Sénèque - Oeuvres - 1795

Works of Seneca the Philosopher, translated into French by La Grange, with notes on criticism, history, and literature. Prefaced by an essay on the reigns of Claudius and Nero, and on the morals and writings of Seneca, to serve as an introduction to the reading of his works.

Complete in 6 volumes

This translation of Seneca is part of the movement to disseminate ancient texts to an educated audience at the end of the 18th century. This edition gathers the main moral treatises, letters, and philosophical writings of Seneca, providing an overall view of his Stoic thought, centered on virtue, self-control, the relationship with power, and the brevity of life.

La Grange's translation aims to balance fidelity to the Latin text with clarity of style, making a dense and sometimes demanding work accessible. The added notes play a crucial role: they illuminate the historical context of Imperial Rome, explain cultural references, and offer literary analyses that aid understanding. This edition reflects the enduring interest of the late 18th century in ancient wisdom, seen as a source of moral and civic reflection that remains relevant today.

1795, 14 x 21 cm, 612, 581, 544, 566, 484, and 532 pages. Mottled full calf, smooth spine with decorated panels, red leather title piece, and green leather volume numbering. Rounded corners, some wear on certain headbands, a 6 cm split on the spine of the first volume, as well as a 6 cm crack on the back plate. Sporadic foxing, old stain in the upper right corner of the last 20 pages of the first volume, stains on the top edge of the pages of the second volume (without penetration inside the book), the last two pages, and the table of contents of the fifth volume are handwritten.