Seneca Epistula 83
Commentary by Jacques Bailly
Text
LXXXIII. SENECA LVCILIO SVO SALVTEM

[1] Singulos dies tibi meos et quidem totos indicari iubes: bene de me iudicas si nihil esse in illis putas quod abscondam. Sic certe vivendum est tamquam in conspectu vivamus, sic cogitandum tamquam aliquis in pectus intimum introspicere possit: et potest. Quid enim prodest ab homine aliquid esse secretum? nihil deo clusum est; interest animis nostris et cogitationibus medius intervenit -- sic 'intervenit' dico tamquam aliquando discedat. [2] Faciam ergo quod iubes, et quid agam et quo ordine libenter tibi scribam. Observabo me protinus et, quod est utilissimum, diem meum recognoscam. Hoc nos pessimos facit, quod nemo vitam suam respicit; quid facturi simus cogitamus, et id raro, quid fecerimus non cogitamus; atqui consilium futuri ex praeterito venit.

[3] Hodiernus dies solidus est, nemo ex illo quicquam mihi eripuit; totus inter stratum lectionemque divisus est; minimum exercitationi corporis datum, et hoc nomine ago gratias senectuti: non magno mihi constat. Cum me movi, lassus sum; hic autem est exercitationis etiam fortissimis finis. [4] Progymnastas meos quaeris? unus mihi sufficit Pharius, puer, ut scis, amabilis, sed mutabitur: iam aliquem teneriorem quaero. Hic quidem ait nos eandem crisin habere, quia utrique dentes cadunt. Sed iam vix illum adsequor currentem et intra paucissimos dies non potero: vide quid exercitatio cotidiana proficiat. Cito magnum intervallum fit inter duos in diversum euntes: eodem tempore ille ascendit, ego descendo, nec ignoras quanto ex his velocius alterum fiat. Mentitus sum; iam enim aetas nostra non descendit sed cadit. [5] Quomodo tamen hodiernum certamen nobis cesserit quaeris? quod raro cursoribus evenit, hieran fecimus. Ab hac fatigatione magis quam exercitatione in frigidam descendi: hoc apud me vocatur parum calda. Ille tantus psychrolutes, qui kalendis Ianuariis euripum salutabam, qui anno novo quemadmodum legere, scribere, dicere aliquid, sic auspicabar in Virginem desilire, primum ad Tiberim transtuli castra, deinde ad hoc solium quod, cum fortissimus sum et omnia bona fide fiunt, sol temperat: non multum mihi ad balneum superest. [6] Panis deinde siccus et sine mensa prandium, post quod non sunt lavandae manus. Dormio minimum. Consuetudinem meam nosti: brevissimo somno utor et quasi interiungo; satis est mihi vigilare desisse; aliquando dormisse me scio, aliquando suspicor. [7] Ecce circensium obstrepit clamor; subita aliqua et universa voce feriuntur aures meae, nec cogitationem meam excutiunt, ne interrumpunt quidem. Fremitum patientissime fero; multae voces et in unum confusae pro fluctu mihi sunt aut vento silvam verberante et ceteris sine intellectu sonantibus.

[8] Quid ergo est nunc cui animum adiecerim? dicam. Superest ex hesterno mihi cogitatio quid sibi voluerint prudentissimi viri qui rerum maximarum probationes levissimas et perplexas fecerint, quae ut sint verae, tamen mendacio similes sunt. [9] Vult nos ab ebrietate deterrere Zenon, vir maximus, huius sectae fortissimae ac sanctissimae conditor. Audi ergo quemadmodum colligat virum bonum non futurum ebrium: 'ebrio secretum sermonem nemo committit, viro autem bono committit; ergo vir bonus ebrius non erit'. Quemadmodum opposita interrogatione simili derideatur adtende (satis enim est unam ponere ex multis): 'dormienti nemo secretum sermonem committit, viro autem bono committit; vir bonus ergo non dormit'. [10] Quo uno modo potest Posidonius Zenonis nostri causam agit, sed ne sic quidem, ut existimo, agi potest. Ait enim 'ebrium' duobus modis dici, altero cum aliquis vino gravis est et inpos sui, altero si solet ebrius fieri et huic obnoxius vitio est; hunc a Zenone dici qui soleat fieri ebrius, non qui sit; huic autem neminem commissurum arcana quae per vinum eloqui possit. [11] Quod est falsum; prima enim illa interrogatio conplectitur eum qui est ebrius, non eum qui futurus est. Plurimum enim interesse concedes et inter ebrium et ebriosum: potest et qui ebrius est tunc primum esse nec habere hoc vitium, et qui ebriosus est saepe extra ebrietatem esse; itaque id intellego quod significari verbo isto solet, praesertim cum ab homine diligentiam professo ponatur et verba examinante. Adice nunc quod, si hoc intellexit Zenon et nos intellegere noluit, ambiguitate verbi quaesiit locum fraudi, quod faciendum non est ubi veritas quaeritur. [12] Sed sane hoc senserit: quod sequitur falsum est, ei qui soleat ebrius fieri non committi sermonem secretum. Cogita enim quam multis militibus non semper sobriis et imperator et tribunus et centurio tacenda mandaverint. De illa C. Caesaris caede, illius dico qui superato Pompeio rem publicam tenuit, tam creditum est Tillio Cimbro quam C. Cassio. Cassius tota vita aquam bibit, Tillius Cimber et nimius erat in vino et scordalus. In hanc rem iocatus est ipse: 'ego' inquit 'quemquam feram, qui vinum ferre non possum?'.

