32 pages • 1 hour read
SenecaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The term “fasces” refers to a bundle of rods bound together around an ax with a projecting blade. In ancient Rome, the fasces served as a symbol of authority and power, and were often carried by lictors, the attendants or bodyguards of magistrates and officials.
Seneca’s inclusion of the term “fasces” in his essay is symbolic of political authority and the trappings of power. Read within the essential Stoic context of the essay, the fasces symbolize one of the external markers of success and prestige that individuals often pursue, but which Stoicism encourages us to view with a critical eye. Seneca presents the fasces as a burden rather than a privilege, as in Chapter 7: “he wants to drop them and asks ʽwhen will this year go by?ʼ” (10). His solution is that individuals should focus on cultivating inner wisdom and virtue rather than the external symbols of authority or success.
In the context of Seneca’s essay, the word “forum” is used metaphorically to refer to the public sphere or the busy, bustling aspects of life where people are often preoccupied with external concerns and distractions. It does not simply refer to a physical place like an ancient Roman forum but rather symbolizes the societal and worldly activities that divert individuals from a more meaningful existence filled with introspection.
By Seneca
Ancient Rome
View Collection
Essays & Speeches
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Nature Versus Nurture
View Collection
Philosophy, Logic, & Ethics
View Collection
Psychology
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Self-Help Books
View Collection
Spanish Literature
View Collection
The Future
View Collection
The Past
View Collection