''De Constantia Sapientis'' () is a moral
essay
An essay ( ) is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a Letter (message), letter, a term paper, paper, an article (publishing), article, a pamphlet, and a s ...
written by
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger ( ; AD 65), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, a dramatist, and in one work, a satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.
Seneca ...
, a
Roman Stoic philosopher, sometime around 55 AD. The work celebrates the imperturbability of the ideal Stoic sage, who with an inner firmness, is strengthened by injury and adversity.
Date and addressee
The work is addressed to Seneca's friend Annaeus Serenus and written sometime between 47 and 62.
''De Constantia Sapientis'' is one of a trio of dialogues addressed to Serenus, which also includes ''
De Tranquillitate Animi'' and ''
De Otio''.
The superior position
the sage inhabits, of detachment from earthly future events of a detrimental nature, is the unifying theme of the dialogues.
Since Serenus is portrayed as not yet a Stoic in ''De Constantia Sapientis'', it is usually considered the earliest of the three dialogues.
Content
In ''De Constantia Sapientis'' Seneca argues that
Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished in ancient Greece and Rome. The Stoics believed that the universe operated according to reason, ''i.e.'' by a God which is immersed in nature itself. Of all the schools of ancient ...
is not as harsh as it first appears. Recalling the figure of
Cato the Younger Seneca argues that Cato as a wise person suffered neither injury nor insult. Although Serenus objects to this paradox, Seneca provides further analogies to emphasize the impervious nature of the wise person. In chapter 5 Seneca distinguishes between ''contumelia'' (insults) and ''iniuria'' (injuries). The rest of the treatise through to chapter 19 consists of discussions on the nature of both themes, showing that the wise person is immune from both insults and injuries. Seneca concludes the treatise praising the idea of the wise person while offering practical advice for all of us who are imperfect.
References
Further reading
Translations
*
Elaine Fantham, Harry M. Hine, James Ker, Gareth D. Williams (2014). ''Seneca: Hardship and Happiness''. University of Chicago Press.
* Peter J. Anderson (2015), ''Seneca: Selected Dialogues and Consolations''. Hackett Publishing.
External links
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{{Authority control
Philosophical works by Seneca the Younger