Product Description
Octavia is a work of exceptional historical and dramatic interest. It is the only surviving complete example of the Roman historical drama known as the fabula praetexta. Written shortly after Nero's death by an unknown author, the play deals with events at the court of Nero in the decisive year 62 CE, for which it is the earliest extant (almost contemporary) literary source; its main themes are sex, murder, politics, power and the perceptions and constructions of history. It is a powerful, lyrical and spectacular play. This is the first critical edition of Octavia, with verse translation and commentary, which aims to elucidate the text dramatically as well as philologically, and to locate it firmly in its historical and theatrical context. The verse translation is designed for both performance and serious study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Marvelous Scholarship, Dreadful Drama
Whether Seneca the Stoic philosopher, and incidentally the tutor of the young Nero, actually wrote the several plays attributed to him has been a subject of heated scholarly debate since the invention of scholars. There is little in the bombastic and cynical drama that expounds the stoic virtues except for an occasional soliloquoy about the joys of simplicity. The truth is that the plays are not very appealing to modern sensibilities and have never convinced many people of their stage-worthiness either in Latin or in faithful translation, yet they contributed greatly, in plot elements and in 'borrowed' speeches, to the greatest works of the greatest European playwrights, Shakespeare and Racine among others. Seneca was not held in much esteem in the late Roman Empire, nor in the high Middle Ages, nor in modern times, but he was venerated among the humanist circles of the 16th and 17th Centuries.

My interest in the 'historical' drama Octavia, traditionally attributed to Seneca, is the influence it had on Giovanni Francesco Busanello, the librettist of Claudio Monteverdi's glorious opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Sure enough, it's obvious, that influence! The scene in which Seneca and Nero argue over the morality of absolute rule comes straight from the Latin play. Monteverdi/Busanello's two nurses, one with Octavia and one with Poppea, appear first in the Latin script, though they do not play the roles of comic relief that they have in the opera. Monteverdi's operas were staged largely for a very elite audience of educated aristocrats and their client humanists, and it seems almost inevitable that they would have spotted such derivations instantly.

I also have an occasional whimsical urge to maintain my ability to read Latin, since I was of a generation in public schools when the college-bound kids studied Latin, when my ivy-walled college in fact printed our diplomas in Latin, when my farmer uncles would try to bamboozle the kids with pig-Latin and I could astonish them with the real thing. But the Latin of the play Octavia would have been impenetrable without the notes, the glossary, and the literal translation of this fine scholarly edition, which I borrowed from a university library.

My five-star rating is for the scholarship, not for the drama. Honestly, as a piece of literature, Octavia is slim pickings. None of the other plays definitely attributed to Seneca are exciting reading in themselves, either. Only serious classicists and historians of the late Renaissance could possibly find them of interest. There is, however, a quite adequate English translation of Octavia and four of Seneca's tragedies - Thyestes, Phaedra, The Trojan Women, and Oedipus - in a modestly-priced Penguin Classics edition. Read it, and marvel at the genius of the Italian humanists, to make profound art from such meager sources! ... Read more

Product Description
The Seneca language is a member of the Iroquoian language family.Seneca is a seriously endangered language spoken in upper NewYork State and Southern Ontario.This book consists of 3 parts. Section I, on orthography, describes away of writing Seneca words consistently and without omittingfeatures that are significant. Various spelling systems have beenused, and are being used, for the writing of Seneca by missionaries,anthropologists, and the speakers of the language themselves.Section II, on grammar, is concerned with the structure of Senecawords.Section III is a brief glossary of the Seneca language. ... Read more

Product Description
The great stoic philosopher, playwright and Roman statesman of the first century, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, exercised enormous influence for nearly fifteen years as tutor and political advisor to the Emperor Nero until forced to commit suicide by his former pupil. In the hands of Annales School historian Paul Veyne, the dramatic story of his life - one of power, politics and intrigue - becomes a mirror of the time in which he lived.

