Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 25

Omnia, inquit, haec sapiens quidem invenit; sed minora quam ut ipse tractaret, sordidioribus ministris dedit. Immo non aliis excogitata ista sunt quam quibus hodieque curantur. Quaedam nostra demum prodisse memoria scimus, ut speculariorum usum perlucente testa clarum transmittentium lumen, ut suspensuras balneorum et inpressos parietibus tubos, per quos circumfunderetur calor, qui ima simul ac summa foveret aequaliter. Quid loquar marmora, quibus templa, quibus domus fulgent? Quid lapideas moles in rotundum ac leve formatas, quibus porticus et capacia populorum tecta suscipimus? Quid verborum notas, quibus quamvis citata excipitur oratio et celeritatem linguae manus sequitur? Vilissimorum mancipiorum ista commenta sunt;

mais trop peu nobles pour que lui-même en tirât parti, il les transmit à de vils manœuvres. » Moi je dis plus : elles ne furent pas imaginées par d’autres que par ceux qui jusqu’aujourd’hui s’en occupent. Il est des découvertes qui, nous le savons, ne datent que de notre temps, comme l’usage des pierres spéculaires dont les feuilles diaphanes transmettent la lumière dans toute sa pureté ; comme les bains suspendus au-dessus de leurs foyers, et ces tubes, appliqués dans les murs, qui font circuler la chaleur et l’entretiennent de bas en haut toujours égale. Que dirai-je des marbres dont nos temples, dont nos maisons resplendissent ? Et ces masses de pierres polies en colonnes où s’appuient des portiques et des palais à recevoir des peuples entiers ? Et ces caractères abrégés, au moyen desquels le discours le plus rapide est recueilli, et la main suit la célérité de la parole?

Les plus vils esclaves ont trouvé tout cela :

“But,” says Posidonius, “the wise man did indeed discover all these things; they were, however, too petty for him to deal with himself and so he entrusted them to his meaner assistants.” Not so; these early inventions were thought out by no other class of men than those who have them in charge to-day. We know that certain devices have come to light only within our own memory - such as the use of windows which admit the clear light through transparent tiles, and such as the vaulted baths, with pipes let into their walls for the purpose of diffusing the heat which maintains an even temperature in their lowest as well as in their highest spaces. Why need I mention the marble with which our temples and our private houses are resplendent? Or the rounded and polished masses of stone by means of which we erect colonnades and buildings roomy enough for nations? Or our signs for whole words, which enable us to take down a speech, however rapidly uttered, matching speed of tongue by speed of hand? All this sort of thing has been devised by the lowest grade of slaves.