Consolations

Seneca's three consolations, Consolation, is the most mature work of ancient consolation literature. The first is to a woman who has lost her son, the second to a friend of Seneca who is mourning her brother, and the third to her mother from Seneca’s exile in Corsica. The theory of this genre was succinctly summarized by Cicero: the first means of consolation is to prove that there is no evil, and if there is, it is insignificant; the second, to point out that all sorrow and mourning is the law of life; third, to prove that it is pointless to devour ourselves in sorrow, even though we know clearly that there is no cure for it. Content: Consolation of Marcia; Consolation of Polybius; Consolation of Helvia in the performance of Gábor Máté Total time: 242 minutes