Meditative missives.

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, born at Corduba (Cordova) around 4 BC, from a prominent and wealthy family, spent a sickly childhood and youth in Rome under the care of an aunt. He became renowned in rhetoric, philosophy, commerce, and imperial service. After experiencing disgrace during the reign of Claudius, he served as a tutor and later, in AD 54, as an advisor to Nero, some of whose worst misdeeds he was unable to prevent. Involved (innocently?) in a conspiracy, he took his own life by order in 65. Wealthy, he preached indifference to wealth; as someone who avoided pain and death, he preached contempt for both; and there were other contrasts between his actions and principles.

We possess Seneca’s philosophical or moral essays (traditionally called Dialogues), consisting of ten works on topics such as providence, steadfastness, the happy life, anger, leisure, tranquility, the brevity of life, gift-giving, and forgiveness—along with treatises on natural phenomena. Also available are 124 epistles, in which he writes in a relaxed style about moral and ethical issues, relating them to personal experiences; a satirical piece on the official deification of Claudius, Apocolocyntosis (in LCL 15); and nine rhetorical tragedies based on ancient Greek themes. Many epistles and all his speeches have been lost. The 124 epistles are collected in Volumes IV–VI of the Loeb Classical Library’s ten-volume edition of Seneca.

Pages: 496, Year of Edition: 0101, Dimensions: 10.8x10.8cm