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Greco-Roman Seismology and Seneca on Earthquakes in Natural Questions 6

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2010

G. D. Williams
G. D. Williams*
Affiliation:
Columbia [email protected]
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Extract

This paper seeks to locate Seneca's treatment of earthquakes in Natural Questions 6 in the broader ancient seismological tradition; and, more particularly, to examine the initiatives which potentially transform his treatment into a highly original mode of literary-philosophical investigation not just into the cause of earthquakes, but also of how a ‘scientific’ understanding of them can at least partially quell the intimidating effect of such wonders of nature. On this approach Natural Questions 6 is perhaps concerned not so much with earthquakes per se but with shaping attitudes towards the natural world as a whole, inculcating in us a vision of such phenomena as but ‘normal’ aspects of cosmic functioning. By this method the book promotes within us a different, engagingly Senecan appreciation of cosmic integrity.

Keywords

Latin LiteratureLucretiusNatural QuestionsScientific MethodologySeismologySenecaStoicism
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 96 , November 2006 , pp. 124 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © G. D. Williams 2006. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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Footnotes

*

Unless otherwise stated, all references to the text follow H. M. Hine's Teubner edition (1996). I am indebted to the editor and the anonymous reader(s) for helpful criticism and advice; and to H. M. Hine for allowing me to benefit from a preview of his article in this volume.