Seneca · Letter LIII
You will outstrip all mortals — and even the gods will hardly stand above you. The difference? Their span is longer. A great artist proves himself by rendering a full likeness within a miniature.
What this means
Seneca tells Lucilius that in virtue a person can rival even the gods, with one difference: the gods last longer. But a great artist, he adds, proves himself by rendering a full likeness in a small space. A short life, lived well, is not a lesser work.
On death, time, nature.