[13] Sibi quisque nunc nominet eos quibus scit et vinum male credi et sermonem bene; unum tamen exemplum quod occurrit mihi referam, ne intercidat. Instruenda est enim vita exemplis inlustribus, nec semper confugiamus ad vetera. [14] L. Piso, urbis custos, ebrius ex quo semel factus est fuit. Maiorem noctis partem in convivio exigebat; usque in horam sextam fere dormiebat: hoc eius erat matutinum. Officium tamen suum, quo tutela urbis continebatur, diligentissime administravit. Huic et divus Augustus dedit secreta mandata, cum illum praeponeret Thraciae, quam perdomuit, et Tiberius proficiscens in Campaniam, cum multa in urbe et suspecta relinqueret et invisa. [15] Puto, quia bene illi cesserat Pisonis ebrietas, postea Cossum fecit urbis praefectum, virum gravem, moderatum, sed mersum vino et madentem, adeo ut ex senatu aliquando, in quem e convivio venerat, oppressus inexcitabili somno tolleretur. Huic tamen Tiberius multa sua manu scripsit quae committenda ne ministris quidem suis iudicabat: nullum Cosso aut privatum secretum aut publicum elapsum est.

[16] Itaque declamationes istas de medio removeamus: 'non est animus in sua potestate ebrietate devinctus: quemadmodum musto dolia ipsa rumpuntur et omne quod in imo iacet in summam partem vis caloris eiectat, sic vino exaestuante quidquid in imo iacet abditum effertur et prodit in medium. Onerati mero quemadmodum non continent cibum vino redundante, ita ne secretum quidem; quod suum alienumque est pariter effundunt.' [17] Sed quamvis hoc soleat accidere, ita et illud solet, ut cum iis quos sciamus libentius bibere de rebus necessariis deliberemus; falsum ergo est hoc quod patrocinii loco ponitur, ei qui soleat ebrius fieri non dari tacitum.

Quanto satius est aperte accusare ebrietatem et vitia eius exponere, quae etiam tolerabilis homo vitaverit, nedum perfectus ac sapiens, cui satis est sitim extinguere, qui, etiam si quando hortata est hilaritas aliena causa producta longius, tamen citra ebrietatem resistit. [18] Nam de illo videbimus, an sapientis animus nimio vino turbetur et faciat ebriis solita: interim, si hoc colligere vis, virum bonum non debere ebrium fieri, cur syllogismis agis? Dic quam turpe sit plus sibi ingerere quam capiat et stomachi sui non nosse mensuram, quam multa ebrii faciant quibus sobrii erubescant, nihil aliud esse ebrietatem quam voluntariam insaniam. Extende in plures dies illum ebrii habitum: numquid de furore dubitabis? nunc quoque non est minor sed brevior. [19] Refer Alexandri Macedonis exemplum, qui Clitum carissimum sibi ac fidelissimum inter epulas transfodit et intellecto facinore mori voluit, certe debuit. Omne vitium ebrietas et incendit et detegit, obstantem malis conatibus verecundiam removet; plures enim pudore peccandi quam bona voluntate prohibitis abstinent. [20] Ubi possedit animum nimia vis vini, quidquid mali latebat emergit. Non facit ebrietas vitia sed protrahit: tunc libidinosus ne cubiculum quidem expectat, sed cupiditatibus suis quantum petierunt sine dilatione permittit; tunc inpudicus morbum profitetur ac publicat; tunc petulans non linguam, non manum continet. Crescit insolenti superbia, crudelitas saevo, malignitas livido; omne vitium laxatur et prodit. [21] Adice illam ignorationem sui, dubia et parum explanata verba, incertos oculos, gradum errantem, vertiginem capitis, tecta ipsa mobilia velut aliquo turbine circumagente totam domum, stomachi tormenta cum effervescit merum ac viscera ipsa distendit. Tunc tamen utcumque tolerabile est, dum illi vis sua est: quid cum somno vitiatur et quae ebrietas fuit cruditas facta est? [22] Cogita quas clades ediderit publica ebrietas: haec acerrimas gentes bellicosasque hostibus tradidit, haec multorum annorum pertinaci bello defensa moenia patefecit, haec contumacissimos et iugum recusantes in alienum egit arbitrium, haec invictos acie mero domuit. [23] Alexandrum, cuius modo feci mentionem, tot itinera, tot proelia, tot hiemes per quas victa temporum locorumque difficultate transierat, tot flumina ex ignoto cadentia, tot maria tutum dimiserunt: intemperantia bibendi et ille Herculaneus ac fatalis scyphus condidit. [24] Quae gloria est capere multum? cum penes te palma fuerit et propinationes tuas strati somno ac vomitantes recusaverint, cum superstes toti convivio fueris, cum omnes viceris virtute magnifica et nemo vini tam capax fuerit, vinceris a dolio. [25] M. Antonium, magnum virum et ingeni nobilis, quae alia res perdidit et in externos mores ac vitia non Romana traiecit quam ebrietas nec minor vino Cleopatrae amor? Haec illum res hostem rei publicae, haec hostibus suis inparem reddidit; haec crudelem fecit, cum capita principum civitatis cenanti referrentur, cum inter apparatissimas epulas luxusque regales ora ac manus proscriptorum recognosceret, cum vino gravis sitiret tamen sanguinem. Intolerabile erat quod ebrius fiebat cum haec faceret: quanto intolerabilius quod haec in ipsa ebrietate faciebat! [26] Fere vinolentiam crudelitas sequitur; vitiatur enim exasperaturque sanitas mentis. Quemadmodum <morosos> difficilesque faciunt diutini morbi et ad minimam rabidos offensionem, ita ebrietates continuae efferant animos; nam cum saepe apud se non sint, consuetudo insaniae durat et vitia vino concepta etiam sine illo valent.

