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Secondary sourceBook1802

Why good men suffer misfortune (De Providentia)

Lucius Annaeus Seneca · 1802

A Latin edition of Seneca's essay De Providentia, on why good people suffer misfortune, with commentary. The book is a later printing of the philosopher's own text.

A later printed edition of one of Seneca's essays on suffering and providence, showing how his Stoic ideas were kept in circulation.

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Front cover of a bright red hardcover book. Top left has white call number text reading PA 6661, .D7, 1802. Near the bottom left is a white Library of Congress barcode label with the number 00002380109.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, De Providentia, Latin edition with commentary, 1802. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed Latin edition of Seneca's essay De Providentia, which asks why good people suffer misfortune. The catalogue describes it as a text with commentary. The cover is a bright red hardcover with a library call number, PA 6661, .D7, 1802, and a Library of Congress barcode label. The record says the edition was published in 1802, long after Seneca's death, but the words are his.

Why it matters

Seneca wrote about providence and suffering as a Stoic philosopher, a view that shaped later Roman and European thought. Editions like this one, printed centuries later, show that his essays were still read and studied by scholars and students. The commentary shows that later readers argued with and explained his ideas.

Look closer

  • What does the red cover and library label tell you about how this book was used?
  • Who was the commentary written for, and why would they need it?
  • Does Seneca's answer to the question of suffering seem convincing to you?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Seneca on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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