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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is an oxymoron?

2. Who advises that one ought to imagine being watched by some great, virtuous figure at all times in order to check one's own behavior?

3. Which word is the best meaning of apatheia?

4. What is the characteristic of Lucilius' friend that Seneca does not hold against him?

5. What is there little value in if one cannot share it with friends, according to Seneca?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does noise affect Seneca's studies and how does his explanation become a metaphor for the Stoic soul?

2. According to Seneca, who should think about death and why?

3. What is Seneca's opinion of Vatia? How does it differ from public opinion?

4. What does Seneca say the unphilosophical life lacks and what does it have? Why is the life of a philosopher better?

5. What are Seneca's thoughts on fear and how to eliminate it from life?

6. Explain the importance to occasional fasting according to Seneca.

7. According to Seneca, how much concern should a wise man have regarding his or others' physical beauty?

8. In Letter II, how does Seneca advise Lucilius to proceed with his study of philosophy?

9. How does Seneca explain how he partakes of the festivities of Saturnalia?

10. What is a sedan chair and why does Seneca use one occasionally?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Zeno's life and his importance to Stoicism.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the lives and deaths of Socrates and Seneca.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss causation, applying the theories of Stoicism, Aristotle and Plato.

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