(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

This weekend picked up a translation of Seneca's letters to Lucilius. I wanted to learn more about the Stoics and their possible influence on Christian ethics. As philosophical literature it makes for remarkably light reading. A random selection:

To want to know more than is sufficient is a form of intemperance. Apart from which this kind of obsession with the liberal arts turns people into pedantic, irritating, tactless, self-satisfied bores, not learning what they need simply because they spend their time learning things they will never need. The scholar Didymus wrote four thousand works: I should feel sorry for him if he had merely read so many useless works. In these works he discusses such questions as Homer's origin, who was Aeneas' real mother, whether Anacreon's manner of life was more that of a lecher or that of a drunkard, whether Sappho slept with anyone who asked her, and other things that would be better unlearned if one actually knew them!

This makes me wonder, somewhat ironically, if Seneca would disapprove of people reading his letters so many years after his passing and even the passing of his world and way of life.

Comments

[tkeana.livejournal.com]

Got Meth?

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

I never touch the stuff, but that "awake" icon sure looks it, doesn't it?

Re:

[tkeana.livejournal.com]

I saw that you were a Crystal Method fan. This is the slogan on their t-shirts. :)

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Oh. I didn't know that. LMAO!

nice

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

The last sentence is a nicely felt and
put thought.
I suppose it can be ,like many things, like
a hologram which one cannot walk through and
find anything more, unanswerable because if
he had been asked in the abstract "would you
want people in a remote future etc.." the
question would have been only abstract to him
and if by time travel or vision he knew the
future then it would be be no longer remote...

Do you know Petronius? he would have fit in
at Mardi Gras or indeed any carouse or party.

*and, just if something comes or you have
something, I wonder if you would want to
contribute a paragraph or two to the little
collection of lenten thoughts ...?
+Seraphim.

arbiter elegantiae

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Thank you. If I had to guess or interpolate I would imagine that he would disapprove of someone reading his letters if they were doing it simply to acquire knowledge, or especially if one just bought the book so that it would look impressive on one's bookshelf. But he might not disapprove if someone had an earnest reason to read them and actually gained an insight or two.

It's too bad that heads of state don't have official "party animals" like Petronius anymore, perhaps they'd be more calm and mellow, though it didn't exactly work out that way for the Romans, did it? Still it is certainly an interesting idea.

There is a krewe named after Petronius that holds a yearly Mardi Gras ball, but they do not parade. I suppose, given the nature of the krewe (leathermen and drag queens, etc.) that they might not exactly fit the bill of "family entertainment."

At this point I don't really have any thoughts to add about Lent, though I was raised nominally Catholic this was never something that was observed in my family's culture. I did consider observing it; perhaps a more seasoned approach to consider for next year.

thoughts

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

well the idea was not about lent as such
since obviously many people on my friends
list are not christians at all, but
personal reflection which would not be
inappropriate within the context of lent...
but it is nothing important, like about
all else in our live journal world, hardly
other than play...
well and Im glad to hear that Petronius
did sort of make it to mardi gras!
+S.

[archanglrobriel.livejournal.com]

I would think it would depend upon whether or not reading the letters of Seneca were sufficient or excessive in his view. Personally, I tend to agree with him about the four thousand works thing. There -is- a limit toward the higher end of knowlege collection where the collection starts becoming more important than the knowlege itself and when that happens you do start becoming something of a prig and a pain to be around...

would that more people would even -aspire- to that level though. I'd trade in a bunch of my "ignorant as all hell" aquaintances for a couple of "overeducated to the point of pretentiousness" types about now.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's easy to tire of overeducated pedantic types when you are around them all the time, though I agree that they would be preferable over video game addicts.