Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

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CHAPTER XIIITHE PHILOSOPHY OF SENECAThe practical and unsystematic character ofto describeSeneca's philosophy makes it less easythan to understand. Its chief aim was the formationof character, and his pupils were taught topossess their souls in peace by the acceptance,so far as they were applicable to actual life, ofStoic principles. Philosophy, he says, is not apopular professiondevised for ostentation or thedisplay of ingenuity ; it lies not in words, but inrealities. Nor do we pursueit in order to spendour days agreeably or to banish weariness from^'our leisure ;it cultivates and forms the mind,orders life, guides our actions by showing uswhat to do and what not to do, sits at the helmand directs our course through the changes andchances of the world. What is the one true,possession of man ? Himself, answers Seneca.What isLiberty ? — to be the slave of no want,of no chance, to meet Fortune on equal terms ;but ifa man desire or fear external things he isso far the slave of him who has them to give orto withhold.Among the external things to be regarded ob-
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SENECA 165jectively as neither good nor evil in themselves,save through the opinion we form of them, mustbe reckoned in Seneca's philosophy our own ""bodies, in which as in boats we travel so strangely. \from port to port. In these bodies is sown the \>^\2divine seed which develops or decays, according-^to the soil in which it isplanted and the cultivationit receives. If the seed prospers and a reasonablesoul isengendered this is the real man-spiritstill cleaving, like a sun-ray, to its divine origin,and his body but the case in which the jewel lies,indispensable certainly to his appearance in thephysical world, as the instrument is indispensableto the heard melody, but no more the source fromwhich he springs than the violin on which it isplayed is that of a sonata of Beethoven, or theground on which the sun's rays shine is that of light. ^This complete separation in thought of our spiritual ';:selves from the few pounds of matter in which
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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
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92 SENECAhe proceeded to an indictm
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94 SENECAhimself was of no service
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96 SENECAtheir emperor personally c
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CHAPTER IXDECLINE OF SENECA's INFLU
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100 SENECAIn Rome the event of the
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102 SENECAof affection and gratitud
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104 SENECAinfluence for good. It is
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10 6 SENFXAshould be content to gai
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io8the exulting tyrant.Senate made
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noSENECAdelighted at the news and o
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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 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 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
Page 209 and 210: CAIUS MAECENAS 193pessimism. He exp
Page 211 and 212: CAIUS MAECENAS195Heindolence and so
Page 213 and 214: CAIUS MAECENAS197his fame, and here
Page 215 and 216: CAIUS MAECENAS199He was not offende
Page 217 and 218: CAIUS MAECENAS 201which he parodies
Page 219 and 220: CAIUS MAECENAS 203smaller or larger
Page 221 and 222: and endeavoured toCAIUS MAECENAS 20
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