Dialogues · Chapter
XL explained
Seneca advises on how to reprove an angry person without inflaming their anger, using the example of Emperor Augustus intervening to stop Vedius Pollio's cruel punishment of a slave who broke a crystal goblet.
What happens
Seneca advises on how to reprove an angry person without inflaming their anger, using the example of Emperor Augustus intervening to stop Vedius Pollio's cruel punishment of a slave who broke a crystal goblet.
Themes in this chapter
Anger and Self-Control
Seneca warns against reproving an angry person with anger, and illustrates Augustus's controlled response to Pollio's rage.
Clemency and Justice
Augustus's clemency contrasts with Pollio's cruelty, showing the proper use of power.
Characters to notice
- Augustus Caesar
Reproves Vedius Pollio by ordering the slave freed, all crystal broken, and the fish tank filled, demonstrating proper use of power.
- Asinius Pollio
Vedius Pollio, whose cruel order to throw a slave to muraenae is stopped by Augustus.
- Seneca
Authorial voice advising on handling anger and reproof.
Key passages
“To reprove a man when he is angry is to add to his anger by being angry oneself.”
Correcting someone while they are angry only makes them angrier, especially if you are angry too.
Seneca's core advice on handling anger in others.
“Caesar was shocked at this novel form of cruelty, and ordered him to be let go, and, in his place, all the crystal ware which he saw before him to be broken, and the tank to be filled up.”
Augustus, appalled by the unusual cruelty, freed the slave, had all the crystal goblets smashed, and ordered the fish tank destroyed.
Augustus's decisive and symbolic rebuke of Pollio's cruelty.