Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

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142 SENECAThe following extracts will enable the reader toform his own judgment on accusation and defence.The genuine humility of the man— rare indeedoutlook and hisamong Romans— his objectivemental detachment, are nowhere more conspicuous.If, then, one of these barking critics of philosophy'Why are your words so much strongersays to me :than your deeds ? How is it that you talk submissivelyto superiors ;and consider money a necessary means toyour ends, and are affected by its loss ? Why do youweep when you hear of the loss of a wife or a friend ?Why are you careful of your reputation and vexedby slander Why ? that elaborate adornment of yourcountry-seats so far beyond the needs of nature ?Whyare your banquets not restricted to the limits of yourrule ?Why this beautiful furniture, this wine olderthan yourself, these trees that yield nothing but shade ?Why does your wife wear in her ears the fortune of arich family Why ? are your attendants clothed in preciousraiment ?Why does the service at your house amountto a fine art, the plate arranged with the utmost skilland attention, the chief carver himself an artist ? ' Youmay add if 'you please Why do you : possess estatesacross the sea ?Why have you slaves whose namesyou know not ?— are you so forgetful that you cannotremember the few there are, or are you so unthriftyas to have more than you can remember ? * I will helpyou to abase me anon and suggest for your use freshobjections which have escaped your attention now:'hear my reply. I am not a wise man, and, so pleaseyour malice, I never shall be. I therefore do not claimto be equal with the best, but only better than theworst. Enough for me if every day I make some littleprogress, and can clearly see and denounce my ownerrors. I am not cured ;I never shall be cured. I contrivepalliations rather than remedies for my malady ;and am content if its attacks become gradually rarer.
LETTER TO LUCILIUS ON AETNA 143Compared to your pace, however, I am a tolerable runner.In what I am going to say I speak not for myself ; forI am sunk in every kind of fault, but for one who has madeprogress. This charge of inconsistency was broughtby the mahgnant enemies of all virtue against Plato,against Epicurus, against Zeno, It is of virtue, not ofmyself, that I speak ; I make war upon vices, my ownbefore all others. When I can, may I live as I ought.Your poisonous malice, the gall with which in sprinklingothers you destroy yourselves, shall never affright mefrom communion with the best, or prevent me fromcelebrating — not the life which I lead, but the lifewhich I know should be led— or from adoring virtue andfollowing her footsteps at however vast a distance, evenon my hands and knees. . . . Philosophers, it is said,do not practise what they preach. But they practisemuch of what they preach and finely conceive. If, indeed,their lives were on a level with their doctrines, what couldequal their felicity ?In the meantime good words anda breast stocked with good thoughts are not to be despised.So excellent a form of study, thoughit fail of its fulleffect, in itself deserves to be had in honour. Whatwonder that few should reach so difficult a summit ?Yet we ought to respect the climbers, even ifthey slip ;for great is their attempt. The man is generous who,regarding not his own individual strength but that ofthe nature proper to man, conceives in his mind andendeavours to carry out an ideal so high that in practiceit lies beyond the reach even of the loftiest of the humanrace. Such a man has thus resolved within himself :I will meet death as calmly as I hear of it :my soul*supporting my body, there is no labour that I will notundergo. Riches, whether present or absent, I willequally despise ; neither the sadder if I have them not,nor elated ifthey shine in my possession. I shall consideraU land as if it were mine ;my own land as if it belongedto all. I shall live as knowing that I am born for others ;and for this I shall give thanks to Nature. For howcould she better have consulted my interests ? She
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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
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70 SENECAHer subsequent submission
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72 SENECACampus Martius— all prep
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74 SENECApromisedall she asked. Sil
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76 SENECAinstitutions had been mode
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78 SENECAmost powerful statesman wa
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8oof heaven lestSENECAthe balance o
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82 SENECAconcealed art into the tex
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84 SENECAinformer under Claudius, a
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CHAPTER VIIIthe tragedy of baiae. i
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88 SENECAto be taken into account.
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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 136 and 137: 120 SENECAFriendship [he writes to
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 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.
Page 186 and 187: 170 SENECAwill you feel no venerati
Page 188 and 189: 172 SENECAat the back of them, beca
Page 190 and 191: 174 SENECAhad the contempt of a man
Page 192 and 193: 176 SENECA'says, a pipe for Fortune
Page 194 and 195: 178 SENECAcan, as a general, if not
Page 196 and 197: i8oSENECAon conventional lines, was
Page 198 and 199: i82SENECAthe tragedian were actuall
Page 200 and 201: i84SENECAMedes, Indians, and tribes
Page 202 and 203: i86SENECAprobability by way of Flor
Page 205 and 206: CAIUS MAECENASThe battle of Actium
Page 207 and 208: 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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