Uticensis, a byword for virtue, while Vatinius refers to a politician of the late Republican period.

[5] Licet ergo haec in uicem scribere et hanc semper integram egerere materiam circumspicientibus tot milia hominum inquieta, qui ut aliquid pestiferi consequantur per mala nituntur in malum petuntque mox fugienda aut etiam fastidienda.

licet: licet, "it is permitted," here licet takes a dative phrase (circumspicientibus...) and two infinitive phrases. | haec: refers to the subject matter of §4. | hanc semper integram egerere materiam: an infinitive and its object phrase. English word order might be egerere hanc semper integram materiam. | circumspicientibus: sc. 'nobis.' tot milia hominum inquieta is direct object. milia takes a partitive genitive. | milia hominum inquieta: inquieta should logically agree with hominum, not milia. Transferred epithet. mille is an indeclinable adj. in singular, but is a noun and takes genitive in the plural. | aliquid pestiferi: aliquid regularly takes a genitive in Latin. Its English translation, "something," is most often followed by an English adjective, however. | fugienda ... fastidienda: gerundives (passive verbal adjectives which are either necessitative or future). Because they are verbal, they are modified by adverbs (mox). Neuter plural accusatives.

[6] Cui enim adsecuto satis fuit quod optanti nimium uidebatur? Non est, ut existimant homines, auida felicitas sed pusilla; itaque neminem satiat. Tu ista credis excelsa quia longe ab illis iaces; ei uero qui ad illa peruenit humilia sunt. Mentior nisi adhuc quaerit escendere: istud quod tu summum putas gradus est.

cui ... videbatur: English word order might be enim cui, adsecuto (id) quod videbatur nimium (ei) optanti (id), fuit satis? | adsecuto: a perfect participle, active in  meaning "having gotten," "having obtained". The unexpressed antecedent of quod (id vel sim.) is the object of adsecuto. | quod optanti nimium videbatur: quod is the nominative subject of videbatur. optanti refers to the same person as cui adsecuto and has an unexpressed direct object ("it") which can be supplied from context. nimium is predicate nominative. | avida felicitas: felicitas subject, avida (and pusilla) predicate nominatives. | neminem satiat: felicitas, from the previous sentence, is the unexpressed subject. | ei: dative. Antecedent of qui. | sunt: subject understood from previous sentence. | mentior nisi: slightly idiomatic. This phrase is equivalent to "Unless I am mistaken." | istud quod tu summum putas gradus est: the main clause is istud gradus est. The relative clause has an emphatic tu and a double accusative (quod summum: another way to explain it is that putas takes an understood esse whose subject is quod and whose predicate term is summum).

[7] Omnes autem male habet ignorantia ueri. Tamquam ad bona feruntur decepti rumoribus, deinde mala esse aut inania aut minora quam sperauerint adepti ac multa passi uident; maiorque pars miratur ex interuallo fallentia, et uulgo bona pro magnis sunt.

habet: used figuratively here of an occurrence in the mind or soul. | ignorantia veri: veri is an objective genitive. | feruntur: a figurative use of "carry" used of where one's mind or soul is "carried." | decepti: nominative subject, takes ablative of instrument rumoribus. | mala esse ... passi vident: multa is the direct object of passi. adepti and passi are nominative subjects of vident. vident takes the indirect statement (ea) mala esse aut inania aut minora, and minora takes the comparative clause quam speraverint (perfect subjunctive in primary sequence in a clause subordinate to indirect speech). | fallentia: accusative direct object of miratur, modified by ex intervallo.
8. Seneca explores a simple definition of the good: it is what attracts our soul. The quidam to whom this definition is attributed are perhaps not meant to be any particular philosopher or school: they are like the nameless interlocutors who occasionally crop up in these letters.  For this definition, he says, is vulnerable to an immediate objection: there are attractive aspects of bad things, which can attract a soul into ruin.
After stating that objection, Seneca says that what is true and what resembles truth are different. Then he offers as an inference (ita) that whatever is good is also true, whereas what attracts the soul resembles truth.
He does not say it, but surely the truth resembles itself and so attracts the soul: it has competition, however, from whatever non-truth resembles truth.
Almost all of this argument consists of unsupported claims rather than careful logical arguments.