[27] Dic ergo quare sapiens non debeat ebrius fieri; deformitatem rei et inportunitatem ostende rebus, non verbis. Quod facillimum est, proba istas quae voluptates vocantur, ubi transcenderunt modum, poenas esse. Nam si illud argumentaberis, sapientem multo vino non inebriari et retinere rectum tenorem etiam si temulentus sit, licet colligas nec veneno poto moriturum nec sopore sumpto dormiturum nec elleboro accepto quidquid in visceribus haerebit eiecturum deiecturumque. Sed si temptantur pedes, lingua non constat, quid est quare illum existimes in parte sobrium esse, in parte ebrium? Vale.

Introduction
This letter rambles at the start from the need to plan one's day to exercise to bathing to the effects of old age on one's bodily abilities. For the topic of physical exercise, see also Letter 15.
Then the letter switches to discussing Zeno's purported argument against drunkenness. Seneca corrects various aspects of it, but chiefly suggests that the proper way to argue against drunkenness is to point out real facts and happenings. He provides many renowned persons whose actions prove his points as well as vivid descriptions of the effects of drunkenness. He concludes that one should argue against drunkenness with facts and that the Stoic wise person will not get drunk, because it is vicious and so contrary to wisdom.

Commentary

1. Lucilius asks Seneca to tell him what he does every day: Seneca invokes the idea that we should live such that we have nothing to hide (Epistula III§3 invokes the same thought), and the idea that god sees all that goes on, including what goes on inside of us.

[1] Singulos dies tibi meos et quidem totos indicari iubes: bene de me iudicas si nihil esse in illis putas quod abscondam. Sic certe vivendum est tamquam in conspectu vivamus, sic cogitandum tamquam aliquis in pectus intimum introspicere possit: et potest. Quid enim prodest ab homine aliquid esse secretum? nihil deo clusum est; interest animis nostris et cogitationibus medius intervenit -- sic 'intervenit' dico tamquam aliquando discedat.

bene ...iudicas si ... putas: simple present condition.
quod abscondam: relative clause of purpose, nihil is antecedent.
Sic certe vivendum est tamquam ..., sic cogitandum tamquam: note the parallel structure of sic + passive periphrastic + subjunctive tamquam clause, and the vey short et potest (aliquis in pectus introspicere). tamquam often has si when it takes the subjunctive in a conditional clause of comparison, but si is also often left out.
prodest: the subject of prodest is the infinitive clause that follows.
interest ... medius intervenit: medius modifies the understood deus and means "in the midst (of our thoughts)" (see OLD medius 8).
sic 'intervenit' dico: a rhetorical comment on the wording of his thought: he is saying that intervenit is the wrong word for what god does, because it implies that god only watches our thoughts some of the time.
tamquam ... discedat: another conditional clause of comparison with subjunctive.

2. Seneca claims we must look not only at what we are doing and are going to do, but what we have done, for the past helps plan the future.

[2] Faciam ergo quod iubes, et quid agam et quo ordine libenter tibi scribam. Observabo me protinus et, quod est utilissimum, diem meum recognoscam. Hoc nos pessimos facit, quod nemo vitam suam respicit; quid facturi simus cogitamus, et id raro, quid fecerimus non cogitamus; atqui consilium futuri ex praeterito venit.

agam: subj. in indirect question.
scribam: parallel to and in the same tense as Faciam.
Observabo ... recognoscam: note the parallel structure of this sentence with the one before: both begin and end with a main verb in the future and have a subordinate clause in the middle.
facturi simus: subj. in indirect question.
id: = quid facturi simus. Id is the direct object of another cogitamus. But perhaps the best translation of et id is "at that," as in "she acted just as I expected, and generously at that." Cf. G&L §308r.2.
raro: the ablative used adverbially, a frequent phenomenon in Latin (G&L 91.2).
fecerimus: subj. in indirect statement. Secondary sequence dependent on cogitamus.

3. Today, Seneca's day was undisturbed by his body and other people. Old age makes it easy to exercise: very little is needed to tire oneself out.

[3] Hodiernus dies solidus est, nemo ex illo quicquam mihi eripuit; totus inter stratum lectionemque divisus est; minimum exercitationi corporis datum, et hoc nomine ago gratias senectuti: non magno mihi constat. Cum me movi, lassus sum; hic autem est exercitationis etiam fortissimis finis.

mihi: datives are indirect objects not only for things given to someone, but also for things taken away from someone, as here.
totus: sc. dies.
stratum: "coverlet," by metonymy, "bed," "couch."
hoc nomine: idiomatic use of nomine in an abl. of cause, "on this ground," "for this reason."
magno: abl. of price.
etiam fortissimis: dat.

4. Seneca has a slave who exercises with him, but the slave is growing stronger and abler while Seneca's strength and agility are declining.

[4] Progymnastas meos quaeris? unus mihi sufficit Pharius, puer, ut scis, amabilis, sed mutabitur: iam aliquem teneriorem quaero. Hic quidem ait nos eandem crisin habere, quia utrique dentes cadunt. Sed iam vix illum adsequor currentem et intra paucissimos dies non potero: vide quid exercitatio cotidiana proficiat. Cito magnum intervallum fit inter duos in diversum euntes: eodem tempore ille ascendit, ego descendo, nec ignoras quanto ex his velocius alterum fiat. Mentitus sum; iam enim aetas nostra non descendit sed cadit.

Progymnastas: from the Greek προγυμναστής, "a slave who goes through exercises with his master."
mutabitur: Latin muto is transitive, and so one cannot simply say mutabit "he will change," because the Latin-speaker will expect a direct object. Thus the norm is to use the Latin passive for such transitives, where English uses the active "he will change."
crisin: Greek accusative form of κρίσις, "stage of life."
utrique: dat. of the possessor.
proficiat: subj. in indirect statement.
in diversum: adverbial "in different directions."
ex his: refers to the two actions just mentioned (ille ascendit, ego descendo).
alterum: refers to one of the two actions (ille ascendit, ego descendo), probably Seneca's, given non descendit sed cadit in the next sentence.
fiat: subj. in indirect question introduced by the interrogative quanto, an ablative of degree of difference.
non descendit sed cadit: gradual versus sudden decline. For the same distinction applied to the voice, cf. Letter 15§8 (descendat, non decidat).

