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The Moral Epistles

124 Letters to Lucilius

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The Moral Epistles

By: Seneca the Younger
Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
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About this listen

Towards the end of his life, Seneca the Younger (c4 BCE-65 CE) began a correspondence with a friend in Sicily, later collected under the title The Moral Epistles.

In these 124 letters, Seneca expresses, in a wise, steady and calm manner, the philosophy by which he lived - derived essentially from the Stoics. The letters deal with a variety of specific topics - often eminently practical - such as 'On Saving Time', 'On the Terrors of Death', 'On True and False Friendships', 'On Brawn and Brains' and 'On Old Age and Death'.

His views are as relevant to us today as in his own time. He remarks on how we waste our time through lack of clarity of purpose, how we jump from one attraction to another and how fleeting life is. But these are letters to a friend, so the tone is not grandly didactic but friendly, personal and direct and speak to us across the centuries.

Though not so well known as Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, The Moral Epistles are approachable, memorable and immensely rich in content - and especially so in this sympathetic reading by James Cameron Stewart.

Translation Richard Gummere.

Public Domain (P)2016 Ukemi Audiobooks Philosophy Stoicism Moral Philosophy

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Must Listen!

The Roman philosopher and politician Seneca provides outstanding guidance and support in this chaotic world, his analogy of the storm of life is fitting. These letters not only serve as a great source of philosophy and emotional training but vividly describe Roman and the author’s life, the narrator conveys Seneca’s intelligence, energy, craft and wisdom in every sentence he speaks. This is the best audiobook I have ever purchased.

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Not as good as other of Seneca but still worth lis

Not as good, as other books of Seneca but still worth listening too in quest of stoic perfection.

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