“The poor man ’tis that counts his flock.”
Ovid, Metamorphoses, XIII: 824 qtd. in Letter XXXIII to Lucilius
In his letter to the aspiring stoic Lucilius, Seneca calls on the above verse by Ovid to offer some wisdom. Wealth and poverty, according to Seneca, are states defined by one’s perception…not one’s possessions. The poor man may be wealthy with a fraction or none of the wealthy man’s possessions, if only he makes little requisite to his happiness. This optimistic notion promises man a life of felicity no matter his fortune, and challenges all of us to redefine our necessities.
For this post I’d like to offer thanks to the following page and YouTube channel where my interest in Seneca first came to light:
https://orwell1627.wordpress.com/about/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRuggedPyrrhus
In addition to finding Seneca through this creator, I’ve appropriated the words and concept of “The Great Conversation” from him. I am proud to be a part of it.
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