Dialogues and Letters Read online

  Helvia’s xxii, 21, 22–3

  studies, liberal: alleviate grief 24–5;

  moderation 45;

  preoccupation precludes 28, 65;

  refuge from failure in public life 34;

  Seneca’s, in exile 28;

  simplicity 31–2;

  and tranquillity of mind 36–7, 45;

  useless 73–5;

  worthwhile 75–8

  style, Seneca’s: prose x–xi, xix, xxiii;

  verse xvii–xvii

  suicide 88, 92: Seneca’s vii, viii–ix

  Suillius Rufus, Publius ix

  Sulla, Lucius Cornelius 11, 74, 75, 87–8

  sun 8–9, 12

  superfluous and essential, distinction between xx, 102–3

  Tacitus, Cornelius viii, ix

  Tarentum 35

  Teles the Cynic xxii

  temper, uncontrolled 65

  Tertullian xvii

  Theodorus the Atheist 52

  Theophrastus 76

  Thirty Tyrants of Athens 20, 39–40

  Thracians 109

  thrift xxi, 30, 44–5, 66

  thunder 94, 112, 113

  time xv, xx–xxi, 37, 59–83;

  accounting for 61–2;

  expectancy as waste of 68, 78–9, 87;

  for oneself 60–61, 62, 80;

  others’ encroachment on 41, 60–61, 62, 66, 67, 68, 82;

  past, present and future 68, 69–70, 76–7, 78–9, 87;

  preoccupation wastes xx–xxi,60, 65, 68, 69, 70–71, 71–5 78, 79–80;

  public life wastes 66, 71, 79–80, 82;

  retirement and philosophy as valuable use of 75–8, 80–82;

  tranquillity from proper use of 67;

  useless studies waste of xxi, 73–5

  torture 90

  tragedies, Seneca’s ix–x, xvi–xvii

  tranquillity xv, xxi, 29–58;

  on accepting human failings xxi, 54–5;

  described 33;

  fortitude and xxi, 45–50, 52–4, 55–6;

  leisure and 25, 36–7, 45, 82;

  preoccupation precludes 60;

  proper use of time brings 67;

  public service and 36–40;

  relaxation and 56–8;

  self-appraisal and xxi, 32, 33 40–41;

  self-reliance and 33, 44;

  Seneca’s aunt’s 26;

  Seneca’s brother’s 25;

  studies and 45;

  thrift and xxi, 30, 44–5;

  tradition of treatises on xxi, 33, 51;

  see also On Tranquillity of Mind

  translation of Seneca xviii, xxiii

  Trevet, Nicholas xvi

  triumphs 74, 75

  Trojan War 10

  troubles see misfortunes

  tunnel, Naples-Puteoli xix, 93–4

  Turannius, Sextus 83

  twelfth-century Renaissance xvi, xviii

  tyranny 39–40, 49

  Tyre 9

  underworld 90–91

  universality of nature 11–12

  universe, nature of 102, 112

  useless activities xx–xxi, 60;

  indiscriminate knowledge xxi, 73–5

  usury, Seneca’s wealth from ix

  Valerius Corvinus 74

  values, moral ix, xiii, xiv–xvi

  vanity, personal 72

  Varro, Marcus Terentius 11

  Varro Murena, Aulus Terentius 63

  verse, Seneca’s ix–x;

  style xvi–xvii

  vices: contagious 60;

  waste time 41–2;

  keep men from truth 65;

  see also individual vices

  Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro) 68–9, 96, 109

  virtue: attraction 37;

  exile carries own virtues with him 11–12;

  and fame 97–9;

  no rivalry in xx, 97;

  rewards of 98–9;

  Rome’s 38;

  toughens mind against misfortunes 19;

  women’s xxii, 21, 22–3, 26, 27–8

  vocabulary to console grieving 3

  volcanic activity 95–6

  vomiting 14, 30

  weakness, mental xxi, 29–58

  wealth: burden 14, 46, 60;

  detachment from 6–7, 104;

  insignificance 22, 103–4;

  Seneca criticized on score of ix

  widows 22

  William of Malmesbury xviii

  will-power, lack of xxi, 29–58

  wine 56, 58, 60

  wisdom (sapientia) xiv–xv;

  no rivalry in xx, 96–7;

  Stoic goal xiv–xv;

  no fear of death 71;

  freedom 6–7, 13, 47, 64

  women: courageous 23, 27, 28;

  education 24;

  influence 20, 27–8;

  mourning 5, 22;

  virtues 22–3, 26, 27–8

  word order xxiii

  word-play xxiii

  wounds 22, 94

  wrestling 71–2

  writing and politics vii, ix

  Xerxes, king of Persia 79

  young people 16, 26, 36

  Zeno the Stoic 18, 31, 52, 76