Seneca's Stoic Letters

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Near the end of his life Seneca, a speech-writer and aide to the emperor Nero, withdrew from politics and began work on an innovative series of philosophic letters. Addressed to his friend Lucilius but intended for a wider readership, the letters mix vignettes from Roman life with Stoic teachings to show how to overcome personal setbacks and achieve happiness. Seneca offers advice on what kind of books to read, how to build friendships, and many other practical matters. He also satirizes the Romans of his day for their garish villas, wasteful dinner parties, and cruel treatment of slaves. In this class, we read a selection of Seneca’s letters in Latin and discuss his use of the epistolary form, his penchant for graphic imagery and witty aphorisms, and his influence on later literature and the resurgence of interest in Stoicism today.