Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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Whatever
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De Providentia
ferred to, fixed the penalty for homicide and similar crimes*.
It bore its author s gentile name.
The familiar story of Regulus was accepted as true by
the Romans, and, in fact, by the world generally, until recent
times. It is interesting as showing the high estimate placed
upon patriotism by the Romans from their point of view.
Though narrow it was intense and played a conspicuous part
in the growth of the Roman state.
9. Maecenas the well-known Premier of the emperor Au
gustus was passionately attached to his wife Terentia; but her
fidelity was more than suspected, a condition of things that led
to many quarrels with her husband.
11. The writer refers here to the disgusting practice of the
Romans, who, at their feasts, frequently ate and drank to
excess, then produced vomiting in order to be able to begin
eating and drinking over again.
12. Vatinius was a worthless fellow who defeated Cato in
the contest for the praetorshipİV.
12 The Romans were wilfully blind as to the climate and
soil of Germany.
It was a case of
"
sour grapes."
After vainly
endeavoring to conquer its inhabitants, they decided that they
were not worth the trouble of conquest.
V.
6.
it be etc. The First Cause, about which
Seneca is in some doubt, whether it is personal or impersonal,
material or immaterial; whether matter exists of necessity or
is created. In 4 he uses imtndus in a personal sense. He is
also inconsistent in his attitude toward suicide; for after assur
ing us in the strongest language, that it is every man s duty
to endure whatever Providence or Fate or Destiny or Chance
sends upon him, he ends by telling him that if the service is
too hard he is at perfect liberty to run away from it. Grard
rightly says, confuses God with "He the world, Providence
with destiny; he admits and does not admit the immortality
of the soul; he proclaims the freedom of the will, and denies it.
8. 9. Dr. Lodge, (1614) translates the two extracts from
Ovid s Metamorphoses as follows:
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