Epistulae morales

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Epistolae ad Lucilium , translation into Italian, 1494

The Epistulae morales ad Lucilium ( Latin: 'Letters on Ethics to Lucilius') are a collection of 124 letters written by the Roman poet and philosopher Seneca (approx. 1-65 AD).

Seneca wrote the texts after his retirement from politics (around AD 62). The content is pervaded by a certain distance from the hectic political hustle and bustle and from what should be important to politicians. On the other hand, the mortal danger in which Seneca was, and of which he was well aware, is expressed.

In the letters, Seneca gives advice to a certain Lucilius to make his life meaningful in the sense of the Stoic philosophy . Seneca used the letters as a means of presenting various aspects of his own philosophy . At the same time, the texts provide insights into everyday life in ancient Rome.

The recipient of the Epistulae morales had long been suspected of being a merely fictitious figure. The letters themselves show that Lucilius, apparently a few years his junior, had risen to the knighthood, that he already had political experience as a procurator when he became procurator in Sicily in 63/64 AD . Lucilius was also active in literature. The authorship of u. a. Aetna ascribed to him is, however, controversial. In addition to the letters, Seneca dedicated the De Providentia and the Naturales quaestiones to him .

Subjects of the Epistulae morales

Seneca's main theme is self-education for happy people.

When you see a person not to be frightened by danger, untouched by desires, happy in misfortune, calm in the midst of stormy times, seeing people from a higher vantage point, the gods on the same level, won't awe of him overcome you? (Ep. 41.3)
Si hominem videris interritum periculis, intactum cupiditatibus, inter adversa felicem, in mediis tempestatibus placidum, ex superiore loco homines videntem, ex aequo deos, non subibit te veneratio eius? "

Seneca's letters deal with the following subjects, among others:

  • Why philosophy?
  • Letter style and philosophy
  • time
  • Turning to the highest good
  • Ratio and concept of God
  • Illness, pain, death and how to cope with them spiritually
  • Freedom in the face of death
  • Life according to nature and reason
  • Influence of travel
  • Dependence on material
  • Dependence on Fortuna
  • Criticism of the cult of the body and of sport
  • True joy as opposed to addiction to pleasure
  • Negative influence of the crowd
  • Treatment of slaves
  • Friendship

Dating

Within the letters there are only a small number of references that can be used chronologically. KFC Rose in particular took a closer look at them. The accumulation of the topic of withdrawal from politics (e.g. ep . 8.2) can be easily interpreted on Seneca's position in the year 62/63. The following mentions can be dated reasonably precisely:

  • Ep. 18.1: December est mensis (→ December 62)
  • Ep. 23.1: quam humane nobiscum hiemps egerit… quam malignum ver sit (→ approx. March 63)
  • (the passage of longer periods of time marked in ep . 38.1, 48.1 and 50.1)
  • Ep. 67.1: ver aperire se coepit, sed iam inclinatum in aestatem (spring 64)
  • Ep. 70.26: secundo naumachiae spectaculo (spring / summer 64)
  • Ep. 77.1: The Egyptian grain fleet usually reached Puteoli before July (→ June 64).
  • Ep. 86.16: Iunius mensis est ... iam proclivis in Iulium (→ June 64)
  • Ep. 91: after the fire in Rome (after the end of July 64)
  • Ep. 104.1: febris (→ late summer or autumn 64)
  • Ep. 122.1: detrimentum iam dies sensit (autumn 64)

This allows the creation of the letters to be narrowed down to the period from autumn 62 to autumn 64, which corresponds to a writing performance of a little more than one letter per week.

Book division

It is assumed that the division of the letters into 20 books is ancient and probably goes back to the author himself. In some places the delimitation of the individual books has not been handed down and the reconstruction of the division is not sufficiently reliable.

  • 1. Book / Liber I: Letters 1–12
  • 2. Book / Liber II: Letters 13-21
  • 3. Book / Liber III: Letters 22-29
  • 4th book / Liber IV: Letters 30-41
  • 5. Book / Liber V: Letters 42-52
  • Book 6 / Liber VI: Letters 53-62
  • 7. Book / Liber VII: Letters 63-69
  • 8th book / Liber VIII: Letters 70-74
  • 9. Book / Liber IX: Letters 75-80
  • 10. Book / Liber X: Letters 81-83
  • 11-13 Book / Libri XI – XIII: Letters 84–88
  • 14. Book / Liber XIV: Letters 89-92
  • 15th book / Liber XV: Letters 93-95
  • 16th book / Liber XVI: Letters 96-100
  • 17th and 18th books / Libri XVII et XVIII: Letters 101-109
  • 19th book / Liber XIX: Letters 110-117
  • 20th book / Liber XX: Letters 118-124

History of reception and impact

The Epistulae morales are among the few texts in Latin literature that remained known and received after the collapse of the Roman Empire and were not only rediscovered during the Renaissance , like many other ancient writings . The understandable style and the practical themes of the letters may have contributed to their success.

Bibliography

  • Seneca - Philosophical Writings (translated and annotated by Otto Apelt ). Marix Verlag GmbH. Wiesbaden 2004. ISBN 3-937715-55-X
  • Seneca, Epistulae morales. Exempla 12, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2001. ISBN 3-525-71629-X
  • Erwin Hachmann: The guidance of the reader in Seneca's Epistulae morales . Orbis antiquus (issue 34). At the same time dissertation University of Münster 1994. Aschendorff, Münster 1995, 327 pages, ISBN 3-402-05412-4

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. See Seneca ep. 44.2.6
  2. See Seneca ep. 31.9
  3. See Seneca ep. 19.3, 79.5
  4. KFC Rose The Date and Author of the Satyricon , Leiden (1971) pp. 70-72.