Philosophical Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Vol. 2

PREFACE OF THE NEW EDITOR.

The edition of L. A. Seneca that we begin here, divided into three parts, will encompass all the works that circulate under his name, namely, the philosophical, the declamatory, and the tragic works.

Now, however, since this first part contains only the philosophical books, we shall dwell briefly upon it, omitting other matters to be repeated in their proper place. Nor have we judged it necessary to discourse here upon our author, or even upon the material of the volume itself; for arguments or special prefaces are prefixed to each book, in which we have taken care to set forth everything pertaining to it. Therefore, a few things remain to be said regarding the scope of this entire edition, and the order which it was decided to follow, both in arranging and in illustrating the works of our philosopher.

First of all, some edition of Seneca approved by the greatest number had to be chosen, to serve as our principal guide in this revision. No edition seemed more suitable for this purpose than that which Fr. Ern. Ruhkopf, director of the gymnasium at Bielefeld, published at Leipzig; for none offers a purer text or better notes. That edition of Seneca's philosophical works indeed contains five volumes, which were published at different and very distant times; for the editor, perhaps fearing lest he err through excessive haste, after having committed the first volume to the press in the year 1797, following the precept to wait until the ninth year, brought forth the following volumes in the years 1800, 1805, 1808, 1811. Indeed, the sixth and final volume has not yet appeared after sixteen or more years; we greatly wished to have this volume in our hands, since many new readings, excerpted from new manuscripts, will be presented therein.