Anderson, Peter J. (2015). Seneca: selected dialogues and consolations. Indianapolis;Cambridge, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. - 해제 및 자료 원본

 이 논문은 피터 J. 앤더슨(Peter J. Anderson)이 선별한 세네카의 대화와 위로의 내용을 소개하며, 세네카의 삶에 대한 소개, 세네카의 철학적 글쓰기에 대한 문학적 질, 세네카와 스토아주의 사이의 상호작용, 그리고 세네카의 작품을 번역한 부분 등을 다룹니다. 앤더슨은 세네카의 작품들을 영어로 번역하면서 중요한 주제들을 설명하고, 세네카의 철학적 이론을 이해하는 데 도움이 되는 정보를 제공하는데요! 라틴어 문학과 스토아 주의에 관심이 있는 학생들과 교사들에게 유용합니다.

 이를 통해, 더 많은 성경과 라틴어 문헌들에 훌륭한 통찰력을 가지시길 바랍니다.^^

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Anderson_Peter_J_2015_Seneca_selected_di.pdf

0.60MB

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 이하, 논문의 HTML 버전입니다.^^

 

Aldo Dinucci - Universidade Federal de Sergipe (Brasil)  

aldodinucci@yahoo.com.br  

Anderson, Peter J. (2015).  

Seneca: selected dialogues  

and consolations. Indian-  

apolis; Cambridge, Hackett  

Publishing Company, Inc.  

nº 21, sep.-dec. 2017  

DINUCCI, A. (2017). Review: Anderson, Peter J. (2015). Seneca:  

selected dialogues and consolations. Indianapolis; Cambridge, Hackett  

Publishing Company, Inc. Archai nº21, sep.-dec., p. 337-340  

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_21_11  

This volume presents a selection of Seneca’s dia-  

logues and consolations. It is composed of introduc-  

tion, the translations of selected Seneca’s dialogues  

and consolations, biographical information of key  

individuals, glossary of Latin words, and index of  

historical persons. The five parts of the book are  

thus briefly described and evaluated below.  

The Introduction is divided into eleven sub-  

sections. In the first sub-section, Anderson presents  

337  

a well-written account of Seneca’s life (p. xi- xiii).  

Concerning the philosopher’s exile after his im-  

plication in an adulterous affair with Julia Livilla,  

Anderson points out that almost all ancient sources  

consider Seneca not guilty. A weak point in this  

argument is that Anderson does not mention the  

referred primary historical sources, which would  

be useful to the reader.  

he next sub-section deals with the literary quali-  

ties of Seneca’s philosophical writings. Anderson  

correctly points out that literary form and philosophy  

are, in Seneca, two sides of the same coin, noting  

that, through these writings, Seneca is simultane-  

ously aiming at showing literary excellence and at  

philosophically persuading the reader.  

nº 21, sep.-dec. 2017  

In the third sub-section (“A note on the transla-  

tions”), Anderson discusses the diiculties to render  

Seneca’s dialogues in English. In order to achieve this,  

the translator – based on Lindsay’s Oxford classical  

text – tries to replicate Seneca’s prose, consistently  

rendering the following six key words: animus as  

“spirit”, mens as “mind”, virtus as “virtue”, otium as  

“retirement”, bonum as “good” and malum as “bad”.  

Aldo Dinucci: ‘Ander-  

son, Peter J. (2015).  

Seneca: selected dia-  

logues and consolations,  

Indianapolis;  

Cam-  

bridge, Hackett Pub-  

lishing Company, Inc.’,  

p. 337-340  

The next sub-section examines the interplay be-  

tween Seneca and Stoicism. In the historical account  

of the Stoic school, however, Anderson does not  

mention Diogenes of Babylon. Some information  

about him should be provided, as he was the first  

Stoic philosopher in Rome, being sent to the Eternal  

City (together with the Academic Carneades and the  

Peripatetic Critolaus) in 155 BC to appeal a fine,  

and to deliver public lectures on Greek philosophy,  

338  

which much impressed the Romans (cf. Aulus Gel-  

lius, Attic Nights, vii. 14; Cicero, Academica, ii. 45).  

After the historical account, Anderson makes  

two important assertions: in the first place, in  

Seneca’s time, Stoicism was a “holistic practice of a  

set of principles and belief ” (p. xviii), which is in  

marked contrast to the contemporary conception of  

philosophy; secondly, there are centuries of other  

philosophers’ reflections behind Seneca’s arguments.  

The next sub-sections present and clarify the  

following Stoic reflections and concepts that under-  

lie Seneca’s philosophical works: the concept of a  

providential and living god (p. xx), the celebrated  

expression “to live according nature”, the idea that  

each person is responsible for her or his actions  

through the rational capacity and the use of impres-  

sions (phantasiai), the concept of oikeoisis (p. xxii),  

and the indifferents (adiaphora - p. xxiii).  

nº 21, sep.-dec. 2017  

Aldo Dinucci: ‘Ander-  

son, Peter J. (2015).  

Seneca: selected dia-  

logues and consolations,  

In this latter sub-section, Anderson correctly notes  

that, for the Stoics, things as wealth (which was the  

same of Seneca’s case) and poverty are indiferent  

and, therefore, cannot guarantee happiness (p. xxiv),  

which is an important thing to note, as sometimes  

Seneca’s wealthy is regarded as inconsistent with  

his claims of being a Stoic. In fact, for the Stoics,  

wealthy can be used for the good or for the bad, as  

everything else which is indiferent.  

Indianapolis;  

Cam-  

bridge, Hackett Pub-  

lishing Company, Inc.’,  

p. 337-340  

The introduction ends with three informative  

sub-sections: the dating and the addresses of the  

dialogues and consolations, and a further reading  

sub-section.  

339  

Anderson translates the following Seneca’s works:  

“On providence”, “On the resolute nature of the wise  

man”, “Consolation to Marcia”, “On the happy life”,  

“On retirement”, “On serenity of the spirit”, “On  

the shortness of life”, “Consolation to Polybius”,  

“Consolation to his mother Helvia”. The subtitles  

of these works are the original and correspondent  

ones in Latin. My only suggestion with regard to  

the translation of the titles is the rendering of De  

constantia sapientis as “On the resolute nature of  

the wise man”, which would be better translated as  

“On the firmness of the wise man”.  

Anderson’s translations of Seneca’s selected works  

are sound. Elucidative footnotes, mainly concerning  

individuals and historical facts mentioned by Sen-  

eca, are supplied. The book ends with biographical  

information for key individuals, a glossary of Latin  

words and an index of historical persons.  

nº 21, sep.-dec. 2017  

Aldo Dinucci: ‘Ander-  

son, Peter J. (2015).  

Seneca: selected dia-  

logues and consolations,  

In summary, the book provides good transla-  

tions and plenty information concerning Seneca’s  

dialogues and consolations. Thus, it is an excellent  

tool for students and teachers of Latin literature and  

Stoic philosophy.  

Indianapolis;  

Cam-  

bridge, Hackett Pub-  

lishing Company, Inc.’,  

p. 337-340  

Submitted in November and accepted for publication  

in December, 2015  

340