The Dialogues of Seneca

Under the name of dialogues, Seneca gathered a set of moral essays that form one of the fullest surviving statements of Roman Stoic thought. Writing in the first century, the philosopher and one-time adviser to the emperor Nero takes up anger, grief, the brevity of life, providence, and the steadiness of the wise man against the blows of fortune. The pieces are practical rather than abstract, built from vivid examples, blunt counsel, and consolations addressed to real people facing exile or loss. ‘On the Shortness of Life’ and ‘On Anger’ remain the most widely read, prized for their clear-eyed sense of how a person ought to spend the days they are given. This free PDF and EPUB edition carries Aubrey Stewart’s translation.