Briefe an Lucilius

When we follow nature, we need less and live more contentedly and healthily – this is taught by Seneca's nearly 2000-year-old letters. The examples he uses to convey the rules for a right life according to Stoicism to his friend Lucilius feel remarkably relevant: Is it necessary to have delicacies from the other side of the world on the table? Must all shorelines be lined with luxury villas? Anyone wanting to learn about Roman society will also find value in this reading. For few others captured the quirks of their contemporaries as well as Seneca did, painting a vivid picture of everyday life. By the time he wrote this collection of letters, Seneca had already failed as the tutor of Emperor Nero and had retreated into private life. His goal was to leave behind a compendium of philosophy as a guide to living for future generations – he exemplifies the individual stages of this course through Lucilius. However, the letter partner is also very real: Seneca could not doubt that Nero would eliminate him, his uncomfortable teacher and admonisher (in 65 AD, he indeed forced him to commit suicide!), and Lucilius was meant to preserve and disseminate this collection of letters in that case. Complete edition with detailed explanations and afterword.