5. Seneca explains that although he used to plunge into the coldest water on the coldest day, in his old age, he avoids the cold.

[5] Quomodo tamen hodiernum certamen nobis cesserit quaeris? quod raro cursoribus evenit, hieran fecimus. Ab hac fatigatione magis quam exercitatione in frigidam descendi: hoc apud me vocatur parum calda. Ille tantus psychrolutes, qui kalendis Ianuariis euripum salutabam, qui anno novo quemadmodum legere, scribere, dicere aliquid, sic auspicabar in Virginem desilire, primum ad Tiberim transtuli castra, deinde ad hoc solium quod, cum fortissimus sum et omnia bona fide fiunt, sol temperat: non multum mihi ad balneum superest.

cesserit: subj. in indirect question: primary sequence.
hieran: another Greek acc. (ἱεράν (νίκην) "holy/sacred (victory)"). To "do a holy" in Greek meant to tie, in which case the prize was said to be won by the god: see LSJ ἱερός IV.7.
fatigatione magis quam exercitatione: Seneca is saying, probably jokingly, that he thinks of it more as exhausting his body than exercise, likely in keeping with the idea that the aim is not so much physical health as an end in itself, but rather a means to the end of achieving virtue.
frigidam: sc. aquam, the water of the baths. The baths were typically of three sorts: hot, room temperature/warm, and cold.
parum calda: sc. aqua. Seneca evidently no longer liked a truly cold bath: he considered any bath that was not hot enough a 'cold bath.'
Ille tantus ... qui... salutabam, qui... (auspicabar)...sic auspicabar : Ille tantus psychrolutes = ego (Seneca), which is also the antecedent of both qui pronouns. Understand another auspicabar with the second qui clause. Auspicabar, "begin," "undertake,""enter on a project" can take an infinitive.
quemadmodum ... sic: correlatives, "just as ... so ... ."
psychrolutes: transliteration of Greek ψυχρολούτης "cold water bather," a word used in Letter 53.3 as well. Interestingly, the word ψυχρολουτής, which Seneca transliterates here, has not survived in extant Greek authors, but the verb ψυχρολουτεῖν "to bathe in cold water" occurs frequently, as in the Stoic Epictetus' Discourses 1.1, where Agrippinus is reported to have exercised and then taken a cold bath regularly at a certain time of day. Perhaps Seneca had that passage in mind.
euripum: from Greek εὔριπος "canal, ditch," used in Latin to refer to aqueducts.
kalendis Ianuariis: the kalends were the first day of the month. Ianuariis, like the words for all the months in Latin, is an adjective. The first day of January would be when the water would be near its coldest. That day, as today, held some festive significance: Columella, de Re Rustica XI.II.98 says Per hos quoque dies abstinent terrenis operibus religiosiores agricolae, ita tamen ut ipsis Kalendis Ianuariis auspicandi causa omne genus operis instaurent. ("On these days (the beginning of January) the more devout farmers refrain from working the earth, but nevertheless on the Kalends of January, they start anew every manner of work for the sake of taking the auspices."
Virginem: refers to the aqua Virgo, which Lewis & Short s.v. virgo II.D describe as "a stream of cold water brought to Rome in an aqueduct constructed by M. Agrippa (so called because a young girl discovered its source), now the Fontana Trevi."

6-7. After exercise, a snack. Seneca doesn't sleep much, and the sounds of the circus don't distract him from his thinking.

[6] Panis deinde siccus et sine mensa prandium, post quod non sunt lavandae manus. Dormio minimum. Consuetudinem meam nosti: brevissimo somno utor et quasi interiungo; satis est mihi vigilare desisse; aliquando dormisse me scio, aliquando suspicor. [7] Ecce circensium obstrepit clamor; subita aliqua et universa voce feriuntur aures meae, nec cogitationem meam excutiunt, ne interrumpunt quidem. Fremitum patientissime fero; multae voces et in unum confusae pro fluctu mihi sunt aut vento silvam verberante et ceteris sine intellectu sonantibus.

sunt lavandae manus: Passive periphrastic. manus pl. Presumably, the dry food does not leave dirt.
nosti: = novisti. The perfect of nosco "I come to know" is novi, which means "I know."
interiungo: "unyoke." quasi makes it clear that this is metaphorical rather than simply a word for "take a break."
vigilare desisse: desisse = desivisse (the subject of est) takes the complementary infinitive vigilare.
suspicor: sc. dormisse me.
excutiunt ... interrumpunt: plural presumably because universa made it clear that more than one voice raised the clamor.
pro fluctu... aut vento... ceteris...: pro ("as," "like") has three ablative objects.

8-9. Seneca demonstrates that a syllogism which Zeno constructed is problematic. The syllogism is something like: 1) No one entrusts a drunk with secrets; 2) People entrust the good person with secrets; 3) therefore a good person will not be a drunk. Seneca suggests that the same logic proves that the good person does not sleep: 1) No one entrusts a sleeper with secrets; 2) People entrust the good person with secrets; 3) therefore a good person is not a sleeper.

