Letters from a Stoic - (Penguin Classics) by Seneca (Paperback)

About the Book

"Reprinted with minor revisions 2004"--T.p. verso.

Book Synopsis

"It is philosophy that has the duty of protecting us...without it no one can lead a life free of fear or worry."

For several years of his turbulent life, Seneca was the guiding hand of the Roman Empire. His inspired reasoning derived mainly from the Stoic principles, which had originally been developed some centuries earlier in Athens. This selection of Seneca's letters shows him upholding the austere ethical ideals of Stoicism--the wisdom of the self-possessed person immune to overmastering emotions and life's setbacks--while valuing friendship and the courage of ordinary men, and criticizing the harsh treatment of slaves and the cruelties in the gladiatorial arena. The humanity and wit revealed in Seneca's interpretation of Stoicism is a moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.

This reissued and reset edition includes a new introduction, chronology, and updated notes by Liz Gloyn. Paired with Robin Campbell's distinguished translation that captures Seneca's humor and tautly aphoristic style, Gloyn's accessible introduction foregrounds the content of Seneca's Letters and their importance to his philosophy. The intro includes the sections "Seneca: Philosopher and Politician"; "A Short Introduction to Stoicism"; "Why Letters?"; "Key Themes in the Correspondence"; and "Writing to the Future."

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About the Author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c.4BC-AD65) was born in Cordoba, Spain, where he was brought up studying the traditional virtues of republican Roman life. He became a teacher of rhetoric but attracted attention for his incisive style of writing. Closely linked to Nero, his death was ordered by the emperor in AD65. Seneca committed suicide.

Liz Gloyn is a Reader in Latin Language and Literature in the Department of Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London, where her research focuses on the intersections between Latin literature, ancient philosophy and gender studies. She is co-director of the Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome and the author of The Ethics of the Family in Seneca (2017) and Tracking Classical Monsters in Popular Culture (2019).