[8] Hoc ne nobis quoque eueniat, quaeramus quid sit bonum. Varia eius interpretatio fuit, alius illud aliter expressit. Quidam ita finiunt: ‘bonum est quod inuitat animos, quod ad se uocat’. Huic statim opponitur: quid si inuitat quidem sed in perniciem? scis quam multa mala blanda sint. Verum et ueri simile inter se differunt. Ita quod bonum est uero iungitur; non est enim bonum nisi uerum est. At quod inuitat ad se et adlicefacit uerisimile est: subrepit, sollicitat, adtrahit.

Hoc: refers to the phenomenon described in the previous section. | ne ... eveniat: negative purpose clause. | quaeramus: hortatory. | sit: subjunctive in indirect question. | alius ... aliter ... : two words formed with ali- in the same sentence follow a pattern as follows: alius aliud facit means "one person does one thing, the other does another thing" or "different people do different things." The pattern must be adopted depending on the parts of speech/cases of the ali- words. | quidam: the exact wording is not found elsewhere, and the definition is not a terribly good candidate. Seneca seems to be exploring the issue by putting it into an interlocutor's mouth. | finiunt: transitive verb used absolutely, but an object is easily available from the context. Where English uses "it" for a word that is easily supplied from context, Latin just omits it. | opponitur: impersonal. The subject is actually the question/objection which follows. | quid si: cf. English "What if...?" | quam multa mala blanda sint: indirect question. | ueri simile: similis, -e can take gen. or dat. with the same meaning "resembling, like." | vero iungitur: vero is dative. | subrepit: from subrepo, not subripio (morphologically, it could be perf. of subripio).

9. Another definition of the good, what causes a seeking of itself in the soul, what causes a movement of the soul striving toward it. This definition suffers the same objection as the first (it is hard to see how they are different), although it substitutes more technical-sounding words for invitat.
And so yet another definition is attributed to nameless illi, this one a 'better' one (melius). The big difference is that 1) secundum naturam is added, and 2) demum petendum est cum coepit esse expetendum, which adds a requirement that a 'good' is only good at the time when it should be sought out. Note that the timing and circumstance make a thing good: it is not the case that some things are not good whereas others are good, full stop. Rather, things can, apparently "begin to be to-be-sought-out" (coepit esse expetendum). Stoics were very concerned about natura, by which is meant the nature of reality and the nature of each individual thing, what things really are. The next few sections explore what nature is, and what the good is, as well as what the honestum is (the "morally upright").
This better definition has a definite Stoic element: secundum naturam.

[9] Quidam ita finierunt: ‘bonum est quod adpetitionem sui mouet, uel quod impetum animi tendentis ad se mouet.'  Et huic idem opponitur; multa enim impetum animi mouent quae petantur petentium malo. Melius illi qui ita finierunt: ‘bonum est quod ad se impetum animi secundum naturam mouet et ita demum petendum est cum coepit esse expetendum’. Iam et honestum est; hoc enim est perfecte petendum.

Quidam: Who? Probably once again no one in particular, but rather nameless foils for the refinement of the definition. | sui: objective genitive. As gen. of the pronoun se, sui is confined to use as objective genitive. | petantur: relative clause of characteristic. | petentium malo: | Melius: a comparative adverb modifying an understood finierunt from the relative clause. | petendum ... expetendum: that Seneca uses different words seems to indicate that there may be an important nuance here, but there does not seem to be any great difference between these words (unless they translate different Greek terms?): see if a difference is revealed in what follows.

10. Personifying the text of the letter itself, Seneca says that the very passage he is writing tells Seneca to explain the difference between 'good' and 'morally upright.'
The 'good' (bonum) is a quality that 'morally upright' (honestum) things have and vice versa. But the 'morally upright' is completed good, a thing which 1) fulfills a good life, and 2) can make other things good by contact.
Note that the fact that the text itself tells Seneca things fits with the idea that the two different quidam above may be simply notional groups, not real specific people or texts or philosophies.

