Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

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120 SENECAFriendship [he writes to Lucilius] makes all thingscommon between us, neither prosperity nor adversitycan fall to our single share. We live in common. Noone can live happily who looks to himself alone, whoturns everything to his own profit ; you must live for— another ifyou would live for 'yourself alteri vivasoportet, si vis iibi vivere.' The binding union whichmingles all with all and claims that there are rightscommon to the whole human race must be carefullyand sacredly observed. To this end the cultivationof that tie of intimate friendship I spokegreatest service, for he who shares all thingsof is of thewith hisfriend will share much with mankind.^The soul knows no pleasure comparable to a sweetand faithful friendship. How good it is to have one towhom you can confide every secret, whose knowledgeyou fear less than your own, whose conversation soothesyour cares, whose judgment solves your perplexities,whose cheerfulness drives away melancholy, whose verysight enchants you.^In spite of, perhaps owing to, this lofty notionof friendship, Seneca had a goodlylist of friends.Nearest of allto his heart was Annaeus Serenus,captain of Nero's bodyguard, whose name suggeststhat he may have been a relation. To him headdressed the treatise De Constantia Sapientis;and the De Tranquillitate Animi is in theform of a dialogue between Serenus and himself.The younger man is made to consult Seneca withrespect to certain difficulties which he has encounteredin his progress in philosophy. Hisreason has convinced him that a simplelife isthebest, and his real inclinations agree with hisreason. Yet he finds his eyes dazzled by the'Ep. 48.*De Tranquill. Anim. i.7.
SENECA IN RETIREMENT 121splendour he sees around him ;and he is consciousof an occasional conflict between his moral andphysical nature, troubling him much as sea-sicknessmay trouble a man though the ship is in no danger.These weaknesses humiliate and disturb him, andhe asks Seneca to prescribe some means by whichhe may gain a constant and invulnerable tranquillityof soul. Seneca in reply treats, as hesays, the whole question in order that from thegeneral remedy Serenus may extract what heneeds to meet his own case. His remedy, inbrief, is self-devotion to the welfare of others,whether by public service of the State, in which aman must regard honours only so far as theymay help him to be useful to his friends, to hisfellow-citizens, and to the whole world ; or, ifthe temptations incident to such a life may notsafely be confronted, to the equally necessarywork of teaching the world the meaning of justice,of piety, of patience, of fortitude, of the contemptof death, of the nature of the gods, and finally,what allmay have who will, of a goodWe conscience.have no power over fortune. Life is in onesense a perpetual servitude, whatever its outwardaspect but we have ;power to act rightly,however fortune may treat us, and there are noconceivable circumstances in which we may notsecure tranquillity by serving our fellow-creaturesin the measure of our power. A discriminatingchoice of friends, moderation in all things, with arational end kept constantly in view in all ouractions and desires, the elimination of the superfluous,the a\ oidance alike of anxiety and of frivolity,
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SENECA
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SENECA.From the double bust of Sene
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,^e.PRticava;lairis^^T\r\(pQ *
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viINTRODUCTORY NOTEin a critical pe
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FRONTISPIECESeneca.— From the dou
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2 SENECAnon-existent rule of law be
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4 SENECAinvention of the effective
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6 SENECAsomething of the eloquence
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8 SENECASeneca and Helvia, was adop
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10 SENECAThe Senecas appear to have
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12 SENECAOriginal minds may not for
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14 SENECAone another yet in each ca
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i6SENECAThe young enthusiast besieg
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i8SENECAbath all the year round, fo
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20 SENECAin his use of words, but u
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22 SENECAmagistracies to senatorial
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CHAPTER IIITHE PRINCIPATE OF CALIGU
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26 SENECAin short sentences that fi
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28 SENECAcomplexion bore witness to
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30 SENECAcarefullyto observe whethe
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CHAPTER IVEXILE IN CORSICA, A.D. 4I
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34 SENECAhad been accustomed to res
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36 SENECAA capital sentence was fir
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38 SENECAornaments to be laid at he
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40 SENECAthat it was capable of giv
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42 SENECACassius, it is true, or hi
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44 SENECAcoincidence may, of course
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CHAPTER VRETURN FROM EXILE— LAST
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48 SENECAThe crisis over, the next
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50 SENECAa decree of the Senate, th
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52, SENECANero was twelve years old
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54 SENECAand were believed to be de
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56 SENECABritannicus with his siste
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58 SENECAwere the subjects of conte
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6oSENECAlaid aside/ Nero made his e
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62 SENECAyoke. He began by heaping
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64 SENECABut he had to choose betwe
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66 SENECAhe put into the prince's m
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68 SENECAothers, have moved me to p
Page 86 and 87: 70 SENECAHer subsequent submission
Page 88 and 89: 72 SENECACampus Martius— all prep
Page 90 and 91: 74 SENECApromisedall she asked. Sil
Page 92 and 93: 76 SENECAinstitutions had been mode
Page 94 and 95: 78 SENECAmost powerful statesman wa
Page 96 and 97: 8oof heaven lestSENECAthe balance o
Page 98 and 99: 82 SENECAconcealed art into the tex
Page 100 and 101: 84 SENECAinformer under Claudius, a
Page 102 and 103: CHAPTER VIIIthe tragedy of baiae. i
Page 104 and 105: 88 SENECAto be taken into account.
