Seneca · c. 4 BCE – 65 CE
On Benefits 3.24 — Seneca
Translation by Aubrey Stewart (1887)
Seneca, On Benefits 3.24
When Caesar was besieging Corfinium, Domitius, who was shut up in the city, ordered a slave of his own, who was also a physician, to give him poison. Observing the man’s hesitation, he said, “Why do you delay, as though the whole business was in your power? I ask for death with arms in my hands.” Then the slave assented, and gave him a harmless drug to drink. When Domitius fell asleep after drinking this, the slave went to his son, and said, “Give orders for my being kept in custody until you learn from the result whether I have given your father poison or no.” Domitius lived, and Caesar saved his life; but his slave had saved it before.
Cite this passage
Seneca, On Benefits 3.24, tr. Aubrey Stewart (1887)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-benefits/3.24
Seneca, Dialogues, tr. Aubrey Stewart (1887–1889). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA besieged commander demanded poison from his slave physician, who pretended to obey but gave a harmless sleeping drug and protected himself by asking to be held until the outcome was known. The commander lived, so the slave saved his life before his enemy did.
Themes and situations
- Courage
- Death and mortality
- Duty and roles
- Kindness and forgiveness