Seneca's philosophical writings remain our core source for stoic thought, and their immense influence continues to be felt. Veyne's authoritative exposition of stoicism and the interconnections between Seneca's life and thought, make this book ideal reading for anyone interested in Roman history and philosophy. This compact and compelling book is a brilliant introduction to the life and philosophy of one of the ancient world's greatest thinkers by one of the great historians of our own time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Superb scholarship and an exhilarating read
This book is a masterpiece: an exhilaratingly provocative, intellectual tour de force. Contrary to what reviewer EJ Hamm states, there is a complete lack of "sarcasm," "arrogance," or "French" theoretical opacity; to the contrary, this straightforward, superbly translated study of Seneca's work (primarily the letters to Lucilius) is considerably more accessible than, for instance, Paul Veyne's admittedly difficultDid the Greeks Believe in Their Myths?: An Essay on the Constitutive Imagination, the only other Veyne book I've read.

This wonderful book is free of gratuitous jargon; technical philosophical terms are sparingly used and clearly defined. Furthermore, Veyne in no way denigrates Seneca. (He writes to praise him, not to bury him!) This is an objective critique which treats Seneca as a serious Stoic philosopher-cum-intellectual for the ages. But having said that, caveat lector: The subtitle is, to be fair, a bit misleading, as this is not a straightforward, linear biography. Just "Look inside" at the Contents, and you can tell that the first and third chapters are biographical, whereas the vast bulk of the book, Chapter 2, is a fascinating and comprehensive analysis of Seneca's stoicism in the context of both canonical early Greek stoicism and subsequent intellectual history, all the way up to the present day.

In sum, despite its expensiveness (especially unfortunate for a 191-page book lacking an index!), this is a "must buy" (or at any rate a "must read") for serious (or perhaps just curious) students of Seneca and Stoicism, be they tyros or laics: it is by far the best non-technical modern study of Seneca available. I did not want my review to be ad hominem, yet EJ Hamm's castigation of Veyne's masterpiece is completely unwarranted, and might possibly be explained by a lack of familiarity with Seneca's writings. For although this book is a captivating read (indeed one of the two or three best of the spate of recently published, excellent books on Stoicism), to understand it you need to have already read and absorbed Seneca AND have a modicum of familiarity with Stoic principles. In other words, "Seneca: The Life of a Stoic" is an intermediate-level popular philosophy text. With that qualification, it is nothing short of an irresistible intellectual feast. (Finally -- for the record and apropos of Hamm's comment -- I am neither French NOR have I taken a single course (let alone an advanced degree) in philosophy!)

Whew - An Interesting But Bitter and Very "Advanced" Read
I'm going to spare the efforts to write an erudite and impressive philosophical review, I'm too exhausted after slogging through this book.I don't know what Seneca ever did to Author Veyne, or if this is just the way French professors deal with philosophy, but this book is dripping with bitterness and sarcasm against stoicism and Seneca personally.Add that to the fact that Veyne writes in such a manner that you have to keep going back and re-reading sentences to figure out what he just said (every other word appears to have a mandatory four-syllable requirement), it is really hard to digest this work.The general underlying commentary is interesting, but so badly tainted with an obvious arrogance and dislike, and so hard to wade through - unless perhaps you have an advanced degree in philosophy and are French -that you would do much, much better with almost anything else.Some of the basic Seneca/Stoic premises on which Veyne basis his conclusions stuck me, even as an admitted lay person, as so obviously mistaken in what Seneca was saying, that I really had to question if this book had any objectivity at all.Be warned. ... Read more

Product Description
In the middle of the nineteenth century women's rights became a cause for which many women were willing to fight. The Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848 was the first attack in a battle that would last for many years. Through an examination of the declaration written and signed at that conference and a variety of other activities, students will discover the impact of that event on their lives today. They will also gain insight by studying a suffrage campaign song and by analyzing political cartoons on the topic.

Handouts, discussions and primary source documents are included in this easy-to-use resource.

