2 quotations linked to Moral Letters to Lucilius — Letter 78 by or associated with Seneca, with source notes, explanations and related topics.
Use these links when you want to inspect the wording in its wider work or edition.
“Wrestle bravely with disease.”
The command treats illness as a circumstance to meet with courage while keeping the focus on character rather than promising any medical outcome.
Source note: Letter 78 uses the language of struggle while discussing Seneca’s own experiences of illness and endurance.
“For sometimes it is an act of bravery even to live.”
Enduring a difficult period can itself require courage when continuing responsibly is harder than dramatic gestures or escape.
Source note: Letter 78 discusses illness, endurance, and the courage required to continue living under hardship.