Philosophy And Community In Seneca S Prose

The Roman philosopher Seneca addressed himself to the question of how we ought to live in letters and treatises that have engaged the attention of readers from his own day to the present. A committed, if critical and eccentric, adherent of Stoicism, he gives us a set of reflections on the good life that are rich both in philosophical subtlety and in vivid engagement with day-to-day life in ancient Rome. Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose proposes a new understanding of the relationship between these two facets of Seneca's achievement, examining how he balances the Socratic imperative to subject one's life to rational scrutiny, on the one hand, with the claims of Roman moral tradition on the other. Carey Seal argues that we should think of Seneca neither as a spokesman for Stoicism who seizes opportunistically upon the data of Roman social life to make his case, nor as an expositor of the inherited values of the Roman elite in the language of Stoic philosophy. Rather, Seneca should be understood as someone intensely interested in the question of philosophy's social entanglements and presuppositions. Seneca's use of Roman politics and of the institution of slavery in elaborating his ideal of a life guided by reason is carefully examined in the book.

This book is a collection of the moral teachings of Seneca, the ancient Roman philosopher and statesman. Through a selection of his prose, Clode presents Seneca's wisdom on topics such as anger, grief, fear, and friendship. Seneca's insights into human nature and the human condition continue to inspire readers to this day. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A major writer and a leading figure in the public life of Rome, Seneca (c. 4BC-AD 65) ranks among the most eloquent and influential masters of Latin prose. This selection explores his thoughts on philosophy and the trials of life. In the Consolation to Helvia he strives to offer solace to his mother, following his exile in AD 41, while On the Shortness of Life and On Tranquillity of Mind are lucid and compelling explorations of Stoic thought. Witty and self-critical, the Letters - written to his young friend Lucilius - explore Seneca's struggle to acquire philosophical wisdom. A fascinating insight into one of the greatest minds of Ancient Rome, these works inspired writers and thinkers including Montaigne, Rousseau, and Bacon, and continue to intrigue and enlighten.

New translations of significant political writings of Seneca, the most important Stoic philosopher.

Flavian Poetry and its Greek Past breaks new ground by investigating the close interaction between Flavian poetry and Greek literary tradition and by evaluating the meaning of this affiliation in the socio-political and cultural context of the late first century CE. Authors examined include Martial, Silius Italicus, Statius, and Valerius Flaccus. Their interaction with Greek literature is not just thematic or geographical: the Greek literary past is conceived as the poetic influence of a variety of authors, periods, and genres, such as Homer, the Cyclic tradition, Greek lyric poetry, Greek tragedy, Hellenistic poetry and aesthetics, and Greek historiography.