Students will be amazed to discover the efforts it took over a period of more than 70 years to obtain the right to vote for women. As they investigate and examine the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, history will come alive! ... Read more

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Based on a comprehensive investigation of all manuscripts and florilegia, this edition provides, for the first time, a secure reconstruction of the two hyparchetypes on which the text depends. Zwierlein demonstrates that all former manuscripts of Seneca's tragedies stem ultimately from these two branches of the tradition, both of which are adequately transmitted by pure representatives.He provides a concise critical apparatus, includes a fully-referenced account of all testimonia, emendations, and conjectures, and collates all important manuscripts and florilegia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The definitive edition
A much needed updated text, impeccable scholarship.This edition, the first scientific rescension of the tragedies, contains many corrections to the (until now) standard edition of Otto Wurtheim.

One telling example: Analysis of the MSs corrects a line of the opening speech of Octavia: (Olux semper funesta mihi/tempore ab illo/lux es tenebris invisa magis!) bychanging the first lux to nox, bringing out the contrast which had beenlost and eliminating a rather clumsy redundancy.

A must-have for anyonereading Seneca in the original ... Read more

Product Description
Brad Inwood presents a selection of his most influential essays on the philosophy of Seneca, the Roman Stoic thinker, statesman, and tragedian of the first century AD. Including two brand-new pieces, and a helpful introduction to orient the reader, this volume will be an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand Seneca's fertile, wide-ranging thought and its impact on subsequent generations.

In each of these essays Seneca is considered as a philosopher, but with as much account as possible taken of his life, his education, his intellectual and literary background, his career, and his self-presentation as an author. Seneca emerges as a discerning and well-read Stoic, with a strong inclination to think for himself in the context of an intellectual climate teeming with influences from other schools. Seneca's intellectual engagement with Platonism, Aristotelianism, and even with Epicureanism involved a wide range of substantial philosophical interests and concerns. His philosophy was indeed shaped by the fact that he was a Roman, but he was a true philosopher shaped by his culture rather than a Roman writer trying his hand at philosophical themes. The highly rhetorical character of his writing must be accounted for when reading his works, and when one does so the underlying philosophical themes stand out more clearly. While it is hard to generalize about an overall intellectual agenda or systematic philosophical method, key themes and strategies are evident. Inwood shows how Seneca's philosophical ingenium worked itself out in a fundamentally particularistic way as he pursued those aspects of Stoicism that engaged him most forcefully over his career. ... Read more

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Roman secondary education aimed principally at training future lawyers and politicians. Under the late Republic and the Empire, the main instrument was an import from Greece: declamation, the making of practice speeches on imaginary subjects. There were two types of such speeches: controversiae on law-court themes, suasoriae on deliberative topics. On both types a prime source of our knowledge is the work of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Spaniard from Cordoba, father of the distinguished philosopher. Towards the end of his long life (?55 BCE–?40 CE) he collected together ten books devoted to controversiae (some only preserved in excerpt) and at least one (surviving) of suasoriae. These books contained his memories of the famous rhetorical teachers and practitioners of his day: their lines of argument, their methods of approach, their idiosyncrasies, and above all their epigrams. The extracts from the declaimers, though scrappy, throw invaluable light on the influences that coloured the styles of most pagan (and many Christian) writers of the Empire. Unity is provided by Seneca's own contribution, the lively prefaces, engaging anecdote about speakers, writers and politicians, and brisk criticism of declamatory excess.

Product Description
The Roman Empire of this tenth century stretches from Russia in the East to a new continent in the West. But a new continent brings new threats to their rule. The Roman garrison in Seneca, located in modern-day New York, lacks the supplies and men needed to defeat an alliance of native Mahicans and immigrant Vikings.Dinah, a former slave trained in espionage, had hoped Seneca would be the start of a new life. Instead, she'd pulled back into war. If Seneca is to survive, Dinah must reconcile her allegiance toRome with her chance to create her own destiny in the New World with Gerhard, the Viking Chief. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An All-Around Adventure Story
Like the previous reviewer, I don't really read romance. But Dinah of Seneca is more than just a genre novel, it's an alternative history/adventure story that could easily take its place on the mainstream fiction shelf.

