Publication Details

This is the OCR-endorsed publication from Bloomsbury for the Latin A-Level (Group 2) prescription of Seneca's Letters, giving full Latin text, commentary and vocabulary for Letters 51, 53 and 57, with a detailed introduction that also covers the prescribed text to be read in English.

Overview of the Letters

The most enduringly popular of his works, the Letters are an ideal introduction to both the personal philosophy and the vibrant Latin of Seneca. He writes with wit and modesty to his friend Lucilius about his own, daily struggle to live up to the ideals of Stoicism.

Over the course of this selection he covers a great variety of topics including the Stoics' perennial conflict with Fortune, the corrupting influence of a bad environment and the irrational nature of most fear. Composed not long before his own suicide, the Letters also provide an important insight into Seneca's views on death and immortality.