Philosophical Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Vol. 3

manity, and also his exceptional gifts of intellect, his learning, and his devotion to poetry. Wernsdorf, along with Lipsius, concludes that he was an Epicurean philosopher from Ep. XXIII, 7: For I am able to return to you the voice of your Epicurus. I agree with this judgment to the extent that I would conclude that he, being devoted to an eclectic philosophy, attributed much to the doctrine of Epicurus—whom he read not without judgment (see Epp. IX, 1; X, XIII, 1)—as is gathered from Epp. IX, XXII, CVII, CXIV. Thus, it is easy to explain why, having resigned his procuratorship, he wished to withdraw into philosophical leisure—a life preferred by both Stoics and Epicureans over the administration of the Republic—with the addition of inconveniences, enmities, and the sadness and gravity of mind for the exhilaration of which he made journeys, for example, through Sicily. See Epp. XXII, XXIV, XXVIII, § 1; XLIV.

That he was a young man when Seneca wrote to him is taught not only by the whole tenor of the epistles, but also by Ep. XXVI, 7: Are you young? What does it matter? Years are not numbered. You may rightly refer this passage to his age, along with Lipsius, who, however, while saying that "Junior" was not a cognomen of Lucilius, did not notice Nat. Qu. III, 1: Or as I find in your work, dearest Junior, etc. and book IV, pref.: So it is, my Junior, etc.

I must not pass over in this place the exceptional good fortune with which this Lucilius has been adorned in our own times by two most humane and learned men. When they had learned from these epistles that our Lucilius had intended to write of the memorable things of Sicily, and for that reason to celebrate Aetna in his verses, both at the same time but in different places—the one, Jo. Christian Wernsdorf, Professor at Helmstedt, who piously passed away some years ago², and the other, Friedrich Christian Matthiæ, originally from Göttingen and there assigned with me to the philological society (may God favor it), and since that time joined to me in intimate friendship, now Professor of ancient literature at the Academy...

1 Cf. Wernsdorf, loc. cit. p. 12. There can now be added to the other "Juniors" brought forward there by W., the younger poet whose elegant epigram was lately brought forth for the first time by Ennius Quirinus Visconti in his learned book: Lettera su due monimenti ne' quali e memoria d'Antonia Augusta, p. 20, and attributed to M. Pompeius Junior, already known from the Anthology (Brunk. Anal. II, p. 105). By what right, let others see. See Gotting. gel. Anz. of the year 1800, no. 36, p. 360.
2 See Poetarum Minorum Latinorum, Vol. IV, at the beginning.