Page 106 and 107: 90 SENECAwhere Acerronia either att
Page 108 and 109: 92 SENECAhe proceeded to an indictm
Page 110 and 111: 94 SENECAhimself was of no service
Page 112 and 113: 96 SENECAtheir emperor personally c
Page 114 and 115: CHAPTER IXDECLINE OF SENECA's INFLU
Page 116 and 117: 100 SENECAIn Rome the event of the
Page 118 and 119: 102 SENECAof affection and gratitud
Page 120 and 121: 104 SENECAinfluence for good. It is
Page 122 and 123: 10 6 SENFXAshould be content to gai
Page 124 and 125: io8the exulting tyrant.Senate made
Page 126 and 127: noSENECAdelighted at the news and o
Page 128 and 129: 112 SENECAindications of the divine
Page 130 and 131: 114 SENECAby a wall, with towers er
Page 132 and 133: ii6SENECAplant an old plantation. T
Page 134 and 135: Ii8SENECAis adopted but by a few we
Page 138 and 139: 122 SENECAachieved by constantly ke
Page 140 and 141: ' *124 SENECAhe must disdain all th
Page 142 and 143: 126 SENECAwith others of his friend
Page 144 and 145: 128 SENECAextraordinary distinctnes
Page 146 and 147: 130 SENECAtreats his subject in a s
Page 148 and 149: 132 SENECAproceed to the solution o
Page 150 and 151: 134 SENECAtude whatever fate might
Page 152 and 153: CHAPTER XILETTER TO LUCILIUS ON AET
Page 154 and 155: 138 SENECAfor they are public prope
Page 156 and 157: 140 SENECAwere less audible than th
Page 158 and 159: 142 SENECAThe following extracts wi
Page 160 and 161: 144 SENECAgave me to all men ;but s
Page 162 and 163: 146 SENECAthe duty he owed to human
Page 164 and 165: 148 SENECAthough they have not aske
Page 166 and 167: CHAPTER XIITHE CONSPIRACY OF PISO A
Page 168 and 169: 152 SENECAseemed to regard, in Taci
Page 170 and 171: 154 SENECAdisregarded, made a last
Page 172 and 173: 156 SENECAthis important recruit, a
Page 174 and 175: 158 SENECAScevinus, being separatel
Page 176 and 177: i6oSENECAbeforehand, and even if th
Page 178 and 179: i62SENECAhad conspired to avenge. B
Page 180 and 181: CHAPTER XIIITHE PHILOSOPHY OF SENEC
Page 182 and 183: ,poweri66SENECAmay— have power ov
Page 184 and 185: i68SENECAable to our eyes or ears.
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170 SENECAwill you feel no venerati
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172 SENECAat the back of them, beca
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174 SENECAhad the contempt of a man
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176 SENECA'says, a pipe for Fortune
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178 SENECAcan, as a general, if not
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i8oSENECAon conventional lines, was
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i82SENECAthe tragedian were actuall
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i84SENECAMedes, Indians, and tribes
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i86SENECAprobability by way of Flor
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CAIUS MAECENASThe battle of Actium
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CAIUS MAECENAS191restoration of the
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CAIUS MAECENAS 193pessimism. He exp
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CAIUS MAECENAS195Heindolence and so
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CAIUS MAECENAS197his fame, and here
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CAIUS MAECENAS199He was not offende
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CAIUS MAECENAS 201which he parodies
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CAIUS MAECENAS 203smaller or larger
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and endeavoured toCAIUS MAECENAS 20
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iiHM
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Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

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