Seneca (1) (–0065)

I’ve read this as a Blinkist summary. So my review is based on this summary not on the original book. I actually found it a bit tricky to distinguish between what Seneca actually wrote and what the author had inserted. Certainly the author’s views intrude in places. Seneca was a tutor to Nero, the infamous Roman emperor who–according to legend–played violin while Rome burned to the ground, and was one of his age's most prominent thinkers and playwrights. Adhering to the Stoic show more tradition of accepting one’s place in the world, many of his thoughts ring as true today as they did back then.
Life is short if you waste it on trivialities. Most people spend the majority of their time engaged in trivial activities–even if these activities don’t seem trivial to them. But the thing about trivial activities is that they make life seem short.
People tend to think that, once they’ve achieved all their goals, they’ll have time to enjoy life. But it rarely works out this way. What usually happens is this: people spend their life preparing for life.....The Emperor Augustus is a case in point. He spoke endlessly of quietude, of the calm and rest he’d enjoy upon retirement from his public duties. But this longed-for day never came.
Life will also seem short to those who pursue a life of luxury. These people can't even enjoy their indulgences.
But worst of all are those who seek glory after death. These people get wrapped up in planning for a posterity that’s not even theirs.
Say a ship left port and spent the next year being thrown about by a mighty storm. It would be inaccurate to claim that, during this time, it had steered a successful and purposeful course, even if it did make it safely back to harbor. Well, the same can be said of life.
Of course, it’s important to plot a course and then stick to it, but it’s also worth remembering that not every path should be pursued.
Then there are those who devote their prime years to lust, greed and gluttony. They keep telling themselves that, someday, they’ll amend their ways–but they never do.
It’s pointless working for someone whose aims and convictions don’t agree with your own. Doing so is the surest path to a short life......When stuck in such a situation, people moan that their boss or supervisor doesn’t listen to their wishes or opinions. But if these people can’t find the time to listen to themselves and pursue their own courses, why should anybody else?
You can choose to be educated by the world’s greatest minds.......the fact remains that you can forge your own path in education and self-improvement......Pick your philosopher, and discover new ways to tackle life, from the everyday trifles to universal preoccupations. A great thinker can be both a solace and a companion.....they’re always available. And when you’re done, you can just set them back on the shelf.....And even if you’re nearing the end of life, reading is still a boon, for by reading you can learn not only how to live but how to face death unflinchingly......You have to educate yourself purposefully. Life is long enough to devote yourself to self-knowledge and true wisdom. The great minds are your torchbearers in this task.
True satisfaction springs from within. The wise person is self-reliant and independent. The loss of status or money is no real setback to him, since his sense of self is not founded on external circumstances......The instant you start to covet unnecessary material items, however, you will feel that you are stuck in a sort of poverty......It all boils down to this: the important things in life can’t be removed or diminished by others. It’s simply not within the capacity of a mere mortal to rob you of your critical faculties or to eradicate your ability to appreciate the beauty of the mountains or the sea......So remember: self-worth comes from within. Only you can determine how satisfied you are with the world around you.
To ensure a tranquil mind, tailor your career to your personality and don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
A life filled with doubts and regrets is no life at all. So what should you do? There is no one path that will ensure tranquility. We must each forge our own. No matter how you conduct your life, be sure to serve mankind with actions, writing or your intellect–at least, to the best of your abilities.
Accept only those enterprises that you are sure you will finish.....And don’t be too harsh on yourself once you have selected your course. You will enjoy the journey all the more if you have confidence in yourself and your actions.
The second thing to remember is that overexertion will smother your faculties and sap your spirit. In short, don’t overdo it.....instead, set aside some time for yourself. Relax. Even Cato, the famous Roman, used to drink a glass of wine when he returned home from a long day of statesmanly activity......And Socrates, when he wasn’t philosophizing, enjoyed playing with the local children......So don’t forget the value of pleasure, and don’t think you shouldn’t enjoy yourself.
Moderation is the best policy.
The key message in this book: To live a fulfilling life you shouldn’t seek immediate validation or base your worth upon the judgments of others. Instead, draw on the knowledge and wisdom of those who have gone before you. This will help you find your place in the world and allow you to contribute to the greater good. Mental tranquility should not be underestimated.
Generally speaking, I found myself in accord with most of what Seneca says. Impressive to find such powerful thoughts and writing some 2000 years old. Five stars from me. show less

