Letters from a Stoic

Seneca was one of the last of the ancient Stoics who lived during the time of Nero. Towards the end of his life, he wrote several letters to a young prefect, Lucilius. These letters were not just meant to be read by Lucilius but the generations to come as well. Seneca’s letters are well written and cover a wide range of topics as they relate to the art of living. These essays are a ‘how to’ guide to living.

Why this translation? Although there are 124 letters in all, modern translators tend to translate just a selection. Robin Campbell is… show more.

Imagine if a current world leader came into power and hired someone like Noam Chomsky or Slavoj Žižek or Tom Stoppard to be their advisor. That’s the case with Nero, and Seneca’s wisdom and foresight helped change Rome, albeit momentarily, into something like a republic again. These letters from Seneca span his political exile and his return to power. Plus Seneca is responsible for a really good joke about divine pumpkins that you’ll have to read this book to find out more about.

Seneca’s letters are extremely practical and give some great solutions to problems that many of us face today. It’s incredible to think how long ago this book was written yet it still remains incredibly accessible to the modern reader.

Lucius Seneca was the most prolific writer of the later Stoics. Included in his works are one hundred and twenty-four letters that he wrote to his friend Lucilius which not only offer many insights into stoicism, but also insights into the mind of Seneca and more generally into the then Roman way of life.

The Roman statesman, philosopher, and man of Letters, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, lived a tumultuous and storied life in a time of political turmoil in Rome. His brilliant and heartfelt letters to his friend, Lucilius, are at once chatty and personal, and yet meant “for the ages.” Seneca conveys many of the chief ideals of Roman Stoicism, and has sage advice on how to live “the good life” that still resonates with us today.