"Hurry Up and Live"
That is a quote from today's philosopher of the week, a Roman Stoic philosopher called Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
Seneca who lived between 4 BC – 65 AD was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. Most of Seneca's written plays were tragedies but these writings constitute one of the most important bodies of primary material for ancient Stoicism.
Seneca devotes himself on writing on the chief concern behind the Stoic theory of emotions and the theory of value is that until one removes such false beliefs about value, one will not succeed in living a happy life. It is with this that Seneca concerns himself in his philosophical work.
Seneca's works were largely documented in letters written to his friend Lucillius and they touched on subjects varying from the fear of death, anger, practicing what you preach, true and false friendship and even saving time. Seneca's written works, translated by Richard M. Gummere are readily available to read on any online platform and are truly a trove that can act as a means of understanding the deep philosophically emotional questions that plagues mankind. So broad and accommodating are these texts that it doesn't even take a philosopher to read.
Seneca's death in 65 AD is still shrouded in controversy and an air of mystery, after being sentenced by the Roman Empire, he chose to end his life by asking for his friend and doctor, Annaeus Statius, to prepare a potion of hemlock so he might die as Socrates had. In The Annals, Tacitus wrote of Seneca's death and recorded his alleged last words: “I leave you the example of my life, the best and most precious legacy now in my power"
0 Comments