The edition that I possess has three sections.
The first is called “On the Shortness of Life”. The second is “Consolation to Helvia”, and the third is “On Tranquility of Mind”.
Seneca followed a different structure for each.
“On the Shortness of Life” is an essay. This contains gems of wisdom. It is a strange commentary on human nature that we are still repeating what he said about 2,000 years ago. For instance, he writes, “So it is inevitable that life will be not just very show more short but very miserable for those who acquire by great toil what they must great by greater toil.”
This was true then. It is true today.
“Consolation to Helvia” seems to be a letter addressed to his mother, in which he tries to allay her fears about him. He has tried to console her in this letter, and then has moved on to describing some of his own philosophy. He is a Stoic, and repeatedly acknowledges his debt to Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school. Again, while speaking of his lifestyle and philosophy, he leaves us with much food for thought.
For instance, he wrote, “We do not need to scour every ocean, or to load our bellies with the slaughter of animals, or to pluck shellfish from the unknown shores of the furthest sea.”
Our lifestyle today, is unsustainable. We are, as human beings, creating the sixth extinction. Seneca warned us almost 2,000 years ago.
The third section starts almost as a dialogue. Rather, Serenus, a friend of Seneca, has come to Seneca with a problem. His mind is not quiet. He seeks tranquility. Seneca again launched into his essay. He quoted Lucretius at one point, “Thus each man ever flees himself.” Then, he goes on to write, “But, to what end, if he does not escape himself”
He also writes, “He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a living man.”
There is deep philosophy in sentences like this.
The book is short. The writing clear. Not a word is wasted.
This is a book for the keeping. Learn the lessons and apply them. This is when you will discover the gems of wisdom in this book. show less

The only other Senecan translator I’m familiar with is Frank Justus Miller. He’s rather old fashioned and likes to thee and thou, but these plays are probably some of the few classical works that can bear that kind of thing. He’s certainly the better poet technically, but whether you prefer him or Wilson is probably a personal thing. I prefer Wilson. She writes with rhythm and a kind of supple strength. This is a line-by-line translation and it’s perhaps moot as to whether this is show more poetry or just rhythmic prose. Either way, it’s very good.

I’d read quite a few of the old Greek plays before it was borne in upon me that everything except for the spoken words are later additions by various editors. One thing I particularly liked about this edition is that Wilson gives you the speakers’ names and the act divisions and nothing else. Stage directions and those ridiculous scene divisions all stripped out. I recognise that a casual reader like me needs stage directions in something like Plautus because you need to know who can overhear what. You don’t need that with Seneca. It made clear some interesting features of the text that I would have missed if it were broken up. Like the chiastic structure of Act One of Phaedra: Speeches, conversation, stichomythia, conversation, speech. It’s also gives the wonderful effect of voices crying out in the darkness.

There seems to be some controversy over whether or not these were written to be staged or not. Either way, unlike all earlier plays they were not intended to be part of a religious festival. Is Seneca writing as part of a now lost tradition of non-religious drama, or is he innovating? These plays are chock-full of the most astounding descriptive passages and general unpleasantness, and are obviously an effective performance of some kind, whether by the actors or Seneca himself, but they don’t always work as drama as I recognise it. Is he doing something I don’t appreciate, or is he not the best playwright?

They only one which really pulls together theme, action, and character and creates a classic for all time is Trojan Women where, in the aftermath of the Trojan war everyone is trying to shift responsibility onto someone else. show less

The title, can be a little misleading... In "How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life" Seneca, (this volume edited by James Romm) reveals and explains to us how death is not to be feared or even cause us anxiety. Seneca, in letters to others breaks down his theories through explanation of his thoughts, gives well thought through reasonings, and uses real-life examples to support his conclusions. Short and to the point "How to Die:..." easily could be a very dour book, but comes away, show more to me anyway, as a positive event that should, after a certain point, be looked forward to and actually be embraced! To do so is a sign that we as an individual have lived a life of worth and lived well.
Now, do I agree with every thing that Seneca lays out? No, especially his views on suicide. There are thoughts there that I do not agree with at all, but that is why I read philosophy. I read it to challenge my thoughts and notions. I read it to get a different point of view. I read it to make me think. This book did just that. Seneca, did not pen how to die physically letters, the title misleads a little there, but how to prepare for death mentally letters, which is much, much more important. Is this book for everyone? No, there are going to be many mentally immature people who cannot handle the topic or his thoughts on it, and that is OK. Philosophy is like that sometime. This is surely not the book to start your Seneca journey with either, there are a few others that one should start with before this. But compared to the book, the audiobook, narrated by P. J. Ochlan was for me not as enjoyable or thought provoking. For whatever reason Ochlan's voice did not move me much. It was like being in a discussion with a monotone individual...it was all the same. I give the audiobook a 2.5 out of 4 stars. Go with the physical book, that is my recommendation. show less