Letters from a Stoic

Written To A Friend: The book consists of 124 letters Seneca wrote to Lucilius Junior, who was the procurator of Sicily at the time. Scholars debate whether these were genuine private letters or literary essays disguised as correspondence, since there's no evidence of Lucilius writing back.

Started Each Letter the Same: Every letter begins with the same formal Latin greeting, "Seneca Lucilio suo salutem," which means "Seneca wishes health to his friend Lucilius." They all end with the simple word "Vale," meaning "Farewell" or literally "be strong."

Penned During Retirement: Seneca wrote these letters at the end of his life, during his retirement after serving Emperor Nero for more than ten years. The letters were composed over approximately two to three years, from around 63 to 65 AD.

First English Translation In 1614: Thomas Lodge created the first recorded full English translation of all 124 letters in 1614. Since then, the work has been translated many times, with popular modern versions including Robin Campbell's 1969 Penguin edition.

Early Letters Featured Epicurus Quotes: The first 30 or so letters often concluded with a maxim or wise saying to meditate on. Seneca frequently quoted Epicurus, the founder of a rival philosophy, which he considered a beginner's technique for teaching wisdom.

Addressed Everyday Roman Life: The letters cover surprisingly practical topics like "On Noise," dealing with noisy neighbors, asthma, seasickness, and even attending gladiatorial games. They offer valuable glimpses into daily life in ancient Rome.

First Moral Critique Of Gladiators: In Letter 7, Seneca describes visiting an arena where gladiators fought to the death. He then questions the morality and ethics of such spectacles. This is the first known record of a pre-Christian writer expressing moral concerns about gladiatorial combat.

Letters Grew Longer Over Time: The letters tend to become progressively longer as the collection continues, with some short ones interspersed throughout. Later letters increasingly focus on theoretical philosophical questions rather than everyday observations.

Quotes Latin Poets Frequently: Throughout the letters, Seneca quotes extensively from Latin poets, especially Virgil, but also Ovid, Horace, and Lucretius. He also cites Publilius Syrus and other ancient writers to illustrate his philosophical points.

Death Looms Throughout: A concern with death runs through many of the letters, reflecting both Stoic philosophy and Seneca's deteriorating political position. Seneca famously observed that we are "dying every day," and suicide was a key consideration given Nero's habit of forcing enemies to kill themselves.

Became His Longest Work: Collectively, the 124 letters constitute Seneca's longest surviving work. The collection originally had at least 22 manuscript volumes, though some letters from later books have been lost over the centuries.

Written Months Before His Death: The final letters were written less than a year before Seneca's forced suicide in 65 AD. Letter 91 mentions a fire in Lyon that occurred in the spring of 65, just months before Nero ordered Seneca to take his own life.

The Shortness of Life: One letter famously argues that life is long enough if we stop wasting it on trivial pursuits and meaningless distractions.