Lucius Annaeus Seneca, De Ira [On Anger]

Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Ed. by Jula Wildberger, American University of Paris
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Domains

Philosophy (any)

Dates

First circulation or publication 41 - 51

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Treatise

Resources

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Recommended Reading

De ira

(“On Anger”) by Lucius Annaeus Seneca is both a political and a therapeutic work. Insofar as it is concerned with retribution and right conduct in social relations, especially also hierarchical relations such as that between master and slave or ruler and subject,

De ira

must be read together with Seneca’s works

On Mercy

(

De clementia

) and

On Benefits

(

De beneficiis

). Insofar as it analyzes and treats a passion that is regarded as unhealthy and detrimental to human wellbeing, it stands in a tradition of “anger control” and psychotherapy beginning with the

Iliad

and the wrath of Achilles (Harris 2001; Braund and Most 2003).

The dedicatee of De ira is Seneca’s older brother, who changed his original name, Lucius Aennaeus Novatus, when he was adopted by a rich and

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1646 words

Citation: Wildberger, Jula. "De Ira". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 February 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34378, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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