[8] Quid ergo est nunc cui animum adiecerim? dicam. Superest ex hesterno mihi cogitatio quid sibi voluerint prudentissimi viri qui rerum maximarum probationes levissimas et perplexas fecerint, quae ut sint verae, tamen mendacio similes sunt. [9] Vult nos ab ebrietate deterrere Zenon, vir maximus, huius sectae fortissimae ac sanctissimae conditor. Audi ergo quemadmodum colligat virum bonum non futurum ebrium: 'ebrio secretum sermonem nemo committit, viro autem bono committit; ergo vir bonus ebrius non erit'. Quemadmodum opposita interrogatione simili derideatur adtende (satis enim est unam ponere ex multis): 'dormienti nemo secretum sermonem committit, viro autem bono committit; vir bonus ergo non dormit'.

cui: dative with animum: mihi nomen est means "my name is."
adiecerim: relative clause of purpose. Primary sequence.
voluerint: indirect question. Primary sequence. "Intended," "meant."
fecerint: subj. in a subordinate clause in indirect question. Primary sequence.
ut sint: occasionally, ut means "although." Such concessive ut clauses take the subjunctive.
quae ... sunt: indicative clause because Seneca is claiming this as a fact on his own authority independent of the train of thought he is describing. If it were part of that train of thought, it would be in the subjunctive.
Zenon: Greek nominative (Ζήνων). Zeno of Citium.
audi: what mood?
colligat: "deduce." Indirect question.
futurum: sc. esse.
derideatur: Zeno is the subject. Indirect question. Primary sequence.
opposita interrogatio simili: interrogatio = "syllogism," "pattern of logical argument," and is modified by both opposita and simili.
unam: sc. interrogationem.

10-11. Seneca reports that Posidonius tried to save Zeno's argument by suggesting that ebrius has two meanings: the habitual drunk (ebriosus: who is called a drunk even when sober) and the person who is currently drunk (ebrius: who may not drink much, and may not even have known about the alcohol in the drink). Posidonius suggests Zeno means the habitual drinker. Seneca, however, thinks Zeno's syllogism clearly means the person who is actually intoxicated. What is more, Seneca says that, if Zeno is arguing as Posidonius thinks he is, then he is guilty of knowingly equivocating in order to deceive.

[10] Quo uno modo potest Posidonius Zenonis nostri causam agit, sed ne sic quidem, ut existimo, agi potest. Ait enim 'ebrium' duobus modis dici, altero cum aliquis vino gravis est et inpos sui, altero si solet ebrius fieri et huic obnoxius vitio est; hunc a Zenone dici qui soleat fieri ebrius, non qui sit; huic autem neminem commissurum arcana quae per vinum eloqui possit.  [11] Quod est falsum; prima enim illa interrogatio conplectitur eum qui est ebrius, non eum qui futurus est. Plurimum enim interesse concedes et inter ebrium et ebriosum: potest et qui ebrius est tunc primum esse nec habere hoc vitium, et qui ebriosus est saepe extra ebrietatem esse; itaque id intellego quod significari verbo isto solet, praesertim cum ab homine diligentiam professo ponatur et verba examinante. Adice nunc quod, si hoc intellexit Zenon et nos intellegere noluit, ambiguitate verbi quaesiit locum fraudi, quod faciendum non est ubi veritas quaeritur.

causam agit: causam agere "to plead a case."
huic obnoxius vitio: obnoxius takes the dative.
hunc: refers to the nearer case, the one of the person who is wont to get drunk.
cum ... si ...: these clauses are subordinate to the acc. + inf. clause of indirect speech, and subordinate clauses in indirect speech are ordinarily subjunctive, but once again, the author is reporting this on his own authority rather than as part of the stream of thought he is reporting in indirect speech. CHECK THIS
hunc a Zenone dici: the indirect speech continues. hunc refers to the person described in the second altero clause preceding.
qui soleat ... non qui sit ... possit: subordinate clauses in indirect speech are ordinarily subjunctive: these may be relative clauses of characteristic and so may be doubly determined as subjunctive, but one cannot verify that.
neminem commissurum arcana: understand esse  with commissurum. neminem is the subject of commissurum (esse), and arcana is its direct object.
quae per vinum eloqui possit: quae is the direct object of eloqui. Huic refers to the same person as the subject of possit.
quod est falsum: quod is a linking relative referring to the thought in the previous clauses.
potest et qui ebrius est tunc primum esse... habere... esse: the antecedent of qui is omitted, but it is the subject of potest, which takes the complementary infinitive esse, which has the predicate nominative ebrius. Primum is an adverb. habere and esse are likewise complementary infinitives with potest.
qui ebriosus est saepe extra ebrietatem esse: omitted antecedent, complementary infinitive esse. Parallel to previous clause.
cum ... ponatur ...: subjunctive indicates a causal cum clause.
quod: causal quod clause.
fraudi: dative of purpose or tendency.
quod faciendum non est: quod refers to the thought of the previous clause. faciendum est passive periphrastic.

12. Seneca offers counterexamples to the claim that one does not entrust secrets to drunkards, namely the many heavy-drinking soldiers to whom officers entrust secrets, as well as Lucius Tillius Cimber, a habitual drinker and one of those in the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar. It is interesting that he feels the need to specify that Julius Caesar refers to the one who held the republic after Pompey was beaten: it is not clear who else it could have been.

[12] Sed sane hoc senserit: quod sequitur falsum est, ei qui soleat ebrius fieri non committi sermonem secretum. Cogita enim quam multis militibus non semper sobriis et imperator et tribunus et centurio tacenda mandaverint. De illa C. Caesaris caede, illius dico qui superato Pompeio rem publicam tenuit, tam creditum est Tillio Cimbro quam C. Cassio. Cassius tota vita aquam bibit, Tillius Cimber et nimius erat in vino et scordalus. In hanc rem iocatus est ipse: 'ego' inquit 'quemquam feram, qui vinum ferre non possum?'.

senserit: jussive subjunctive.
ei: dative with committi, whose subject is sermonem secretum.
quod sequitur falsum est, ei qui soleat fieri non committe sermonem secretum: quod sequitur is the subject of est, and falsum is predicative nominative. The antecedent of quod is the whole acc. + inf. phrase sermonem committi, which takes the dative ei, which is the antecedent of qui in  qui soleat, which is a relative clause of characteristic and takes the complementary infinitive fieri, which takes the predicate nominative ebrius.
quam multis: quam adverbial modifies multis.
mandaverint: indirect question.
feram: deliberative subjunctive.

