Letters to Lucilius · 63–65 CE
Seneca's letters to Lucilius, all 124 of them.
Between 63 and 65 CE, the Roman Stoic Lucius Annaeus Seneca wrote 124 letters to his friend Lucilius on anger, money, crowds, illness, friendship, and death. Every surviving letter is here in full — with an English translation, the Latin original, reading times, and themes — free, with no account.
Public domain · No sign-up · No advertising · 4 text languages
- Letters
- 124
- Words
- 201k
- Themes
- 18
- Text languages
- 4
- Written
- 63–65 CE
- Public domain
- Free
Three ways in
The letters are not a course. Pick the route that matches why you are here.
Start at the beginning
Letter I is three minutes long and contains the argument in miniature: your time is the only thing you own, and you are giving it away.
3 min · Letter I · On Saving TimeIf you have five minutesStart with the shortest
Put the briefest letters first. Seneca was often at his sharpest when he had the least to say.
124 letters · shortest firstIf you came with a questionRead by theme
Grief, money, crowds, illness, and the fear of dying. Each theme points to the letters that actually address it.
18 themes · 124 lettersFive letters to start with
Chosen for how well they stand alone. Each is complete in itself — there is no plot to catch up on.
- 1On Saving TimeContinue to act thus, my dear Lucilius—set yourself free for your own sake; gather and save your time, which till lately has been forced from you, or filched away, or has merely slipped from your hands. Make yourself believe the truth of my words,—that certain moments are torn from us, that some are gently removed, and that others glide beyond our reach. The most disgraceful kind of loss, however, is that due to carelessness. Furthermore, if you will pay close heed to the problem, you will find that the largest portion of our life passes while we are doing ill, a goodly share while we are doing nothing, and the whole while we are doing that which is not to the purpose.3 min
- 3On True And False FriendshipYou have sent a letter to me through the hand of a "friend" of yours, as you call him. And in your very next sentence you warn me not to discuss with him all the matters that concern you, saying that even you yourself are not accustomed to do this; in other words, you have in the same letter affirmed and denied that he is your friend.3 min
- 16On Philosophy, The Guide Of LifeIt is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom; you know also that a happy life is reached when our wisdom is brought to completion, but that life is at least endurable even when our wisdom is only begun. This idea, however, clear though it is, must be strengthened and implanted more deeply by daily reflection; it is more important for you to keep the resolutions you have already made than to go on and make noble ones. You must persevere, must develop new strength by continuous study, until that which is only a good inclination becomes a good settled purpose.4 min
- 47On Master And SlaveI am glad to learn, through those who come from you, that you live on friendly terms with your slaves. This befits a sensible and well-educated man like yourself. "They are slaves," people declare.[^1] Nay, rather they are men. "Slaves!" No, comrades. "Slaves!" No, they are unpretentious friends. "Slaves!" No, they are our fellow-slaves, if one reflects that Fortune has equal rights over slaves and free men alike.9 min
- 63On Grief For Lost FriendsI am grieved to hear that your friend Flaccus is dead, but I would not have you sorrow more than is fitting. That you should not mourn at all I shall hardly dare to insist; and yet I know that it is the better way. But what man will ever be so blessed with that ideal steadfastness of soul, unless he has already risen far above the reach of Fortune? Even such a man will be stung by an event like this, but it will be only a sting. We, however, may be forgiven for bursting into tears, if only our tears have not flowed to excess, and if we have checked them by our own efforts. Let not the eyes be dry when we have lost a friend, nor let them overflow. We may weep, but we must not wail.6 min
Read Seneca by theme
Every letter is tagged by what it argues, not by where it falls in the sequence. Counts show how many letters address each theme.
Who Seneca was
A difficult person to admire
Seneca is not a comfortable moral authority. He was among the richest men in Rome and spent eight years as tutor and then chief adviser to Nero — including the years in which Nero had his own mother killed.
He wrote these letters after withdrawing from court, in his sixties, knowing that withdrawal had not saved him. In 65 CE Nero accused him of joining the Pisonian conspiracy and ordered his death.
Why the letters still work
The gap between the life and the letters is the most interesting thing about them, and Seneca knew it. In Letter I, he admits: I cannot boast that I waste nothing, but I can at least tell you what I am wasting.
These are not the notes of a man who solved the problem. They are the notes of a man arguing with himself, in writing, while he still had time.
Timeline
c. 4 BCE
Born in Corduba, in Roman Hispania.
41 CE
Exiled to Corsica under Claudius. He remained there for eight years.
49 CE
Recalled by Agrippina to tutor her son Nero.
54–62 CE
Served as one of Nero's chief advisers: his most powerful and compromised years.
62 CE
Withdrew from court and began writing to Lucilius.
65 CE
Ordered to die after the Pisonian conspiracy. The surviving correspondence ends at 124 letters.
Questions people ask
How many letters did Seneca write to Lucilius?
124 letters survive, collected as the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium — the Moral Letters to Lucilius. Ancient sources suggest there were more; the manuscript tradition preserves these. All 124 are on this site in full.
What order should I read Seneca's letters in?
Any order. They were written as correspondence over roughly two years, so each one is self-contained and answers something Lucilius apparently asked. There is no plot to follow. Letter I, On Saving Time, is a strong place to begin; after that, reading by theme works well.
Which translation is used on this site?
The primary English text is Richard Mott Gummere's translation for the Loeb Classical Library, published from 1917 to 1925 and now in the public domain. The Latin original and other public-domain or clearly identified translations are available where the edition includes them.
Are Seneca's letters free to read?
Yes. The Latin original and Gummere's translation are in the public domain. This site is free, carries no advertising, and requires no account. Reading progress is stored in your browser.
What is Stoicism, in Seneca's version of it?
Seneca's Stoicism is practical rather than systematic. Events and fortune are not fully under your control, but your judgments and responses can be trained. He develops that claim through ordinary problems — money, crowds, illness, friendship, grief, and the fear of death.
Why did Seneca die?
In 65 CE Nero accused Seneca of involvement in the Pisonian conspiracy and ordered him to take his own life. Tacitus records the scene in the Annals. Whether Seneca actually took part in the plot remains disputed.
While we are postponing, life speeds by.
Letter I · Dum differtur vita transcurrit