Reflections on prayer Seneca
A disinterested prayer
Letters 60.1 (closing sentence)
Historical translation
Richard M. Gummere, 1920
And may the gods give ear to our cry also, uttered in our own behalf,—one which asks no favours!
Text matched to linked transcription; typography normalized.
Latin
The ancient words
Exaudiant di nostram quoque pro nobis vocem gratuitam.
Literal English
Editorial draft · developed with AI assistance
May the gods also hear our disinterested prayer on our own behalf.
An aid to reading that has not received independent specialist review. About this rendering
Sources & notes
Gratuitam describes the prayer as disinterested or freely offered. It does not literally say that the speaker asks for no favour. The surrounding letter criticizes the harmful ambitions wished for us by others.
Historical editions may include surrounding context or use different phrasing. Parallel columns compare passages; their lines are not word-for-word alignments.