This edition, the first modern one in English, introduces undergraduates and more advanced students to the therapeutic possibilities of Seneca's Stoic philosophy. The short treatises De otio and De brevitate vitae balance each other by representing different but complementary aspects of Senecan philosophy: in De otio, one's duty to the 'active' life, in De brevitate vitae, one's duty to oneself in reclaiming life from the impositions made upon the self. The provocative Senecan message is to promote introspection in life, and to suggest the benefits of an inner existence of the personal. In addition to its literary and linguistic emphasis, this edition tries to advertize the means by which Seneca conveys the attractions of his therapeutic 'philosophy'.

Introduces students to the complex artistic method and provocative message of Senecan philosophy.

About the Author
G. D. Williams is Associate Professor of Classics at Columbia University and author of Banished Voices (1994; 0521 451361).

Reviews
"...scholarly and comprehensive...will be useful (indeed, essential) for Senecan scholars and their graduate students." -Mark Morford, University of Virginia, The Classical Outlook
"This excellent addition to the Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics fills a great void and is hence welcome indeed." -R. Scott Smith, University of New Hampshire, New England Classical Journal
"The two works included in this volume are complementary and contain a great deal of interest to students of Roman culture and ancient philosophy." -Classical World
"The volume would...make an attractive choice for study even at the undergraduate level, for the two dialogues offered here are among the most accessible of Seneca's shorter works." -Margaret Graver, Department of Classics, Dartmouth College, Ancient Philosophy



Book Information
ISBN 9780521588065
Author Seneca
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 188mm * 123mm * 18mm