[10] Locus ipse me admonet ut quid intersit inter bonum honestumque dicam. Aliquid inter se mixtum habent et inseparabile: nec potest bonum esse nisi cui aliquid honesti inest, et honestum utique bonum est. Quid ergo inter duo interest? Honestum est perfectum bonum, quo beata uita completur, cuius contactu alia quoque bona fiunt.

intersit: subjunctive in indirect question. | dicam: subjunctive in indirect command. | inest: compound verbs with in- often take the dative (sometimes with another in as a preposition, but not here). | bona: predicate nominative.

11. Although many people consider being an ambassador, a military officer, or a judge to be good, Seneca says they are neither good nor bad. If done in a morally upright way, they become good, but they could be bad if not done in the right way. Only the morally upright can make something good.

[11] Quod dico talest: sunt quaedam neque bona neque mala, tamquam militia, legatio, iurisdictio. Haec cum honeste administrata sunt, bona esse incipiunt et ex dubio in bonum transeunt.  Bonum societate honesti fit, honestum per se bonum est; bonum ex honesto fluit, honestum ex se est. Quod bonum est malum esse potuit; quod honestum est nisi bonum esse non potuit.

societate honesti: honesti is subjective genitive with societate. | sunt quaedam: verb and subject. The rest of the sentence is predicate nominatives. | cum: cum can takes indicative when it is temporal and refers to the present or future.

12. Just as what is good is only good because of association with the morally upright, so too what is according to nature is good. But not all things that are according to nature are therefore good: they must surpass a certain threshold. Seneca does not specify exactly what that threshold is or its nature, but it seems to be something like significance or importance. The terms levia, contemnenda, exiguum and pusilla invoke something quantifiable. Then he gives a way to recognize the good: it is what is completely according to nature, but again, he does not say exactly what that means. And it does not seem as quantifiable as the previous terms did.

[12] Hanc quidam finitionem reddiderunt: ‘bonum est quod secundum naturam est’. Adtende quid dicam: quod bonum, est secundum naturam:  non protinus quod secundum naturam est etiam bonum est. Multa naturae quidem consentiunt, sed tam pusilla sunt ut non conueniat illis boni nomen; leuia enim sunt, contemnenda. Nullum est minimum contemnendum bonum; nam quamdiu exiguum est bonum non est: cum bonum esse coepit, non est exiguum. Unde adcognoscitur bonum? si perfecte secundum naturam est.

quidam: now we are definitely in Stoic territory. These are stoics. | dicam: subjunctive in indirect question. | quod bonum, est secundum naturam: it is not clear whether quod is a relative pronoun or 'because.' | naturae ... consentiunt: verbs which mean "agree" frequently take dative. | conveniat: subjunctive in result clause. | boni nomen: boni is a genitive with nomen.

[13] ‘Fateris’ inquis ‘quod bonum est secundum naturam esse; haec eius proprietas est. Fateris et alia secundum naturam quidem esse sed bona non esse. Quomodo ergo illud bonum est cum haec non sint? quomodo ad aliam proprietatem peruenit cum utrique praecipuum illud commune sit, secundum naturam esse? ‘

quod bonum est secundum naturam esse: indirect speech dependent on fateris. It consists of an accusative with infinitive whose subject is an understood id, which is the antecedent of the pronoun in the relative clause quod bonum est. Note that the verb of the relative clause is indicative in spite of being a subordinate clause in indirect speech: that is because the contents of the relative clause is being reported as factual independently of its being in indirect speech. Note that sint in a sentence that follows is subjunctive in indirect speech: that is because the contents of that clause are part of the indirect speech. The contents may be factual, but they are presented as indirect speech and so subjunctive. | cum ... sit: the fact that sit is subjunctive means that cum must mean "although" (or "because," but that does not make sense here). Note that this is not indirect speech: it is simpy a subordinate clause to a direct question. | illud ... secundum naturam esse: the infinitive phrase secundum naturam esse is in apposition to illud.

