Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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Seneca: His Character and Environment NOTE: To translate Seneca adequately is not an easy task, While his meaning is usually plain, the modern reader is not in all cases certain that he clearly apprehends the exact significa tion of his words when taken separately. He is thus in dan ger of reading into them ideas that savor more of modern theol ogy than the author intended, a common fault of interpreters. It has been demonstrated that Seneca knew nothing of the Gospels directly, yet he has often been claimed as a Christian. Evidently, then, there must be a good deal in his writings that can be used to support such a claim. Attention has already been called to his use of cro. He seems also to be the first Roman who uses Providentia to designate an intelligent guide and guardian of the affairs of the world. There are other terms to which he gives a signification not found in the pro fane writers of ancient Rome. But the chief obstacle the translator has to contend against is his diction. This is highly rhetorical and very difficult to transfer into another language, unless the translator has at command all the resoursos of his mother tongue. Such a wealth of resources, I do not hesitate to confess, is not within If a translation is to make the same impression on my reach. the reader or hearer that is made by the original, it is as important to preserve the peculiarities of a writer s style as to render accurately the meaning of the separate words. While I flatter myself that I have been fairly successful in the intrepretation of Seneca s words, I am not equally sanguine as to his diction. I believe, however, that I have in no case strayed very far afield and that the reading of the following pages will convey not only a fairly correct idea of what Seneca thought on many important problems, but also of the manner in which he expressed himself. I hope at some future time, if life and health are vouchsafed to me, to prepare a complete translation of Seneca s moral writings. 62
SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF SENECA TO WHICH PASSAGES MORE OR LESS CLOSELY AKIN OCCUR IN THE SCRIPTURES. FROM THE LETTERS TO LUCILIUS. A holy spirit dwells within us, the observer and keeper of the evil and the good; it treats us just is treated by us. as it If you do what is right, let all men know it; if what is wrong, does it matter that no one knows it, since you know it yourself? O what a wretched man you are if you disregard such a witness! The human mind has come down from the spirit that dwells on high. Fortune exempts many from punishment; from fear, no one. It is natural for those who have done wrong to be afraid. The light is irksome to a bad conscience. The guilty have sometimes the good fortune not to be found out; never the certainty of it. Good precepts, if you often reflect upon them, will profit you equally with good examples. If thou wouldst gain the favor of the gods, be good. He adequately worships the gods who imitates them. 63
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Between Heathenism and Christianity
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" PREFACE. It is admitted by s
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Preface In the following pages I ha
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CONTENTS, ....... PAGE. PBEFAOE ...
Page 15 and 16: SENECA: HIS CHARACTER AND ENVIRONME
Page 17 and 18: " " Seneca: His Character
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Page 47 and 48: " The Seneca: His Character an
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Page 69 and 70: Selections from the Writings of Sen
Page 83 and 84: De Providentia untouched, I shall u
Page 85 and 86: " Why De Providentia gence and
Page 87 and 88: De Providentia may gain real streng
Page 89 and 90: De Providentia enough for the immor
Page 91 and 92: De Providentia down his arms forthw
Page 93 and 94: De Providentia well-known exemplar
Page 95 and 96: De Providentia prove by these thing
Page 97 and 98: De Provldenda to thee when thou wer
Page 99 and 100: <J5 De Providentia ingly the
Page 101 and 102: De Providentia V. Add, now, that it
Page 103 and 104: De Providentia nor am I God s slave
Page 105 and 106: " " Good De Providentia I
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Page 109 and 110: " For De Providentia found in
Page 111 and 112: De Providentia "The first whic
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Plutarch and the Greece of His Age
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" Plutarch and the Greece of H
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eformer. Plutarch and the Greece of
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" " The Delay of the Deit
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" To The Delay of the Deity wi
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The Delay of the Deity vices, He ad
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The Delay of the Deity nature, to h
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The Delay of the Deity may turn to
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" " " The Delay of t
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The Delay of the Deity Sikyonians a
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" We The Delay of the Deity ag
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The Delay of the Deity are allowed
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The Delay of the Deity 11. If then
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The Delay of the Deity wished might
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The Delay of the Deity to what is p
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The Delay of the Deity son from his
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" You " Do " "
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The Delay of the Deity conjured up
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Pindar says? 197 The Delay of the D
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The Delay of the Deity to be a vill
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The Delay of the Deity distances fr
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The Delay of the Deity the souls of
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The Delay of the Deity cation and p
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The Delay of the Deity the white. H
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The Delay of the Deity offer suppli
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The Delay of the Deityfalling into
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The Delay of the Deity is intrinsic
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Appendix VOLUME III. De E apud Delp
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Appendix cited by their Latin title
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Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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