Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE PRINCIPATE OF CALIGULA 25Marcus, the most winning of children, in whosepresence sadness cannot endure. What breast so heavyladenthat his embrace cannot lighten ? What woundso fresh that his kisses cannot soothe ? What tearscan resist his gaiety ? What mind so oppressed bycare that his nonsense cannot relax ? Who can helplaughing at his pranks ? What brooding meditation soconcentrated and absorbed that his deHghtful chattercannot interrupt and turn the brooder himself intoa fellow-chatterbox ? I pray the gods that he maysurvive me.-^Gallic, too, had married and was a widower.Kis daughter Novatilla was regarded by Senecaalmost as a child of his own and lived as muchwith him as with his brother.No work of Seneca published before thedeath of Caligula has come down to us, butthat his publications before that date werenumerous and successful we know from a referenceof Suetonius, who speaks of him as thenat the height of his turn maximepopularity—'placentem.' His earlier books must have containedthe bulk of the poetry dialogues andspeeches mentioned by Quintilian.^ Connectedwith the official class through his mother'sfamily, witty, accomplished, original, and ofgentle and conciliating manners, he appealedto the new generation by his daring innovationsin manner and disregard for old conventions, bythe freedom of his criticisms of the great oratorsand poets of the past, and by the singularpower in which he was afterwards only excelledby Tacitus, of enshrining striking thoughts* Cons, ad Helv. xvi.^Inst. Oral. x. i.