14. The idea that simply by growing in size something's nature can change is not a problem for his theory, says Seneca. Of course, his example is problematic, because the difference between a child and an adult is not simply size. The most general idea is that a quantitative change can be responsible for a qualitative change, which is obvious: consider H2O, which changes state simply because more or less heat is present. Or consider grains of sand: at some point a heap is present even though one started with just one grain and added another and another, etc. But Seneca's example remains poor. Evidently, he meant it to be accepted: perhaps we can save it if we think that the simple thoughts of a child become rational when they reach a certain level of complexity and the fact of the matter is that simply adding more and more connections is what produces rationality. But again, Seneca does not, strictly speaking, say that.

[14] Ipsa scilicet magnitudine. Nec hoc nouum est, quaedam crescendo mutari. Infans fuit; factus est pubes: alia eius proprietas fit; ille enim inrationalis est, hic rationalis. Quaedam incremento non tantum in maius exeunt sed in aliud.

alia: predicate nominative. | ille ... hic: ille refers to infans, hic refers to pubes.

15. Seneca's "interlocutor" character challenges him: he says as a general principle that merely becoming larger does not mean that a thing becomes different in kind. What is more, there are things that do not change nature simply by adding more of the same thing, such as honey and wine. Seneca's reply is simply to claim that the examples given are different, which is an inadequate refutation: the burden of proof is on him to say how his examples differ and why the interlocutor's general principle is wrong or has exceptions.

[15] ‘Non fit’ inquit ‘aliud quod maius fit. Utrum lagonam an dolium impleas uino, nihil refert: in utroque proprietas uini est. Et exiguum mellis pondus et magnum sapore non differt. ‘ Diuersa ponis exempla; in istis enim eadem qualitas est; quamuis augeantur, manet.

et magnum: sc. mellis pondus. | differt: Seneca uses singular. Note that English uses a plural for subject of the form "both x and y." | quamvis: quamvis takes subjunctive. | augeantur, manet: sc. exampla augeantur, qualitas manet.

16. Seneca provides a real counterargument: there are things whose nature does not change by adding more of the same, and there are things whose nature does change by adding more of the same. His example of the latter is an arch: adding the final keystone makes the arch, but it is just one stone added to other stones. That example, however, is perhaps tendentious, because one might easily reply that it is not the mere addition of a stone that makes the arch. If a stone is added to the stones of the incomplete structure, but not in the proper place, an arch does not form. Thus there is something that is present in addition to merely a bunch of stones, and whatever that thing is is at least co-responsible for the change from pile of stones to arch, as Seneca seems to implicitly acknowledge with non auget sed implet (what does it implet?). Examples such as the addition of heat to an ice cube,which results in water, however, do not seem to be vulnerable to that objection. In fairness to Seneca, however, spelling out the nature of the hypothesized additional thing present in the case of the arch is not easy, and his example is not utterly implausible.

[16] Quaedam amplificata in suo genere et in sua proprietate perdurant; quaedam post multa incrementa ultima demum uertit adiectio et nouam illis aliamque quam in qua fuerunt condicionem inprimit. Unus lapis facit fornicem, ille qui latera inclinata cuneauit et interuentu suo uinxit. Summa adiectio quare plurimum facit uel exigua? quia non auget sed implet.

ultima ... adiectio: ultima modifies adiectio. | novam illis aliamque quam in qua fuerunt condicionem imprimit: two clauses, the leading one is novam aliamque (condicionem) illis imprimit, and the other is a relative clause (in qua fuerunt) with condicionem as antecedent. | Summa adiectio ... vel exigua: all part of the subject phras: vel adverbial "even."

