De vita beata

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De vita beata is a writing the size of an ancient book from the dialogues of the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca , which deals with wealth and the right way to deal with it.

Content and tradition

The seventh book from Seneca's Dialogi is known as ad Gallionem de vita beata (in German "To Gallio about the happy life"). This title, which was later mentioned by Quintilian , is in tension with the origin of the collection, since Seneca calls his short letter-like writings sermones (German "conversations"). In this pamphlet, which was probably written at the beginning of the year 58 or a little earlier, Seneca suggests to his brother Gallio and the reader the stoic view of wealth, wealth and the right way to deal with it. The end of writing is lost, we owe what has been handed down to a Milan codex, the Codex Ambrosianus, from the 11th century and the copies for which this codex serves as an archetype . The heading de vita beata was probably chosen by Seneca himself. It is primarily about the right handling of wealth and the presentation of a virtuous lifestyle, with the help of which one can only achieve happiness in life. Virtue is the way to happiness.

text

structure

The font comprises a total of 28 preserved chapters. The content can be roughly structured as follows:

  • 1–16: the "vita beata"
    • 1–6: Outline the topic and definitions
    • 6–16: Defense of the stoic school and demarcation from other positions (especially Kepos )
  • 17–28: Justification of one's own lifestyle
    • 17-20: in general
    • 21–28: in relation to one's own wealth

interpretation

The first 16 chapters are thus a look around the subject, with Seneca clearly taking the side of the Stoa. Particularly in focus is the counterpoint of the Kepos Epicurus , whereby attention is drawn to the fact that many use this teaching as a pretext to indulge in unrestrainedness. The result is that true bliss can only be found in virtue : Ergo in virtute posita est vera felicitas.

In the case of interpreters, especially the second section from chapter 17 onwards led to the assumption that Seneca wrote this work as an apology , since as Nero's educator he was the ruler and co-determiner of the Roman Empire for a long time and thus one of the richest men in the world. As such, he does not live according to the resolutions that he himself has made. Among other things, the consul Publius Suillius Rufus made this accusation, which Seneca had brought to court and who wanted to use the trial against himself to pillory Seneca himself. In these chapters Seneca deliberately does not wash himself completely clean of all accusations, but he invalidates the arguments of his opponents by stating that he is not yet living what he writes, but that what he writes is an ideal that he could approach, but which he could never reach. However, the effort to fulfill this topos alone makes him a better person than his revilers are. On the basis of the fact that Seneca insists that the effort to fulfill the dogmatic, unattainable objective of the Stoa is a vir bonus , it shows that Seneca, as a moralist and ethicist, is softening the rigid conception of the philosophy school for practical reasons, because they are practically impossible to implement in real life.

Criticism of the reasoning

As can be seen from Chapter 17, Seneca's statements must be taken with great caution. In principle, he answers the allegations, which are primarily ad hominem and tu quoque in nature , in the same way, using the arguments of the attackers himself. Previously he pointed out the weaknesses of the statements made by his revilers. In this way he ultimately devalues ​​his own position and outwardly uses the ideal measure of the stoic school for dealing with wealth, but ultimately he defends himself with the help of the measure that those use to justify their unrestrained and thus, according to Seneca, unfit lifestyle. This measure is one that is based on fellow human beings instead of virtue. Seneca himself had previously rejected this argument, but as his own justification progresses, it becomes the most powerful weapon in a hidden double standard. In order to limit this view, he often resorts to making it clear that he is at least trying to meet the claims of virtue.

With the aim of convincing the reader, Seneca relies on sententious language that is particularly catchy. Seneca leads the reader on a fixed path of thought, without falling into the position of being able to take an opposing position. The passages in which Seneca lets others speak do not convey counterpoints, but are always the starting point for approving one's own ideas.

At this point, a few sentences should be taken from the script as an example, which underline Seneca's hacked, gnomish style.