Yes, the characters are interesting and well-rounded. But for me the details -- of a Roman settlement, a Viking encampment, Native American culture and medieval warfare -- is what makes Dinah of Seneca a unique and fascinating read.

Not just a romance
I'm not a typical customer of romance, but I can really get into alternative history, especially when it involves Vikings in the New World. And this book adds Romans to the mix. In this book, the Roman Empire is still around, five centuries later, and has expanded even further. Without the Dark Ages, technology has continued to improve as well, if fitfully. Seeing Romans in America reminded me of Harry Turtledove's out-of-place legion in The Videssos Cycle.

The novel IS a romance and focuses heavily on character interaction - not just between Dinah and Gerhard (although they get the lion's share), but also Tabor, Licinius, Sif and others. The relationships are fairly Dinah-centric since we see the world through her eyes and the only other character interaction is what she sees or hears about, but Dinah is a sharp and mostly unbiased observer. The book also has plenty of spycraft, politics and warfare for readers such as myself. Dinah's one kick-butt character and Vikings aren't exactly slouches in the action department.

I don't get to say this very often - perhaps because of my internet-addled attention span - but I finished the book in a single night. So check it out. And have the score for The Last of the Mohicans playing in the background. If you're like me, you may not even have to have it on to find yourself humming parts through some of the scenes. ... Read more

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Introduction, text, translation and commentary. ... Read more

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Students’ Academy

Introduction 4
Seneca a Humanist Saint 9
In Roman Philosophers 11
Seneca’s Works 15
On Benefits 19
Book I 19
Book II 55
Book III 114
Book IV 175
Book V 244
Book VI 305
Book VII 379
The End 436
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Print ISBN: 978-0-557-64878-8 ... Read more

Product Description
Like his plays, the life of Seneca (c. 4 B.C.-A.D. 65) contains the dramatic elements of modern tragedy. Shakespeare adapted Senecan principles in his plays, and Seneca's works were imitated by a wide range of later writers. This superb selection of translations, adaptations, and variations--from the 1550s to the 1990s--vividly demonstrates Seneca's continuing presence in English drama and poetry. ... Read more

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A village located along the Seneca River, Seneca Falls was incorporated in 1831 and was soon linked to the Erie Canal by the Cayuga Seneca Canal. The women's suffrage movement was born in Seneca Falls when the first Women's Rights Convention, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was held on July 19 and 20, 1848. Seneca County and Seneca Falls were also part of the Underground Railroad, and prominent citizens such as Ansel Bascom and Henry Seymour worked with freedom seekers in the decades before the Civil War. The town's knitting mills produced socks for the army during the war, second only to New York City in production. Many famous people also came to Seneca Falls to rally around the town's causes, among them are Lucretia Mott, Frederick Douglass, Garrett Smith, and Susan B. Anthony. ... Read more

Product Description
This monograph on the correspondance between Paul and Seneca contains facsimile reproductions of 14 letters. The delineations are based on two Latin manuscripts of the mid-9th century. The reader is therefore able to arrive at an independent judgement regarding the aesthetics of the men. Scriptural authorities, both in the 19th and 20th centuries, have regarded AD 61 as the year of Paul's arrival in Rome for his trial before Nero. The correspondance is dated from that time forward until AD 65, when both Paul and Seneca died under the hand of Nero. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting
This is a reproduction of 14 letters exchanged between Seneca and Paul. All the letters are presented both in Latin and English translation. Mr Berry's commentary provides a great deal of background information. Interestingly, the author is slightly prejudiced in favour of Latin as opposed to Greek. I recommend the book anyway. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Librarian Glynis Tryon must untangle a tapestry of lust,high treason, and legal treachery that brings the stark reality of thegrowing Civil War close tohome.