17. Seneca points out that some things change by addition of more of the same.  If we have a hard time comprehending the size of something, we start calling it infinite: that example is tendentious, because it is obvious that there are things whose size we have a hard time comprehending that are not infinite. His next example is better: something that we could barely cut with difficulty can become uncuttable by adding a bit. And yet, even that is not quite what he wants: just because we cannot cut it does not make it uncuttable. But both of these examples suffer from the following: they depend on a perceiver or agent who is of a certain finitude: increasing the ability of that agent/perceiver would make the supposed change not happen. If we return to the idea of the good, it is not clear that Seneca wants the good to be this sort of change, namely one that is dependent on the abilities of the observer or actor. We can, if we so choose, help Seneca, by following the spirit of his ideas as we see it rather than what look like inadequacies in his examples. Or we can set our task as merely to query what Seneca strictly says and what that strictly speaking commits him to, without trying to speculate about a spirit of his ideas or about how to extend them beyond what he himself did. Perhaps both approaches should be followed. It is up to you how to approach Seneca, but be mindful of the difference between the approaches.
An interesting question is what magnitudo "size," "extent" in the last line refers to: what is it measuring? It cannot be goodness itself, because then the thing would start out with goodness. It cannot be literally spatial size. It must be the quality that underlies goodness, the quality that Seneca calls being secundum naturam. That is not explored much in this letter.

[17] Quaedam processu priorem exuunt formam et in nouam transeunt. Ubi aliquid animus diu protulit et magnitudinem eius sequendo lassatus est, infinitum coepit uocari; quod longe aliud factum est quam fuit cum magnum uideretur sed finitum. Eodem modo aliquid difficulter secari cogitauimus: nouissime crescente hac difficultate insecabile inuentum est. Sic ab eo quod uix et aegre mouebatur processimus ad inmobile. Eadem ratione aliquid secundum naturam fuit: hoc in aliam proprietatem magnitudo sua transtulit et bonum fecit. Vale.

processu: in order to fit Seneca's argument, this word must mean "growing larger" or "increase" or something similar, athough it doesn't usually have that specific meaning. | coepit vocari: the subject is aliquid from the previous ubi clause.
quod: "because." | cum ... videretur: cum referring to the past usually takes subjunctive. | crescente hac difficultate: abl. abs.

