a quote from Cicero
There is a cryptogram "quoting" Cicero as saying that pain is of short duration if very strong, and lighter and easier to bear if of long duration. That comes from his DE FINIBUS BONORUM ET MALORUM (On Good and Evil Ends), in chapter 2 where he is commenting on the philosophy of the Greek Epicureans (each chapter is devoted to a different school of Greek philosophy). He is merely stating what the Epicureans are famous for saying, "light if long, short if strong." The saying is not original to Cicero. I don't recall if Cicero agreed with the Epicureans here, but in general he tears their philosophy apart in DE FINIBUS.
|