13-14. Seneca suggests that everyone has his or her own examples, and offers another example of a heavy drinker who was nonetheless trustworthy, Lucius Piso.

[13] Sibi quisque nunc nominet eos quibus scit et vinum male credi et sermonem bene; unum tamen exemplum quod occurrit mihi referam, ne intercidat. Instruenda est enim vita exemplis inlustribus, nec semper confugiamus ad vetera. [14] L. Piso, urbis custos, ebrius ex quo semel factus est fuit. Maiorem noctis partem in convivio exigebat; usque in horam sextam fere dormiebat: hoc eius erat matutinum. Officium tamen suum, quo tutela urbis continebatur, diligentissime administravit. Huic et divus Augustus dedit secreta mandata, cum illum praeponeret Thraciae, quam perdomuit, et Tiberius proficiscens in Campaniam, cum multa in urbe et suspecta relinqueret et invisa.

nominet: jussive subjunctive.
quibus ... vinum male credi et sermonem bene: indirect speech dependent on scit. credi takes dat.
ne intercidat: purpose clause, intercido "go unmentioned," "escape notice."
instruenda est: passive periphrastic.
confugiamus: prohibitive subjunctive.
L. Piso: Lucius Calpurnius Piso (48BCE-33CE). Trusted by Augustus and Tiberius, Piso was sent as Augustus' legate to Thrace in 11BCE, and was custos urbis from 15-33CE (Suetonius' Tiberius 42 says that Tiberius made him custos urbis after a night of heavy drinking together).
ebrius: predicate nominative: needs to be understood with both factus (est) and fuit.
fere: adverb.
hoc: refers to the late hour of the day in the previous clause.
praeponeret ... relinqueret: cum clauses referring to past action are typically subjunctive. Praepono takes dative Thraciae.
Tiberius proficiscens in Campaniam: see Suetonius' Tiberius §39, which reports that he went to Campania before retreating to Capri.

15. Another example: L. Piso's successor as custos urbis, Cossus, also overly fond of drink.

[15] Puto, quia bene illi cesserat Pisonis ebrietas, postea Cossum fecit urbis praefectum, virum gravem, moderatum, sed mersum vino et madentem, adeo ut ex senatu aliquando, in quem e convivio venerat, oppressus inexcitabili somno tolleretur. Huic tamen Tiberius multa sua manu scripsit quae committenda ne ministris quidem suis iudicabat: nullum Cosso aut privatum secretum aut publicum elapsum est.

illi: dat., refers to Tiberius.
Cossum: Cossus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetuliculus, consul in 1 BCE, custos urbis 33-36 CE. This letter is apparently the chief evidence for his having held that office and for his character.
tolleretur: secondary sequence subjunctive in result clause.
committenda: gerundive, agrees with haec, the object of iudicabat.
Cosso: abl. dependent on elapsum est.

16. An adversarius claims that drunkenness makes us spill our secrets and our guts, just as the process of fermentation can burst containers (as anyone who homebrews knows).

[16] Itaque declamationes istas de medio removeamus: 'non est animus in sua potestate ebrietate devinctus: quemadmodum musto dolia ipsa rumpuntur et omne quod in imo iacet in summam partem vis caloris eiectat, sic vino exaestuante quidquid in imo iacet abditum effertur et prodit in medium. Onerati mero quemadmodum non continent cibum vino redundante, ita ne secretum quidem; quod suum alienumque est pariter effundunt.'

de medio: medium is often "the public sphere," "the open," in Latin. Later in this section, in medium means "into the open."
removeamus: hortatory subjunctive.
quemadmodum: among other things, this can mean "just as."
vis: nom. subj.
abditum: modifies quidquid.
Onerati: refers to people, not containers, as non continent cibum shows.
vino redundante: causal ablative absolute, or less likely dependent on onerati: the meaning is the same either way.
quod: the omitted antecedent to this pronoun is the object of effundunt.

17. Although divulging secrets does sometimes happen under and perhaps because of wine's influence, it remains true that people sometimes confide in those who drink liberally. But a better way to attack drunkenness is more directly to expose its faults. Seneca suggests that an ordinary person, not to mention the Stoic sage, should avoid it and will stop short of drunkenness.

[17] Sed quamvis hoc soleat accidere, ita et illud solet, ut cum iis quos sciamus libentius bibere de rebus necessariis deliberemus; falsum ergo est hoc quod patrocinii loco ponitur, ei qui soleat ebrius fieri non dari tacitum.
Quanto satius est aperte accusare ebrietatem et vitia eius exponere, quae etiam tolerabilis homo vitaverit, nedum perfectus ac sapiens, cui satis est sitim extinguere, qui, etiam si quando hortata est hilaritas aliena causa producta longius, tamen citra ebrietatem resistit.

soleat: quamvis takes the subjunctive in most Classical Latin.
ita ... ut ... deliberemus: ita ... ut introduces a limit or restriction on what precedes, "to the extent that," "only in so far as." The ut clause is a result clause. illud, "the following,"refers to the ut  clause.
quos sciamus libentius bibere: relative clause of characteristic. quos is subject of bibere. libentius "too freely," "quite willingly."
hoc quod ... ei qui soleat ebrius fieri non dari tacitum: hoc is the antecedent of quod, and both refer to the accusative with infinitive clause ei non dari tacitum, in which ei is the antecedent of qui, which introduces a relative clause that is both a subordinate clause in indirect speech and also a relative clause of characteristic and hence doubly determines that soleat be subjunctive.
patrocinii loco: "in place of a defense (of Zeno's syllogism)."
Quanto satius: quanto ablative of degree of difference with satius, which is a predicate nominative neuter adjective modifying the infinitive phrases aperte accusare ebrietatem et vitia eius exponere, which are the subject of est.
extinguere: subject of est.
cui ... qui ...: cui refers to the sapiens, while qui may refers to the tolerabilis homo or the sapiens. It is not clear, nor does it matter, because in §18, Seneca will claim that the tolerabilis should stop short of drunkenness and so, a fortiori, the sapiens will do so as well. Thus deciding whom qui refers to here will not decide any substantive issue.
hortata est: has understood object eum (ad ebrietatem).
aliena causa: ablative of cause.
longius: the comparative can mean "quite ____," "rather ____," or "too _____." Modifies producta, which modifies the subject hilaritas.
resistit: "stop." Subject is qui.