Vocabulary
ac = atque
adcognoscitur
adipiscor, adipisci, adeptus, acquire, get
adhuc, still
adiectio, -onis, f., addition, advance
adlicefacio, adlicefacere, adlicefeci, adlicefactus, attract, lure, seduce
administro (1), manage, direct, administer
admoneo, admonere, admonui, admonitum, admonish; remind
adpetitio, -onis, f., desire
adsequor, adsequi, adsecutus, get, obtain
adtendo, adtendere, adtendi, adtentum, be attentive to, pay attention to
adtraho, adtrahere, adtraxi, adtractus, draw, drag; allure
aegre, barely, hardly, with pain, scarcely
ago, agere, egi, actus, act, do, proceed
alienus, -a, -um, of others, belonging to others
aliter, otherwise, in another way
amplifico (1), heighten, increase, magnify
an, whether
animus, -i, m., soul
anniuersarius, -a, -um, yearly
anticessus, -us, m., payment(s) in advance
apud, (+ acc.), at (someone's) place, at (someone's home)
arca, -ae, f., box, chest; moneybox; coffin
at, but
attonitus, -a, -um, struck by thunder, stunned
augeo, augere, auxi, auctum, enlarge, increase
auidus, -a, -um, greedy
autem, however
beatus, -a, -um, happy, contented
bellum,  -i, n., war
bene, well
blandus, -a, -um, enticing, alluring
bonus, -a, -um, good
bucca, -ae, f., cheek
candidatus, -a, -um, clothed in white; candidate (m. substantive)
centesimus, -a, -um, one percent interest (per month)
circumspicio, circumspicere, circumspexi, circumspectum, look around at
coepio, coepere, coepi, coeptum, begin
cogito (1), think
comitia, -orum, n. pl., election
communis, commune, common, in common
compleo, complere, complevi, completum, fulfill; perfect, complete
condicio, -onis, f., state, condition
confero, conferre, contuli, collatum, compare
consentio, consentire, consensi, consensum, agree with, harmonize with (+ dat.)
consequor, consequi, consecutus, get, acquire
consularius, -a, -um, consular, having to do with a consul or the consuls
consulatus, -us, m., consulship
contactus, -us, m., contact
contemno, contemnere, contempsi, contemptum, despise, disdain
contero, conterere, contrivi, contritum, rub away, grind
contingo, contingere, contigi, contactum, touch
conuenio, convenire, conveni, conventum, agree; it is fitting, it is suitable; (impersonal)  there is an agreement
copia, -ae, f., access to (+gen. of person)
credo, credere, credidi, creditum, believe
cresco, crescere, crevi, cretum, grow, increase
cuneo (1), wedge
decipio, decipere, decepi, deceptum, deceive
deinde, then, next
demum, at length; finally, in short
designatus, -a, -um, elected, designate
desum, deesse, defui, defuturum, fall short, be missing, be remiss
dico, dicere, dixi, dictum, say, mean
differo, differre, distuli, dilatum, differ, be different
difficilis, e, hard, difficult
difficultas, -atis, difficulty
difficulter, with difficulty
disertus, -a, -um, eloquent, expressive
diu, for a long time
diuersus, -a, um, different, varied
diuitiae, -arum, f. pl., riches
dolium, -e, n., cask
dubius, -a, -um, hesitant, doubtful
duo, duae, duo, two
durus, -a, -um, harsh
egero, egerere, egessi, egestum, carry out, carry off: bring out
egregius, -a, -um, unusual; excellent
emo, emere, empsi, emptum, buy
enim, for (conjunction)
epistula, -ae, f., letter
ergo, therefore
escendo, escendere, escendi, escensum, climb up, ascend
etiam, even; also
euenio, evenire, eveni, eventum, turn out, happen, occur
euentus, -us, m., outcome, result
excelsus, -a, -um, lofty, elevated, eminent
excutio, excutere, excussi, excussum, shake out; search, examine; investigate
exemplum, -i, n., example
exeo, exire, exi(v)i, go out
exigo, exigere, exegi, exactum, ask, demand
exiguus, -a, -um, small, scant, meager
existimo (1), think, deem
expecto (1), await, expect
expeto, expetere, expetivi, expetitum, seek out
exprimo, exprimere, expressi, expressum, portray, express, describe
exuo, exuere, exui, exutum, lay aside
fallo, fallere, fefelli, falsum, lie, tell a lie, deceive
fastidio, fastidire, feel loathing for
fateor, fateri, fassus, confess, admit
felicitas, -atis, f., good fortune, success
fenerator, -oris, m., money-lender, usurer
fero, ferre, tuli, latum, carry
fiducia, -ae, f., confidence, self-reliance; fidelity
finitio, -onis, f.,
finitus, -a, -um, finite, bounded
