Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 22

His ego instinctus abstinere animalibus coepi, et anno peracto non tantum facilis erat mihi consuetudo, sed dulcis. Agitatiorem mihi animum esse credebam, nec tibi hodie adfirmaverim, an fuerit. Quaeris, quomodo desierim? In primum Tiberii Caesaris principatum iuventae tempus inciderat. Alienigena tum sacra movebantur, sed inter argumenta superstitionis ponebatur quorundam animalium abstinentia. Patre itaque meo rogante, qui non calumniam timebat, sed philosophiam oderat, ad pristinam consuetudinem redii. Nec difficulter mihi, ut inciperem melius cenare, persuasit.

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Frappé de ces discours, je m’abstins dès lors de toute nourriture animale ; et un an de ce régime me l’avait rendu facile, agréable même. Mon esprit m’en paraissait devenu plus agile ; et je ne jurerais pas aujourd’hui qu’il ne l’était point. Tu veux savoir comment j’ai discontinué ? L’époque de ma jeunesse tomba sous le principat de Tibère : on proscrivait alors des cultes étrangers ; et parmi les preuves de ces superstitions était comptée l’abstinence de certaines viandes. À la prière donc de mon père, qui craignait peu d’être inquiété, mais qui n’aimait point la philosophie, je repris mon ancienne habitude ; et il n’eut pas grand’peine à me persuader de faire meilleure chère.

I was imbued with this teaching, and began to abstain from animal food; at the end of a year the habit was as pleasant as it was easy. I was beginning to feel that my mind was more active; though I would not to-day positively state whether it really was or not. Do you ask how I came to abandon the practice? It was this way: The days of my youth coincided with the early part of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Some foreign rites were at that time being inaugurated, and abstinence from certain kinds of animal food was set down as a proof of interest in the strange cult. So at the request of my father, who did not fear prosecution, but who detested philosophy, I returned to my previous habits; and it was no very hard matter to induce me to dine more comfortably.