18. Leaving aside the sage, a better way to prove that good people do not get drunk is to describe what drunken people do: drunkenness is nothing other than voluntary insanity. This section as well as the tolerabilis vir suggest that there may be such a thing as a bonus vir who is not a sage: the hard line stoic position, however, is that all of us who are not sages are all, equally, vicious. That is one of the famously paradoxical stoic claims. Seneca is either relaxing it here for the sake of argument, or has rejected that stoic position.

[18] Nam de illo videbimus, an sapientis animus nimio vino turbetur et faciat ebriis solita: interim, si hoc colligere vis, virum bonum non debere ebrium fieri, cur syllogismis agis? Dic quam turpe sit plus sibi ingerere quam capiat et stomachi sui non nosse mensuram, quam multa ebrii faciant quibus sobrii erubescant, nihil aliud esse ebrietatem quam voluntariam insaniam. Extende in plures dies illum ebrii habitum: numquid de furore dubitabis? nunc quoque non est minor sed brevior.

de illo videbimus: idiomatic for "we will see later." Illo refers to the indirect question that follows, introduced by an.
colligere: "prove logically."
hoc: refers to the acc. + inf. which follows, virum ... fieri.
bonum virum: not the "sage," but an ordinary "good person."
agis: this word can be translated in many ways. Here perhaps "proceed."
syllogismis: from Greek συλλογισμός, a syllogism is a logical argument: an argument of such a form that, if you accept the premises, you must accept the conclusion or contradict yourself.
sibi ingerere: compound verbs with in- frequently take dative.
nosse: syncopated form of novisse.
quam capiat: subject is generic "one" or "a person."

19. Another historical example, and an observation: drunkenness reveals and kindles our bad inclinations as well as removing inhibitions to them. It also reveals that more of us are held back from wrongs by being ashamed to do wrong than by having good will free of such inclinations.

[19] Refer Alexandri Macedonis exemplum, qui Clitum carissimum sibi ac fidelissimum inter epulas transfodit et intellecto facinore mori voluit, certe debuit. Omne vitium ebrietas et incendit et detegit, obstantem malis conatibus verecundiam removet; plures enim pudore peccandi quam bona voluntate prohibitis abstinent.

Clitum: Clitus "the Black" (also spelled 'Cleitus') saved Alexander's life at the Battle of Granicus (Arrian Anabasis I.15, Plutarch Alexander §16). Alexander killed him in a drunken rage in 328BCE (Arrian Anabasis IV.8, Plutarch Alexander §13).
epulas: a 'heteroclite' noun, which means that it is neuter in the singular epulum, -i, but feminine in the plural epulae, -arum (which is usually translated with an English singular).
intellecto facinore: abl. abs.
certe debuit: sc. mori. This clause is, grammatically, either a second independent main clause in asyndeton or a parenthetical remark.
obstantem: compound verbs with ob- frequently take Dative.
plures enim pudore peccandi: note the alliteration: Seneca strives for aphoristic and memorable prose.
pudore and voluntate: ablatives of cause.
abstinent: compound verbs with ab- often take an ablative of separation.

20. Excess drink does not create but reveals and extends badness otherwise hidden, be it lust, cruelty, or any other vice.
 
[20] Ubi possedit animum nimia vis vini, quidquid mali latebat emergit. Non facit ebrietas vitia sed protrahit: tunc libidinosus ne cubiculum quidem expectat, sed cupiditatibus suis quantum petierunt sine dilatione permittit; tunc inpudicus morbum profitetur ac publicat; tunc petulans non linguam, non manum continet. Crescit insolenti superbia, crudelitas saevo, malignitas livido; omne vitium laxatur et prodit.

quidquid mali: quidquid often takes a partitive genitive. The omitted antecedent of the indefinite pronoun quidquid is the subject of emergit.
quantum petierunt: the omitted antecedent of the relative quantum would have been tantum, the object of permittit.
insolenti and saevo and livido: predicate datives with superbia, crudelitas, and malignitas respectively. Note the tricolon in asyndeton.

21. The symptoms of drunkenness.

[21] Adice illam ignorationem sui, dubia et parum explanata verba, incertos oculos, gradum errantem, vertiginem capitis, tecta ipsa mobilia velut aliquo turbine circumagente totam domum, stomachi tormenta cum effervescit merum ac viscera ipsa distendit. Tunc tamen utcumque tolerabile est, dum illi vis sua est: quid cum somno vitiatur et quae ebrietas fuit cruditas facta est?

ignorationem sui: sui is genitive of se, here an objective genitive.
dubia et parum explanata verba: be careful: dubia is not "dubious" or "doubtful," but "vague, unclear," and explanata is not "explained," but "articulated" or "enunciated."
vertiginem capitis, tecta ipsa mobilia: two ways to describe dizziness, perhaps one more severe than the other.
utcumque: "in one way or another."
illi: predicate dative with vis.
cum somno vitiatur ... : cum conjunction, not preposition, governing both the vitiatur and the facta est clause.
fuit ... facta est: a nice passage illustrating how the perfect can be either past or present perfect.