finio, finire, bound, limit; define, determine
fio, fieri, factus sum, become;  be made
fluo, fluere, fluxi, fluctum, flow , pour, stream
forma, -ae, f., shape, form
fornix, fornicis, m., arch vault; arcade
fortuna, -ae, f., luck, fortune
frequentior, -ius, more often, more frequent
fruor, frui, fructus or fruitus, enjoy (+ abl.)
fugio, fugere, fugi, fugitum, flee
gaudium, -i, n., joy
genus, generis, n., type, kind, genus
gradus, -us, m., step, stage
habeo, habere, habui, habitum, hold, have; have power over
honeste, honorably
honestus, -a, -um, honorable, upright
honor, honoris,
humilis, -e, lowly, common, insignificant
iaceo, iacere, iacui, lie, be situated
iam, at the time (then now, already)
idem, adv., alike
ignorantia, -ae, f., ignorance
impetus, -us, m., impulse
impleo, implere, implevi, impletum, fill; fill in
in uicem, in turn
inanis, -e, empty, jejune
incipio, incipere, incepi, inceptum, begin
inclino (1), incline, slope
incrementum, -i, n., growth
inest, see insum
insum, inesse, infui, be in (+ dat.)
infans, infantis, infant (pre-speech)
infinitus, -a, -um, unending, infinite
inmobilis, -e, immovable, unmovable
inprimo, inprimere, inpressi, inpressum, make by pressing, imprint
inquietus, -a, -um, restless
inquis, you say
inrationalis, inrationale, ot edowed with rationality, not rational
insecabilis, -e,, indivisible
inseparabilis, -e, inseparable
integer, integra, integrum, complete, entire; untouched, unblemished; balanced, impartial
inter, between (+ acc.)
interest, see intersum
intersum, interesse, interfui, be between; be a difference between; interest = it matters, it makes a difference, it is important
interpretatio, -onis, f., explanation, meaning, signification
interuallum, -i, n., distance between
interuentus, -us, m., interference
intueor, intueri, intuitus, look upon, observe
invenio, invenire, inventum, find, discover
inuito (1), invite, allure
ita, thus, so, as follows, in that way
itaque, and so, so
iubeo, iubere, iussi, iussum, order, command
iucundus, -a, -um, pleasant, agreeable
iungo, iungere, iunxi, iunctum, join, unite, connect
iurisdictio, -onis, f., judicial authority
laboro (1), prepare, work at; be worried, be anxious; strive for
lagona, -ae, f., a jar with handles
lapis, lapidis, m., stone
lasso (1), exhaust, fatigue, make weary
latus, lateris, n., side
legatio, -onis, f., embassy, legation
leuis, leve, trifling, trivial, unimportant
liber, libera, liberum, free
liberi, liberorum/liberum, m. pl., children
licet, licere, licuit, licitum, it is permitted, it is allowed (+ dat. + inf.)
locus, -i, m., place
longe, adv., far; by far
magnus, -a, -um, large, big
magnitudo, magnitudinis, f., size
maior, maius, larger, greater
male, in a bad way
malus, -a, -um, bad
mane, manere, mansi, mansum, remain, stay
manus, -us, f., hand
materia, -ae, f., stuff, material, subject matter
matrimonium, -i, n., marriage
melior, melius, better
mel, mellis, n., honey
mentior, mentiri, mentitus, lie, tell a lie; be mistaken
mi, m. s. vocative of meus
milia, miliarum, f. pl., thousands
militia, -ae, f., military service
minimus, -a, -um, least, smallest
minor, minus, less
miror (1), wonder (at)
misceo, miscere, miscui, mixtum, combine, blend, mix
moveo, movere, movi, motum, move; dispossess, take; provoke, excite
mox, soon, shortly
multus, -a, -um, many
muto (1), change (transitive)
nam, for (conj.)
natura, -ae, f., nature
nego (1), deny, say ... not
nemo, neminis, no one, nobody
nihil, nothing; not at all (adv.)
nimius, -a, -um,  excessive
nisi, unless; except
nitor, niti, nisus sum, strive, exert oneself; press on
nomen, -inis, n., name
nouus, -a, -um, novel, new
nouissime, most recently, very recently
nummus, -i, m., a coin, a sesterce
numquam, never
nundinae, -arum, f. pl., market, trade, business; market day
oppono, opponere, opposui, oppositum, object, oppose
opto (1), desire, wish for
osculum, -i, n., kiss
otiosus, -a, -um, calm, unperturbed
pars, partis, f., part; maior pars = "most people"
patior, patiri, passus sum, suffer, undergo
pendeo, pendere, pependi, hang an offering (as in a temple); loiter, tarry
per, through (+acc.)
perduro (1), abide, remain
perfecte, adverb form of participle of perficio
perficio, perficere, perfeci, perfectum, achieve, complete, finish
