In this class, we will study a selection of Seneca’s *Letters*, reading some in Latin and a selection of letters and other materials in English translation. These philosophical essays, taking the form of letters to Seneca’s friend Lucilius, seek to encourage, advise, and support Lucilius in his efforts to live a good life. The letters range across a wide variety of subjects, including how to use our time, how to relate to other people, what is friendship, what and how we should read, how we should relate to our emotions and the stimuli that provoke them, how we should think about age, death and pain, how and to what extent we should involve ourselves in society, and many other questions of wide and timeless interest and application. Our reading will also provide us with an opportunity to think about and discuss literary, cultural, intellectual-historical, and historical subjects with which they intersect, including Roman rhetorical education, Roman literary culture, the importance of style in Latin literature, and the place of philosophy and of Stoicism in particular in Roman culture.

In addition to our reading and in-class translation and discussion, we will also have an in-class midterm exam, and in-class final, and two short (c. 1200 words each) written exercises.

Please observe that this course requires previous study of Latin, at a minimum the equivalent of three semesters’ study at the college level.