"Imaginative...lucid."-ChicagoTribune

"Written beautifully...richly satisfying."-AnnePerry

6th in the wonderful Seneca Falls Historical Mysteryseries ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Please, more of Glynis!
I have really enjoyed the Glynis Tryon series, and I hope that Ms. Monfredo decides to take up her pen where she left off with this one now that the Cain trilogy is out and published.I would hate to think that I cannot read more about Glynis and the Seneca Falls people!This book is set in the spring of 1861, and it is the beginning just before the first shots were fired in the war between the states.Glynis' niece Emma is getting married, and her other niece Bronwen is up to her secretive doings again.When a prominent member of the Seneca Falls society is found murdered in his library, Glynis finds that she is working with her constable to try to track down a murderer.While they investigate they discover all kinds of treachery, treason and family secrets that actually give a number of people a good motive for the killing.I love the writing in these books, and that is why I am going to read the Cain trilogy next.I really enjoy Bronwen and her work with the Treasury, and I hope to get more of the same, but I don't want to say goodbye to Glynis either.Please, Please don't leave us hanging Ms. Monfredo!

Read it for Fun, and Learn Something Too
The Civil War is about to get started, and a man is found murdered in Seneca Falls.It turns out that he was connected to illegal gun-running; guns are being bought from England, smuggled thru the port of Oswego, New York, thence to Seneca Falls and eventually to the about-to-secede southern states.A young girl whose father had sold her into indentured servitude to the murdered man is the prime (but wrong) suspect in his murder.Glynis (of course) figures out who really did the murder, and exonerates the maiden.

There is much more in this novel, mystery and suspense and adventure enough to make it a really enjoyable read, and as a bonus, (HISTORY TEACHERS TAKE NOTE!) you learn a bit about American history.Highly recommended!

watziznaym@gmail.com

A wonderful historical series
This is one of a series of historical novels based in the yearsimmediately prior to the Civil War.Glynis Tryon, the protagonist of allof the novels is an intelligent, independent woman who is a librarian of asmall New York town, Seneca Falls.This is an engrossing novel both as amystery and as a point-of-view story.I would highly recommend it!

History with a Twist
I happened on this book in an airport bookstore.It hooked me on this author.I enjoy the glimpse into an era when women's rights were the headlines.She does a very good job of presenting the issues without beingpreachy.The mystery is well woven into political and historical events ofthe day, giving the reader some insight on how complicated life could be,even in "simplier" times.

It's all about the history
Once again, Monfredo has delivered a well-researched dose of history to her readers. For me, the mystery has never been the draw to her novels; it's the history. Monfredo gives us a slice-of-life view of the 1860s thatis at once maddening (women HAVE come a long way), and intriguing. ... Read more

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16-page section of 32 b/w photos5 maps6 x 9 Includes Henry Simmons's 1799 journalThis account of a 1799 Quaker mission to a Seneca village in northwestern Pennsylvania is based on the journal of Henry Simmons and offers a captivating look at Seneca culture of the period-their festivals and games, division of labor, and fascinating cult of dreams, which affected many of their actions.The perceptive Chief Cornplanter, realizing that his people must adapt to new social and economic patterns, welcomed the Quakers as teachers, not so much for their religion, but for their knowledge of agriculture. The interactions between the two groups brought on conflicts among the Senecas and new developments in their culture, among them the rise of the powerful prophet Handsome Lake and his Longhouse religion. The author shows how Simmons and Cornplanter each attained a grasp of the other's religion, politics, and lifestyles and were able to mutually achieve their goals by finding the similarities and utilizing them.David Swatzler is a professional writer who lives in Cooperstown, Pennsylvania. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A book about Indian Peace, not Indian Wars
This book is fantastic and covers so many topics so thoroughly, it is hard to choose just one thing as the best part.The author tells about the Quakers, their history and beliefs, about the Iroquois and their history of war and land loss, as well as giving a rare glimpse into everyday life in the 1700's--games, religious festivals, feasts, mythology.The story of the interaction of the groups as they get to know each other and explore their similarities and differences is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and the author even includes a glimpse into the religious and social implications of the interaction for the Indians.The story of Handsome Lake is particularly well-told.At the end of the book, I felt that I understood the whole vast episode, and I even had a certain fondness for Henry Simmons, the irascible Quaker.His entire 1799 journal, which is a wonderful read, is included as an appendix, and is worth the price of the book. ... Read more