I.e., the Epicureans, who withdraw from civil life and regarded the gods as taking no part in the affairs of men. ↩
I.e., live according to nature. ↩
Virgil Georgics I 125 ff. ↩
Cf. Horace, Epistles I 10. 20 f.:
Purior in vicis aqua tendit rumpere plumbum
Quam quae per pronum trepidat cum murmure rivum?
Because virtue depends upon reason, and none but voluntary acts should meet with praise or blame. ↩
In spite of the centesimus annus of paragraph 9 (q.v.), the most probable date of this letter, based on Tacitus Annals XVI 13 and other general evidence, is July–September 64 AD. 58 AD would be too early for many reasons—among them that “peace all over the world” would not be a true statement until January of 62. (See the monograph of Jonas, O. Binder, Peiper, and Schultess.) ↩
Probably Aebutius Liberalis, to whom the treatise De Beneficiis was dedicated. ↩
That Lyons, situated at the junction of the Arar and the Rhone, was of especial prominence in Gaul, may be also gathered from the fact that it boasted a government mint and the Ara Augusti—a shrine established for the annual worship of all the Gallic states. Moreover, the emperor Claudius delivered his famous address in that city (see Tacitus Annals XI 23 f.). ↩
Cf. Letter IV, paragraph 4, esp. the words noli huic tranquillitati confidere; momento mare evertitur. ↩
The passage bears a striking resemblance to the words of Theseus in an unknown play of Euripides (Nauck, Frag. 964) quoted by Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes III 14. 29, and by Plutarch, Consolation to Apollonius, 112d. ↩
Seneca (Natural Questions VI 26) speaks of Paphos (on the island of Cyprus) as having been more than once devastated. We know of two such accidents—one under Augustus and another under Vespasian. See the same passage for other earthquake shocks in various places. ↩
Lyons held an exceptional position in relation to the three Gallic provinces; it was a free town, belonging to none and yet their capital, much like the city of Washington in relation to the United States. ↩
A fact mentioned merely to suggest Rome with her seven hills. ↩
For example, Mycenae and Tiryns. ↩
Probably the writer, and intimate friend of Augustus, who began life in Rome as a captive from Egypt. Falling into disfavour with the Emperor, he took refuge with the malcontent Asinius Pollio at Tusculum, and subsequently died in the East. Cf. Seneca, De Ira, III 23. ↩
It was in 43 BC that Plancus led out the colonists who were chiefly Roman citizens driven from Vienna. Seneca would have been more accurate had he said “one hundred and eighth (or seventh).” Buecheler and Schultess would (unnecessarily) emend to read centesimus septimus. But Seneca was using round numbers. ↩
Ardea, the earliest capital of Latium, and Rome, the present capital of the empire. Seneca probably refers to Ardea’s capture and destruction by the Samnites in the fourth century; Rome was captured by the Celts in 390 BC. The former greatness of Ardea was celebrated by Virgil, Aeneid, VII 411 ff.:
et nunc magnum manet Ardea nomen,
Sed fortuna fuit.
Siremps (or sirempse—Plautus Amphitryon 73), an ancient legal term, is derived by Festus from similis re ipsa; but Corssen explains it as from sic rem pse. ↩
I.e., surveying. See Letter LXXXVIII, paragraph 5. ↩
I.e., Ὠκεανός, the stream which encircles the earth. ↩
This plain-living, plain-speaking philosopher appears also in Letters XX, paragraph 6 and LXII, paragraph 1. Seneca refers to him as seminudum, quanto minus quam stramentis incubantem. ↩
The reader will find this topic treated at greater length in Seneca’s De Vita Beata. ↩
I.e., the soul. See Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1. 13: “It is stated that the soul has two parts, one irrational and the other possessing reason.” Aristotle further subdivides the irrational part into (1) that which makes for growth and increase, and (2) desire (which will, however, obey reason). In this passage Seneca uses “soul” in its widest sense. ↩
Certain of the Peripatetic and Academic school. ↩
Probably due to the criticism of the Stoics by Carneades, who said that everything which is according to nature should be classed among the goods. ↩
If we call pleasure a good. ↩
Cf. paragraph 1 of this letter. Plato gives three divisions—the λογιστικόν, the ἐπιθυμητικόν, and the θυμοειδές which obeys either the first or the second. See his Republic, 440. ↩
Aeneid, III 426 ff. ↩
Answering the objection raised in paragraph 6. ↩
Cf. Letter LXXI, paragraph 7 non intenditur virtus. The Stoic idea of tension may be combined here with the raising of a note to a higher pitch. ↩
Frag. 138 Usener. Cf. Seneca, Letter LXVI, paragraph 16. ↩
Virgil, Aeneid, V 363. Virgil MSS. read pectore. ↩
I.e., to participation in the divine existence. ↩
Virgil, Aeneid, IX 485. ↩
Cf. Juvenal, X 65
