De Tranquillitate Animi

Background

Democritus of Abdera (circa 460 - 370/360 B.C.) wrote a treatise Περι εύθυμίης (Peri euthymiés), this is acknowledged as having some influence to Seneca. The title of the treatise, when translated from the Greek is, about cheerfulness, (εύθυμία, might mean either cheerfulness or stability of mind). Seneca especially identified with the term euthumia or euthymia (steadiness of the mind, well-being of the soul, self-confidence ), and laudes the Grecian Democritus in relation to his treatise on the subject. The term euthumia has a rough translation as tranquilitas into Latin, thus by Seneca.

Seneca knew of Aristotle (384 - 22 B.C.), since the end of De Tranquilitate is a quote from him:

nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit

Writing a little later than Seneca, Plutarch wrote a work of the same name, described in the 1589 translation as, "a philosophical treatise concerning the quietness of the mind", and both men shared a cultural background.

Dating

De Tranquillitate Animi is thought to be written during the years 49 to 62 A.D.

Title and contents

The title when translated into English means on the tranquility of the mind (or) soul. The word animi is translated, in a general sense,as the rational soul, and in a more restricted sense, as the mind as a thing thinking, feeling, willing. T.M. Green provides definitions of animus, animi as being soul, mind and also courage, passion. Monteleone translated tranquillitas animi as, mental equilibrium.

De Tranquillitate Animi is part of Seneca's series of Dialogi (dialogues). The dialogue concerns the state of the animi of Seneca's friend Annaeus Serenus, and how to cure Serenus of anxiety, worry and disgust with life.

it is more typical of a human to laugh down life than to bewail it

Themes

Seneca, as with other Stoics, was concerned with providing insight for the development of a practice of life, for others to develop into virtuous individuals and to achieve inner harmony.

The superior position ho sophos (the sage) inhabits, of detachment from earthly (terena) possibilities of future events of a detrimental nature, is the unifying theme of the dialogue.

Later history

The first extant copy of the work is as part of the codex Ambrosianus (id est, of the Ambrosianus library in Milan), from the 5th century A.D.