Seneca and the time

Sunset in Leme at my home - Brazil

Seneca Lucilio suo salutem

Do this, dear Lucilius: make yourself truly master of yourself and cherish with every care that time that until now had been taken away from you, or had escaped you. Persuade yourself that things are as I am writing to you: some hours are stolen from us by vain occupations, others almost get out of hand; but the most shameful loss for us is the one that occurs through our negligence.

[...]

Perhaps you will ask me how I behave when I give you this advice. I will tell you frankly: my case is that of a man who spends liberally, but keeps his administration in order; I also keep exact accounts of the expenditure.

[...]

But you, as of now, jealously keep everything you own; and you will have started at a good point, since - our elders warn us - "it is too late to spare the wine, when it has reached the lees". In the bottom of the vase remains not only the scarcest part, but also the worst. Goodbye.

(Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, I,1)