Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Seneca and His World ix
4. Introduction to the Letters on Ethics 1
5. Letters on Ethics
6. 1. Taking charge of your time 25
7. 2. A beneficial reading program 26
8. 3. Trusting one’s friends 27
9. 4. Coming to terms with death 29
10. 5. Our inward and outward lives 31
11. 6. Intimacy within friendship 33
12. 7. Avoiding the crowd 34
13. 8. Writing as a form of service 37
14. 9. Friendship and self-sufficiency 40
15. 10. Communing with oneself 44
16. 11. Blushing 46
17. 12. Visiting a childhood home 48
18. 13. Anxieties about the future 52
19. 14. Safety in a dangerous world 55
20. 15. Exercises for the body and the voice 59
21. 16. Daily study and practice 62
22. 17. Saving for retirement 64
23. 18. The Saturnalia festival 67
24. 19. The satisfactions of retirement 70
25. 20. The importance of being consistent 72
26. 21. How reading can make you famous 75
27. 22. Giving up a career 79
28. 23. Real joy is a serious matter 82
29. 24. Courage in a threatening situation 85
30. 25. Effective teaching 90
31. 26. Growing old 92
32. 27. Real joy depends on real study 94
33. 28. Travel is no cure for depression 96
34. 29. A disillusioned friend 98
35. 30. An Epicurean on his deathbed 102
36. 31. Our mind’s godlike potential 105
37. 32. Steadiness of aim 108
38. 33. The use of philosophical maxims 109
39. 34. Willingness is the key 112
40. 35. Learning to be a friend 113
41. 36. Helping another maintain his commitment 114
42. 37. Service to philosophy is true freedom 117
43. 38. Fewer words achieve more 118
44. 39. Healthy and unhealthy desires 119
45. 40. Oratory and the philosopher 120
46. 41. God dwells within us 123
47. 42. Good people are rare 126
48. 43. Being the subject of gossip 128
49. 44. Noble birth 129
50. 45. A gift of books 130
51. 46. A book by Lucilius 133
52. 47. How we treat our slaves 134
53. 48. Tricks of logic 138
54. 49. Remembering old times 141
55. 50. Blindness to one’s own faults 144
56. 51. Th e party town of Baiae 146
57. 52. Good learners and good teachers 149
58. 53. A bad experience at sea 153
59. 54. A near-fatal asthma attack 155
60. 55. Passing the home of a recluse 157
61. 56. Noisy lodgings above a bathhouse 159
62. 57. A dark tunnel 163
63. 58. A conversation about Plato 164
64. 59. Steadiness of joy 172
65. 60. Our prayers are all amiss 177
66. 61. Preparing for death 178
67. 62. Living the inner life 179
68. 63. Consolation for the death of a friend 180
69. 64. Our predecessors in philosophy 183
70. 65. Some analyses of causation 185
71. 66. All goods are equal 190
72. 67. All goods are choiceworthy 201
73. 68. The uses of retirement 204
74. 69. Combating one’s faults 207
75. 70. Ending one’s own life 209
76. 71. Life’s highest good 214
77. 72. Finding time for study 222
78. 73. Gratitude toward rulers 225
79. 74. Only the honorable is good 228
80. 75. What it means to make progress 236
81. 76. Some proofs that only the honorable is good 239
82. 77. Facing death with courage 246
83. 78. Coping with bodily pain 251
84. 79. A trip around Sicily brings thoughts of glory 257
85. 80. A quiet day at home 261
86. 81. Gratitude for benefits received 264
87. 82. Syllogisms cannot make us brave 271
88. 83. Heavy drinking 277
89. 84. Th e writer’s craft 284
90. 85. Some objections to Stoic ethics 287
91. 86. Th e rustic villa of Scipio Africanus 295
92. 87. Poverty and wealth 300
93. 88. Th e liberal arts 309
94. 89. The divisions of philosophy 319
95. 90. Th e beginnings of civilization 324
96. 91. A terrible fire at Lyon 336
97. 92. What we need for happiness 341
98. 93. A premature death 349
99. 94. Th e role of precepts in philosophy 351
100. 95. Th e role of general principles 367
101. 96. Complaints 382
102. 97. A trial in the time of Cicero 383
103. 98. Th e power of the mind 386
104. 99. Consolation for the death of a child 390
105. 100. A book by Papirius Fabianus 397
106. 101. A sudden death 401
107. 102. Renown and immortality 404
108. 103. Those we meet may be dangerous to us 410
109. 104. Why travel cannot set you free 412
110. 105. How to avoid being harmed by other people 419
111. 106. The corporeal nature of the good 421
112. 107. An unexpected misfortune 423
113. 108. Vegetarianism and the use of literature 426
114. 109. Mutual aid among the wise 434
115. 110. False fears and mistaken ideas of wealth 438
116. 111. What we lose with our tricks of logic 442
117. 112. A difficult pupil 443
118. 113. Is a virtue an animate creature? 444
119. 114. A debased style of eloquence 451
120. 115. Fine language will not help us 457
121. 116. The Stoic view of emotion 462
122. 117. Propositions and incorporeals 464
123. 118. A proper definition for the human good 472
124. 119. Natural wealth 475
125. 120. How we develop our concept of the good 479
126. 121. Self-awareness in animate creatures 484
127. 122. The hours of day and night 489
128. 123. Resisting external influences 493
129. 124. The criterion for the human good 497
130. Fragments of other letters 503
131. Notes 505
132. Textual Notes 581
133. References 583
134. Index 589