The Wisdom of Seneca

 

Córdoba, Spain is an ancient city. Over time it has been ruled by Romans, