SlavesSlavesByBy SenecaSeneca

What is Seneca trying to do?What is Seneca trying to do?

Seneca is challenging his readers to Seneca is challenging his readers to consider slaves in a humanistic and consider slaves in a humanistic and compassionate way.compassionate way.

How does he inspire How does he inspire humanism and compassion?humanism and compassion?

Seneca uses metaphor, antithesis, and Seneca uses metaphor, antithesis, and witty turns of phrase.witty turns of phrase.

His style is characterized by brevity His style is characterized by brevity and clarity.and clarity.

His prose is quick, pungent, ironic, His prose is quick, pungent, ironic, self-questioning, and reflective of self-questioning, and reflective of mental process.mental process.

Seneca’s MetaphorsSeneca’s Metaphors

He challenges his audience to realize that, He challenges his audience to realize that, “the man you call slave sprang from the “the man you call slave sprang from the same seed, enjoys the same daylight, same seed, enjoys the same daylight, breathes like you, lives like you, dies like breathes like you, lives like you, dies like you.”you.”

He says, “A man is a fool if he looks only at He says, “A man is a fool if he looks only at the saddle and bridle and not at the horse the saddle and bridle and not at the horse itself when he is going to buy one…”itself when he is going to buy one…”

The use of antithesisThe use of antithesis

Contrary to popular belief, Seneca Contrary to popular belief, Seneca says to, “treat your inferior as you says to, “treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you.”would wish your superior to treat you.”

““Treat your slave with compassion, Treat your slave with compassion, even with courtesy; admit him to your even with courtesy; admit him to your conversation, your planning, your conversation, your planning, your society.”society.”

Witty turns of phraseWitty turns of phrase

Seneca says, “The master eats more than Seneca says, “The master eats more than he can hold; his inordinate greed loads his he can hold; his inordinate greed loads his distended belly…all this food requires more distended belly…all this food requires more ado than its ingestion.”ado than its ingestion.”

He says slaves, “were ready to put their He says slaves, “were ready to put their necks out for their master, to turn any necks out for their master, to turn any danger that threatened him upon their own danger that threatened him upon their own heads; they spoke at dinners, but under heads; they spoke at dinners, but under torture their lips were sealed.”torture their lips were sealed.”

Examples of brevity and Examples of brevity and clarityclarity

““A lash is to admonish dumb beasts.”A lash is to admonish dumb beasts.”

““What offends need not wound.”What offends need not wound.”

““I do not with to detain you longer; I do not with to detain you longer; you need no exhortation.”you need no exhortation.”

Seneca’s appealSeneca’s appeal

Seneca’s essay appeals to readers Seneca’s essay appeals to readers through pathos. (It is an appeal to the through pathos. (It is an appeal to the heart, a plea for man to do what is heart, a plea for man to do what is right.)right.)

Is the essay effective in Is the essay effective in achieving its objectives?achieving its objectives?

Seneca reaches his audience by Seneca reaches his audience by making individuals consider their own making individuals consider their own station in life.station in life.

He says, “Show me a man who is not…He says, “Show me a man who is not…a slave to lust, another to greed, a slave to lust, another to greed, another to ambition, all to fear.”another to ambition, all to fear.”