Moral Essays, Volume II

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, born at Corduba (modern Cordova) around 4 BCE, hailed from a prominent and wealthy family. He spent an ailing childhood and youth in Rome under the care of his aunt. Seneca gained fame in rhetoric, philosophy, business, and imperial service. Although he experienced some disgrace during the reign of Claudius, he later became the tutor and, from 54 CE, the advising minister to Nero, failing to prevent some of Nero's worst actions. Allegedly implicated (though possibly innocent) in a conspiracy, Seneca was ordered to take his own life in 65. Despite his wealth, he preached indifference to material wealth; although he avoided pain and death, he scorned both, illustrating other contradictions between his practice and principles.

We possess Seneca's philosophical or moral essays (ten traditionally called Dialogues) focusing on themes such as providence, steadfastness, the happy life, anger, leisure, tranquility, the brevity of life, gift-giving, and forgiveness, as well as treatises on natural phenomena. Additionally, 124 epistles survive in which he discusses moral and ethical questions in a relaxed style, often relating them to personal experiences. He also wrote a skit on Claudius' official deification, Apocolocyntosis (featured in Loeb no. 15), and nine rhetorical tragedies based on ancient Greek themes. Unfortunately, many epistles and all his speeches have been lost.

His moral essays are compiled in Volumes I–III of the Loeb Classical Library's ten-volume edition of Seneca.