  • Foris nitent, introrsus misera sunt. (2.4)
Outside they shine, but inside they are pathetic.
  • Eo enim pertendit ubi desinat, et dum incipit spectat ad finem. (7.4)
The pleasure rushes to where it will end, and while it is still at the beginning, it is already looking towards the end.
  • Virtutes enim ibi esse debebunt ubi consensus atque unitas erit: dissident vitia. (8.6)
For the virtues must be where there is agreement and unity: the vices, on the other hand, live in discord.
  • Interrogas quid petam ex virtute? Ipsam. (9.4)
You ask me what I am looking for in virtue? I am looking for her in particular.
  • Unum me donavit omnibus, uni mihi omnis. (20.3)
She (sc. Nature) gave me individually to all and all to me individually.
  • Apud me divitiae aliquem locum habent, apud te summum; ad postremum divitiae meae sunt, tu divitiarum es. (22.5)
With me wealth has some value, but with you it has the highest value; and in the end my wealth is mine, but you are only part of your wealth.

See also

literature

expenditure

  • Leighton Durham Reynolds (Rec.): Dialogorum libri duodecim L. Annaei Senecae (= Oxford classical texts ). Clarendon Press, Oxford 1977, ISBN 0-19-814659-0 .
  • Pierre Grimal : L. Annaei Senecae De Vita Beata . = Sénèque. Sur le bonheur . In: Érasme. Collection de textes Latins commentés. No. 24, Presses Universitaires de France, Paris 1969, ZDB -ID 1104112-2 .
  • Fritz-Heiner Mutschler (translator and publisher): L. Annaeus Seneca. De vita beata . = About the happy life (= Reclam's Universal Library. Volume 1849). Latin / German. Bibliographically amended edition. Reclam, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-15-001849-8 .
  • L. Annaeus Seneca: The happy life - De vita beata , Latin - German, translated and edited by Gerhard Fink , Albatros Verlag, Mannheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-538-07606-8 .

Secondary literature

  • Manfred Fuhrmann : History of Roman Literature (= Reclams Universal Library. Volume 17.658). Reclam, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-15-017658-1 .
  • Gabriele Kuen: The philosophy as "dux vitae". The connection of content, intention and method of representation in Seneca's philosophical work using the example of the dialogue “De vita beata”. Introduction, word commentary and systematic presentation (= scientific commentaries on Greek and Latin writers ). Winter, Heidelberg 1994, ISBN 3-8253-0250-4 (also: Dissertation, University, Erlangen / Nuremberg 1993).
  • Valéry Laurand: De la vie heureuse. Sénèque (= Philo-textes ). Ellipses, Paris 2005, ISBN 2-7298-2501-0 .
  • Winfried Trillitzsch: Seneca's argument . In: German Academy of Sciences in Berlin - Writings of the Section for Classical Studies. No. 37, Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1962, ZDB -ID 504279-3 .

Web links

Wikisource: de vita beata  - Sources and full texts (Latin)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 10,1,129
  2. ↑ Gabriele Kuen: The philosophy as "dux vitae". P. 18.
  3. ↑ Manfred Fuhrmann: History of Roman Literature. P. 392.
  4. ↑ Gabriele Kuen: The philosophy as "dux vitae". P. 24.
  5. ↑ Gabriele Kuen: The philosophy as "dux vitae". P. 25ff.
  6. ^ Leighton Durham Reynolds (Rec.): Dialogorum libri duodecim L. Annaei Senecae. S. V-XX (Praefatio).
  7. ↑ de vita beata. 3.3.
  8. ↑ de vita beata. Chapter 13.
  9. ↑ de vita beata. 16.1.
  10. ↑ Gabriele Kuen: The philosophy as "dux vitae". P. 23.
  11. ↑ cf. Tacitus, Annals, 13,2,2-4
  12. ↑ de vita beata. 17.3f.
  13. ↑ de vita beata. 20.3-5.
  14. ↑ de vita beata. 17.3f. and 18.2.
  15. ↑ de vita beata. 6.1 and 9.1.
  16. ↑ Manfred Fuhrmann: History of Roman Literature. P. 385.
  17. ↑ The edition used is: Leighton Durham Reynolds (Rec.): L. Annaei Senecae dialogorum libri duodecim. Oxford 1967, ISBN 0-19-814659-0 .