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A few lines in Persius contain a good summary of all the objects of moral investigation, and hint the result of our inquiry: There human will has no place. Quid sumus? et quidnam victuri gignimur? ordo Quis datus? et metæ quis mollis flexus, et unde? Quis modus argento? Quid fas optare? Quid asper Utile nummus habet? Patriæ charisque propinquis Quantum elargiri debet?

Coruncanium optare solitos ut id Samnitibus ipsique Pyrrho persuaderetur, quo facilius vinci possent cum se voluptatibus dedissent. Vixerat M'. Curius cum P. Decio, qui quinquennio ante eum consulem se pro re publica quarto consulatu devoverat: norat eundem Fabricius, norat Coruncanius, qui cum ex sua vita tum ex eius quem dico.

"Quid fas optare: quid asper Utile nummus habet: patrix carisque propinquis Quantum elargiri deceat: quern te Deus esse Jussit, et humana qua parte locatus es in re; Quid sumus, et quidnam victuri gignimur."

Tusc. 1, 74; Rep. 6, 15. The Stoics held the same view about suicide, which they authorized in extreme cases, but much less freely than is commonly supposed; cf. Sen. Ep. 117, 22 nihil mihi videtur turpius quam optare mortem. See Zeller, Stoics, Epicureans, and Sceptics, Ch. 12, C ; cf. also Lecky, Hist. of European Morals, I. p. 228 et seq.