22. Drunkenness has caused wartime disasters of many sorts.
[22] Cogita quas clades ediderit publica ebrietas: haec acerrimas gentes bellicosasque hostibus tradidit, haec multorum annorum pertinaci bello defensa moenia patefecit, haec contumacissimos et iugum recusantes in alienum egit arbitrium, haec invictos acie mero domuit.

ediderit: indirect question.
acie: take closely with invictos.

23. Drink brought low Alexander, where nothing else could.

[23] Alexandrum, cuius modo feci mentionem, tot itinera, tot proelia, tot hiemes per quas victa temporum locorumque difficultate transierat, tot flumina ex ignoto cadentia, tot maria tutum dimiserunt: intemperantia bibendi et ille Herculaneus ac fatalis scyphus condidit.

Alexandrum ... dimiserunt: the subject is tot itinera, tot proelia, tot hiemes, tot flumina, tot maria: the main verb is dimiserunt; and the direct object is Alexandrum.
victa temporum locorumque difficultate: abl. abs.
herculaneus ac fatalis scyphus: from Greek σκύφος, "goblet," "cup." Herculaneus conveys its size. Fatalis, from fatum "fate," means "dangerous" or "fated," and not so much "deadly" as "fatal" does in English.
condidit: "bury," "bring to the grave": the direct object is an understood Alexandrum.

24. There is no glory in winning at a drinking competition: the "winner," conquered by wine, is a loser.

[24] Quae gloria est capere multum? cum penes te palma fuerit et propinationes tuas strati somno ac vomitantes recusaverint, cum superstes toti convivio fueris, cum omnes viceris virtute magnifica et nemo vini tam capax fuerit, vinceris a dolio.

capere: "have room for," "be able to hold." Cf. vini capax in the next sentence.
multum: sc. vini.
cum ... fuerit ... recusaverint ... cum ... fueris, cum ... viceris ... fuerit: cum clauses referring to the past take subjunctive.
penes: a preposition.

25. Drunkenness no less than the love of Cleopatra ruined Mark Antony, who used to identify the heads and hands of those he had proscribed as they were brought to him while drunk at a banquet.

[25] M. Antonium, magnum virum et ingeni nobilis, quae alia res perdidit et in externos mores ac vitia non Romana traiecit quam ebrietas nec minor vino Cleopatrae amor? Haec illum res hostem rei publicae, haec hostibus suis inparem reddidit; haec crudelem fecit, cum capita principum civitatis cenanti referrentur, cum inter apparatissimas epulas luxusque regales ora ac manus proscriptorum recognosceret, cum vino gravis sitiret tamen sanguinem. Intolerabile erat quod ebrius fiebat cum haec faceret: quanto intolerabilius quod haec in ipsa ebrietate faciebat!

ingeni nobilis: predicate genitive of description.
nec minor vino Cleopatrae amor: a nice turn of phrase. It makes best sense once one realizes that minor has a "pregnant meaning": here, it means not just "lesser, smaller" in some quantity, but "less effective," "less powerful," "less important."
haec illum res hostem, haec hostibus suis inparem: note the abab order followed by abba order: both clauses take reddidit.
cum ... cum ... cum ... : another series of cum clauses referring to the past, and hence subjunctive.
cenanti: dative direct object, refers to Mark Antony.
vino gravis sitiret tamen sanguine: a nice, and typically Senecan, juxtaposition: drunk yet thirsty. vino is abl. with gravis.
quod ... quod: quod "the fact that."

26. The moral is that, because alcohol corrupts the mind, being drunk and being cruel go together. And drunkenness is cumulative: the more frequent, the worse the corruption, as bad acts become habits and no longer require alcohol to come out.

[26] Fere vinolentiam crudelitas sequitur; vitiatur enim exasperaturque sanitas mentis. Quemadmodum <morosos> difficilesque faciunt diutini morbi et ad minimam rabidos offensionem, ita ebrietates continuae efferant animos; nam cum saepe apud se non sint, consuetudo insaniae durat et vitia vino concepta etiam sine illo valent.

fere: adverb.
faciunt: like reddo and other "factitive" verbs, facio can take two accusatives.
efferant: there are two verbs effero, one of which is first declension "make wild, make beastly."
apud se sint: to be "apud se" is to be "at one's home," but here it is figurative rather than literal, as in the old English insult "his lights are on, but there's nobody home."sint subjunctive in past cum clause.

27. The upshot is that one should argue against drinking alcohol by pointing out the actual results, not by a syllogism. What is more, the Stoic wise person will never become drunk, not because he or she has become immune to drink, but because becoming drunk is a transgression of proper measure and vicious, and hence not wise. Some might think that the Stoic wise person is simply perfect and hence can tolerate any amount of alcohol, poison, or physiologically effective treatment, but the Stoic wise person does not overcome bodily limitation in a way that is contrary to his or her physiology. Poison still affects the wise.

[27] Dic ergo quare sapiens non debeat ebrius fieri; deformitatem rei et inportunitatem ostende rebus, non verbis. Quod facillimum est, proba istas quae voluptates vocantur, ubi transcenderunt modum, poenas esse. Nam si illud argumentaberis, sapientem multo vino non inebriari et retinere rectum tenorem etiam si temulentus sit, licet colligas nec veneno poto moriturum nec sopore sumpto dormiturum nec elleboro accepto quidquid in visceribus haerebit eiecturum deiecturumque. Sed si temptantur pedes, lingua non constat, quid est quare illum existimes in parte sobrium esse, in parte ebrium? Vale.

debeat: indirect question subjunctive.
Quod: a proleptic relative that refers to the concept of the clause that follows.

temptantur pedes, lingua non constat: tempto "be on trial," consto "be constant, consistent": compare Virgil's description of a grape variety called Lageos which temptatura pedes olim uincturaque linguam "which at some time will put the feet on trial and tie the tongue." (Georgics II.94) Clearly this language is (near-)idiomatic for tipsiness.
existimes: indirect question subjunctive.