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Both Seneca's, father and son, in a school edition printed by Raphelengius in Leiden

SENECA, Lucius Annaeus the Younger (Seneca Philosophus) & Marcus (Lucius) Annaeus SENECA the Older (Seneca Rhetor)
Quae extant opera.

With a woodcut printer's device of the Officina Plantiniana on the title.

Leiden, Franciscus Raphelengius (II): Ex officina Plantiniana. Raphelengii, 1609. 24mo. Contemporary overlapping vellum, spine with title written in ink. With a woodcut printer's device of the Officina Plantiniana on the title. 980, (4, blank) pp.

The only edition of the complete works of father and son Seneca, belonging to the series of pocket-seize 24to-editions published by the Officia Plantiniana of classical authors intended for use in the classroom without notes or annotations. Unlike other classical texts which were printed by Franciscus van Raphelingen in Leiden, and published simultaneously in Antwerp and Plantin's office in Leiden, this edition apparently was only published in Leiden. Probably the texts were based on the editions of both Seneca's by Justus Lipsius - who himself was greatly inspired by Seneca the Younger -, as earlier published by Plantin in Antwerp.
The work starts with the works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca (or Seneca Philosophus or The Younger, ca. 4 BC-65 AD), except for his playwrights: next to his minor works, his De beneficiis is on p. 3-112; his letters, p. 113-397; De ira, p. 408-63; De clementia, p. 464-484; De vita beata, p. 485-507; De tranquilitate animi, p. 508-26, De brevitate vitae, p. 540-55; his three Consolationes, p. 555-606; Naturalis quaestiones, p. 607-724; Apocolocynthosis Claudii Caesaris, a satirical text written after the death of Claudius, p. 725-33.
The works of his father Marius (Lucius) Annaeus Seneca (or Seneca Rhetor, of the Older, ca. 65 BC-40 AD) follow: Controversiarum libri X, p. 734-942; and Suasoriarum liber I, p. 943-971 (both works are also known under the title Declamationes).
The books is very well printed in a very small Roman type, also including some Italics.

Born in Córdova, Spain, the Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, orator, and tragedian Seneca was the second son of Helvia and Marcus (Lucius) Annaeus Seneca, a wealthy rhetorician known as Seneca the Elder. Seneca was taken to Rome for schooling. He was trained in rhetoric and was introduced into the Stoic philosophy by Attalos and Sotion. Seneca stayed in Egypt during his early youth, but after his return to Rome he established a successful career as an advocate. Around 37 he was nearly killed as a result of a conflict with the Emperor Caligula. He was banished on a charge of adultery to Corsica where he spent his exile in philosophical and natural study and wrote the Consolations. In 49 AD, Claudius' new wife, Agrippina had Seneca recalled to Rome to tutor her son who was to become the emperor Nero. On Claudius' death in 54 Agrippina secured the recognition of Nero as emperor over Claudius' son, Britannicus. For the first five years Nero ruled wisely under the influence of Seneca.. He was Rome's leading intellectual figure in the mid-1st century AD and was virtual ruler with his friends of the Roman world between 54 and 60 during the first phase of the emperor Nero's reign.
But, before long, Seneca had lost his influence over Nero, and his reign became tyrannical. In 62 Seneca retired and devoted his time to more study and writing. In 65 Seneca was accused of being involved in the Pisonian conspiracy, which was a plot to kill Nero. Without a trial Seneca was ordered by Nero to commit suicide.
His father attended in Rome the lectures of famous orators and rhetoricians, to prepare for an official career as an advocate. His ideal orator was Cicero, and he disapproved of the florid tendencies of the oratory of his time. During the civil wars (which kept him in Spain and thus prevented him from ever hearing Cicero speak) his sympathies were probably with Pompey, as were those of his son and his grandson (the poet Lucan). At an advanced age, at the request of his sons, he prepared, it is said from memory, a collection of various school themes and their treatment by Greek and Roman orators. These he arranged in ten books of Controversiae (imaginary legal cases) in which 74 themes were discussed, the opinions of the rhetoricians upon each case being given from different points of view. Each book was introduced by a preface, in which the characteristics of individual rhetoricians were discussed in a lively manner. The Controversiae were supplemented by the Suasoriae (exercises in hortatory or deliberative oratory), in which the question is discussed whether certain things should or should not be done. The whole forms the most important authority for the history of contemporary oratory.

Good copy.- (Ties lacking).

NCC (3 copies: Amsterdam-UL, Leiden-UL, Tilburg-UL).

Related Subjects: Greek & Latin Literary History, Classics

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