Lex est, non poena, perire
"To die is not a punishment, but a law." That is a paraphrase of something attributed to Seneca the Elder. I have not read him, though there are some writings extant I would be curious to see—not in the budget at the moment however.
My attempt at Lucan is stalled at the end of book three. (Let me never wonder why I hear so infrequently of somebody finishing one of my long poems, when even a time-tested classic can be difficult to keep on with.) It will be there to pick up another day. I returned to Marcus Aurelius: his speeches consisted of three: one of doubtful attribution and two plausible. I enjoyed them, but was disappointed that the book did not contain more extraneous material. There were some anecdotes and sayings, but meager pickins really. So I picked up my Shotter on Nero, and have begun that. So far he covers the same ground as Warmington.
Since my Marcus supply is exhausted, I am at a loss at whither to turn next—wanting to keep myself in Rome but not wanting to buy anything new (though Cato is enticing). The trouble with buying blindly is you never know what's going to appeal to you or be the right thing at the right time. Lucan was not. There is one book I would love to see, but my price range is more like sixty cents not sixty dollars, so it will have to wait.
I've never been exhaustive in my reading of Seneca (the Younger), but what intrigues me most would be his letters to Lucilius. That is because the Fronto correspondence was such a pleasure to me; but then, if I'm going to read letters, might as well go to Cicero's. To know him is to love him, and his are the best collection we have from antiquity (I have heard). Both in the case of Cicero and Seneca my attentions have been focused on speeches or essays—falsely believing them to be more edifying perhaps than letters—but, as I say, Fronto has convinced me. Sometimes pleasure trumps edification.
I'm still stalled midway with my Handke. After the Shotter I may wrap that up—the reading is fine—and then, if Rome still beckons, I may turn to this, though not likely, or this or this, none of which requires a new purchase.
It is hard to marshall my attention: "all things can tempt me" (as I have stated previously), but even more than that, I am human, and all manner of accident may befall me. I've had enough experience to know that the best of intentions can be immediately and even permanently derailed by some sudden unexpected health crisis—or worse.
So Seneca and Cato (both Elders, respectively) remain on the wish list.
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