Seneca IV. xxxviii
Commentary by Rachel Thomas
Revised by Jacques Bailly

Introduction

This letter is about letter writing, conversation, and philosophy.  In it, Seneca claims that philosophy is best done quietly with frequent exchanges, like a conversation, not lectured to a crowd (Cf. Plato’s Socrates, who insists on a one-on-one conversation rather than a lecture).

Text

SENECA LUCILIO SUO SALUTEM
[1] Merito exigis ut hoc inter nos epistularum commercium frequentemus. Plurimum proficit sermo, quia minutatim irrepit animo: disputationes praeparatae et effusae audiente populo plus habent strepitus, minus familiaritatis. Philosophia bonum consilium est: consilium nemo clare dat. Aliquando utendum est et illis, ut ita dicam, contionibus, ubi qui dubitat impellendus est; ubi vero non hoc agendum est, ut velit discere, sed ut discat, ad haec submissiora verba veniendum est. Facilius intrant et haerent; nec enim multis opus est sed efficacibus. [2] Seminis modo spargenda sunt, quod quamvis sit exiguum, cum occupavit idoneum locum, vires suas explicat et ex minimo in maximos auctus diffunditur. Idem facit ratio: non late patet, si aspicias; in opere crescit. Pauca sunt quae dicuntur, sed si illa animus bene excepit, convalescunt et exsurgunt. Eadem est, inquam, praeceptorum condicio quae seminum: multum efficiunt, et angusta sunt. Tantum, ut dixi, idonea mens rapiat illa et in se trahat; multa invicem et ipsa generabit et plus reddet quam acceperit. Vale.

Texts of Seneca's letters on this site are from www.thelatinlibrary.com as submitted by Hansulrich Guhl (Frauenfeld, Switzerland) from an unidentified edition and (the later books) by Sally Winchester from the Reynolds edition. Typographical errors may have been corrected by J Bailly.

Commentary

[1] Frequent exchange is conducive to philosophy. The place for a long speech is perhaps to inspire someone to engage in philosophy. Once a person is engaged, a more quiet manner is appropriate.

frequentemus present subjunctive in primary sequence; indirect command.
hoc...commercium direct object.
irrepit takes dative, as do many verbs that are compounds of in- meaning "in."
audiente populo why ablative?
strepitus...familiaritatis minus and plus both take the genitive.
clare refers to the volume of someone’s voice.
utendum est passive periphrastic; impersonal; utor takes the ablative.
et adverbial: "also," "too."
ut ita dicam present subjunctive in primary sequence: this is a common parenthetical clause, like "so to speak" in English.
ubi qui dubitat impellendus est ubi "in which." Qui, "whoever," has no expressed antecedent.
hoc nominative referring to the act of philosophizing.
velit present subjunctive in primary sequence; purpose clause. The subject is the person with whom one philosophizes.
discat present subjunctive in primary sequence; purpose clause. Again, the subject is one's philosophizing partner.
submissiora comparative; like clare, this word refers to volume of voice.
intrant et haerent What enters and sticks where? Supply a subject from the previous sentence. As to where, Seneca is probably referring to irrepit animo above.
multis (verbis).
opus est “there is a need;” takes the nom., abl. (as here), or gen., of what is needed, dat. of person.

[2] Words and reason are like a seed; they need the perfect place to grow.

modo is abl. of modus.
spargenda what neuter plural things does this modify?
sit present subjunctive in primary sequence; quamvis takes subjunctive.
auctus accusative plural with maximos.
aspicias present subjunctive in primary sequence; FLV.
pauca (verba).
condicio goes with both praeceptorum and seminum.
quae “as”.
et “though”.
Tantum adverb: "just," "only," "merely."
rapiat present subjunctive in primary sequence; jussive.
trahat present subjunctive in primary sequence; jussive.
multa direct object.
invicem adverb.
ipsa (mens).
plus in the singular, plus is a neuter noun.

Vocabulary

accipio, accipere, accepi, acceptum, acquire, get
aliquando, sometimes
angustus, a, um, narrow, small
aspicio, aspicere, aspexi, aspectum, catch sight of, glimpse; consider, think about
auctus, auctus, m., growth
bene, well
clare, clearly, brightly
commercium, commerci(i), n., trade
condicio, condicionis, f., agreement
consilium, consili(i), n., advice
contio, contionis, f., speech
convalesco, convalescere, convalui, to grow strong, to thrive
cresco, crescere, crevi, cretum, to thrive
diffundo, diffundere, diffudi, diffusum, to be spread out
disco, discere, didici, to learn
disputatio, disputationis, f., discussion, lecture
efficax, efficacis, effective
efficio, efficere, effeci, effectum, to produce, to effect
effundo, effundere, effudi, effusum, to send forth
excipio, excipere, excepi, exceptum, to receive
exigo, exigere, exegi, exactum, to examine, to conclude, to finish
exiguus, exigua, exiguum, small
explico (1), to unfold
exsurgo, exsurgere, exsurrexi, to rise
familiaritas, familiaritatis, f., intimacy
frequento (1), increase the frequency of
genero (1), create, produce
haereo, haerere, haesi, haesum, stick, cling, be closely attached
idoneus, idonea, idoneum, suitable
impello, impellere, impuli, impulsum, to urge on
inquam, I say
intro (1), to enter
invicem, in turns
irrepo, irrepere, irrepsi, to creep into
late, over a wide area
merito, rightly
minutatim, bit by bit
modus, modi, m., manner, way
opus, operis, n., work, deed
opus est (impersonal) there is (a) need
pateo, patere, patui, spread
praeceptum, praecepti, n., teaching, piece of advice, instruction
praeparo (1), to prepare
proficio, proficere, profeci, profectum, accomplish
quamvis,  although
rapio, rapere, rapui, raptum, seize, receive
ratio, rationis, f., reason
semen, seminis, n., seed
sermo, sermonis, m., conversation
spargo, spargere, sparsi, sparsum, scatter
strepitus, strepitus, m., noise
submissus, -a, -um,  (of the voice) low, quiet, gentle
tantum,  only
traho, trahere, traxi, tractum, draw, drag
utor, uti, usus sum, use (+abl.)
vires, virium, f. pl., strength