For a full discussion of this phrase see Conington, Excursus to Virgil’s Aeneid, IX 641. ↩
For the story see Livy, II 12 ff. ↩
A rare word—sometimes spelled malacisso—used by Plautus (Bacchides 73) and Laberius, but not in a technical sense. ↩
Porsenna and Tarquin. ↩
See Introduction (paragraph 9), and the opening sentences of Letters LXXVII, LXXXVII, and others. ↩
Seneca had a delicate constitution (see Introduction). In the letters he speaks of suffering from asthma (LIV), catarrh (LXXVIII), and fever (CIV). ↩
Cf. LXXV qualis sermo meus esset, si una sederemus aut ambularemus. ↩
I.e., the Stoics. ↩
Banished from Rome in 92 BC. Cf. Letter XXIV, paragraph 2. ↩
Virgil, Aeneid, I 94 ff. ↩
Cf. Livy, VII 9. 6 ff. … legiones auxiliaque hostium mecum deis manibus Tellurique devoveo. ↩
Ut litaret: i.e., that by his sacrifice he might secure an omen of success. Cf. Pliny, Natural History VIII 45, and Suetonius, Augustus, 96: “At the siege of Perusia, when he found the sacrifices were not favourable (sacrificio non litanti), Augustus called for more victims.” ↩
Donaria at the doors of temples signified public rejoicing; cf. Tibullus, I 15 f.
Flava Ceres, tibi sit nostro de rure corona
Spicea, quae templi pendeat ante fores.
Myrtle decorated the bridegroom’s house-door; garlands heralded the birth of a child (Juvenal, IX 85). ↩
Cf. Pliny, Natural History IV 13. Besides the Dead Sea of Palestine, the term was applied to any sluggish body of water. ↩
Stoicism preached “world-citizenship,” and this was interpreted in various ways at different periods. The Greek teachers saw in it an opportunity for wider culture; the Romans, a more practical mission. For further discussion of this topic see Letter LXXIII, paragraph 1 ff. Seneca’s arguments are coloured by the facts of his life at this time. ↩
Cf. Letter LV, paragraph 2 ff. for the retirement of Vatia: ille latere sciebat, non vivere. ↩
Causarii (Livy, VI 6) were soldiers on sick leave. ↩
For an argument of the same sort see Horace, Epistles I 1. 93–104:
Si curatus inaequali tonsore capillos
Occurri, rides …
⋮
… quid, mea cum pugnat sententia secum?
This is a reference to the saying of Epicurus, λαθὲ βιώσας, “live in retirement.” ↩
Cf. Horace, Satires II 5. 23 ff.: captes astutus ubique senum and vivet uter locuples sine gnatis … illius esto defensor. The captator was a well-known figure at Rome; cf. also Pliny’s notorious enemy Regulus, and Juvenal’s many words of scorn for those who practised the art. ↩
I.e., Fortune’s support comes from crowds. ↩
Cf. De Ira, II 20 ut nimius ille fervor despumet. ↩
Cf. Letter II, paragraph 1 nil aeque sanitatem impedit quam remediorum crebra mutatio. ↩
Perhaps the converse idea of “living one’s own life.” It means “dying when the proper time comes,” and is the common man’s argument against suicide. The thought perhaps suggests the subject matter of the next letter. ↩
Probably the birthplace of Lucilius. ↩
Aeneid, III 72. ↩
Although Socrates says (Phaedo, 61 f.) that the philosopher must, according to Philolaus, not take his own life against the will of God, the Stoics interpreted the problem in different ways. Some held that a noble purpose justified suicide; others, that any reason was good enough. Cf. Letter LXXVII, paragraph 5 ff. ↩
Telesphorus of Rhodes, threatened by the tyrant Lysimachus. On the proverb see Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum IX 10. 3, and Terence, Heauton Timorumenos 981 modo liceat vivere, est spes. ↩
I.e., if he must choose between helping along his punishment by suicide, or helping himself stay alive under torture and practising the virtues thus brought into play, he will choose the latter—sibi commodare. ↩
See the imaginary dialogue in Plato’s Crito (50 ff.) between Socrates and the Laws—a passage which develops this thought. ↩
And to commit suicide in order to escape poisoning. ↩
For a more complete account of this tragedy see Tacitus, Annals, II 27 ff. Libo was duped by Firmius Catus (16 AD) into seeking imperial power, was detected, and finally forced by Tiberius to commit suicide. ↩
When the “natural advantages” (τὰ κατὰ φύσιν) of living are outweighed by the corresponding disadvantages, the honourable man may, according to the general Stoic view, take his departure. Socrates and Cato were right in so doing, according to Seneca; but he condemns (Letter XXIV, paragraph 14) those contemporaries who had recourse to suicide as a mere whim of fashion. ↩
By means of the cucurbita, or cupping-glass. Cf. Juvenal, XIV 58 caput ventosa cucurbita quaerat. It was often used as a remedy for insanity or delirium. ↩
Custodia in the sense of “prisoner” (abstract for concrete) is a post-Augustan usage. See Letter V, paragraph 4, and Summers’ note. ↩
I.e., by