pernicies, -ei, f., disaster, destruction, ruin
perpetuus, -a, -um, everlasting
peruenio, pervenire, perventum, reach, arrive at, attain to (+ ad + acc.)
pestifer, -a, -um, injurious, pestilential
peto, petere, petivi, petitum, seek
plurimus, -a, -um, most, very many
pondus, -eris, n., weight
pono, ponere, posui, positum, posit
post (+ acc.), after
potestas, -atis, f., power
praecipuus, -a, -um, peculiar, special
praeco, -onis, m., public crier, herald
praetorius, -a, -um, relating to a general or commander (military praetor); relating to a the civil office or praetor
prior, prius, first, before, prior
priuatus, -a, -um, private, one's own
pro (+abl.), in place of, instead of
procedo, procedere, processi, processum, promote, move forward
processus, -us, m., progress, advance, development
profero, proferre, protuli, prolatum, bring forth, bring to light
pronuntio (1), proclaim, make publicly known
propinquus, -a, -um, neighboring: as substantive, neighbor
proprietas, -atis, f., proprium, defining quality; peculiarity
prosperus, -a, -um, favorable
protinus, adv., continuously, immediately
pubes, puberis, adult
pugno (1), fight, vie for
pusillus, -a, -um, mean, petty; tiny
puto (1), think
quaero, quaerere, quaesivi, quaesitum, ask
qualitas, -atis, f., quality, property
quam, adv., how
quamdiu, as long as
quamuis, although
quantus, -a, -um, how much
quare, why
quia, because
quidam, quaedam, quoddam, certain
quidem, indeed
quomodo, how, in what manner; just as, as
quoque, also, too
ratio, -onis, f., reason; account; method
rationalis, -e, rational, endowed with reason
reddo, reddere, reddidi, redditum, render, make, cause to be
refero, referre, retuli, relatum, carry back, report; matter, make a difference
repello, repellere, reppuli, reppulsum, banish; drive away
rescribo, rescribere, rescripsi, rescriptum
rogo (1), ask
rumor, rumoris, m., popular opinion, hearsay
salus, salutis, f., safety, health
sapor, saporis, m., flavor, taste
satio (1), fill, satisfy
satis, enough (indeclinable)
satius, comparative of satis
scilicet, namely, certainly, assuredly
scio, scire, scivi, scitum
scribo, scribere, scripsi, scriptum, write
seco, secare, secui, sectum, cut, divide
secundum, according to (+ acc.)
securus, -a, -um, carefree
securus, -a, -um, free of care
semper, always
sequester, -stri or -stris, m., go-between, agent
sequor, sequi, secutus, follow, pursue (canbe used of mental pursuit)
similis, -e, like, similar, resembling (can take gen, or dat.)
societas, -atis, f., partnership, association
sollicito (1), worry
soluo, solvere, solvi, solutum, pay off, discharge (a debt)
solvendo esse, be solvent, be able to pay in full
solus, -a, -um, alone, only, sole
specto (1), look
spero (1), hope
statim, at once, immediately
sto, stare, steti, status
subrepo, subrepere, subrepsi (or surr-), creep up from under
suffragor (1), approve, support; vote in favor of
summus, -a, um, highest; last
supplico (1), beseech, entreat
talis, tale, such, of this sort, of the following sort
tam, so much, so
tamquam, such as, as; just as if
tantum, only
tantus, -a, -um, so great, so much
templum, -i, n., temple, sacred space
tendo, tendere, tetendi, tentum, aim at, strive
tot, so many, this many
tracto (1), handle, manage
transeo, transire, transivi, transitum, pass over, ignore, pass by; pass over, go over , cross
transfero, transferre, transtuli, translatum, carry over; transform
tribus, tribus, f., a division of the Roman people
triumphus, -i, m., triumphal procession, triumph
varius, -a, -um, varied, diverse
vel, even, actually
uendo, vendere, vendidi, venditum, sell
uerus, -a, -um, true
uerisimilis, -e, probably, likely
uerto, vertere, verti, versum, alter, change
uideo, videre, vidi, visum, see
uideor, videri, visus sum, seem
uinum, -i, n., wine
uinco, vincere, vici, victum, conquer
uires, virium, f. pl., strength, power, might; influence
uita, -ae, f., life
uix, hardly, barely
uoco (1), call, name; call, summon
uox, vocis, f., voice
utique, at any rate, certainly, at least
uterque, utraqua, utrumque, each (of two); both
utrum, whether
uulgo, in general
vale, good-bye (literally 'be well,' 'be strong')
varius, -a, -um, varied
verus, -a, -um, true