Letters from a Stoic (Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Richard M. Gummere) - Softcover

Seneca

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1420955519 ISBN 13: 9781420955514

Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing, 2017

Synopsis

In ancient Rome, Seneca the Younger rose to power as a politician and statesman during the middle of his life. After being exiled by Emperor Caligula, he was finally welcomed back to Rome as Nero’s minister. He gained significant wealth, though Seneca often despised his own standing because of his personal philosophy. At the end of his life, Seneca wrote a number of letters to the Roman governor of Sicily. From this collection of letters comes “Letters from a Stoic.” In this work, the philosopher wrote about the essential tenants of Stoicism and how to follow a philosophy that required a person to humanize a society that was often cold and difficult. Many people read these letters and come away with a greater understanding of Stoicism; the people who practiced Stoicism often lived the phrase “actions speak louder than words,” meaning that Stoics wanted their deeds to exhibit their rational and calm nature. This work also reveals how Seneca and his contemporaries wanted people to treat others with the same respect they wanted for themselves. He was disgusted with the harsh and unethical treatment of slaves that was prevalent at the time, and he was against Nero’s idea of entertainment which entailed throwing martyrs, gladiators, and animals into a fighting arena. Although Stoicism is not now as widely practiced as it once was, many people can still find wisdom and inspiration in Seneca’s words. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

About this title

About the Author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, statesman, philosopher, advocate and man of letters, was born at Cordoba in Spain around 4 BC. He rose to prominence in Rome, pursuing a career in the courts and political life, for which he had been trained, while also acquiring celebrity as an author of tragedies and essays. Falling foul of successive emperors (Caligula in AD 39 and Claudius in AD 41), he spent eight years in exile, allegedly for an affair with Caligula’s sister. Recalled in AD 49, he was made praetor and was appointed tutor to the boy who was to become, in AD 54, the emperor Nero. On Nero’s succession, Seneca acted for some eight years as an unofficial chief minister. The early part of this reign was remembered as a period of sound government, for which the main credit seems due to Seneca. His control over Nero declined as enemies turned the emperor against him with representations that his popularity made him a danger, or with accusations of immorality or excessive wealth. Retiring from public life he devoted his last three years to philosophy and writing, particularly the Letters to Lucilius. In AD 65 following the discovery of a plot against the emperor, in which he was thought to be implicated, he and many others were compelled by Nero to commit suicide. His fame as an essayist and dramatist lasted until two or three centuries ago, when he passed into literary oblivion, from which the twentieth century has seen a considerable recovery.

Edition details

• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1420955519
• ISBN 13: 9781420955514
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 454