Letters LIII, LIV, LV, LVI, and LXIII Summary and Analysis

Letter LIII: Seneca recounts a recent trip he made in a boat. He became so sea-sick that he made the captain pull the ship to shore so he could swim to dry land. He notes that while one becomes more aware of one's physical ailments the worse they become, spiritual ailments become less obvious the more severe they are. The most wicked people think they are the most virtuous. The only cure for this ignorance is philosophy and, therefore, he urges Lucilius to devote his life to it.

Letter LIV: Seneca tells Lucilius that he is suffering from serious bouts of asthma. He realizes that, in all likelihood, it will take his life before long, but he is not afraid. He has already experienced death, or at least the...