Patience, The Greatest Virtue?

Dicta Catonis 1.38

“Defeat one you could destroy with an enduring mind.
Patience is the greatest virtue of human kind.”

Quem superare potes interdum vince ferendo;
maxima enim est hominum semper patientia virtus.

Seneca, De Beneficiis 30

“Often, a thing which patience could unravel is torn by a violent tug.”

Saepe, quod explicari pertinacia potuit, violentia trahentis abruptum est

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1100b-1100a

“Still, nobility shines bright even in tough times, when someone bears even many severe misfortunes patiently, not because they cannot sense them, but because of their unselfishness and greatness of spirit. If the actions one takes rules their life—as we just said—then none of the happy people can ever be miserable.”

ὅμως δὲ καὶ ἐν τούτοις διαλάμπει τὸ καλόν, ἐπειδὰν φέρῃ τις εὐκόλως πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας ἀτυχίας, μὴ δι᾿ ἀναλγησίαν, ἀλλὰ γεννάδας ὢν καὶ μεγαλόψυχος. εἰ δ᾿ εἰσὶν αἱ ἐνέργειαι κύριαι τῆς ζωῆς, καθάπερ εἴπομεν, οὐδεὶς ἂν γένοιτο τῶν μακαρίων ἄθλιος.

Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 14

“I do not deny that pain is painful—otherwise, why would bravery be desired? But I do say that it is suppressed through patience, if we possess any amount at all. If we have none, then why do we raise philosophy on high and robe ourselves in its glory?

Non ego dolorem dolorem esse nego,—cur enim fortitudo desideraretur?—sed eum opprimi dico patientia, si modo est aliqua patientia: si nulla est, quid exornamus philosophiam aut quid eius nomine gloriosi sumus?

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11. 6

“Whenever you are really angry and upset, [remember] that human life is short and soon we will all be in the ground.”

ὅταν λίαν ἀγανακτῇς ἢ καὶ δυσπαθῇς, ἀκαριαῖος ὁ ἀνθρώπειος βίος καὶ μετ᾿ ὀλίγον πάντες ἐξετάθημεν.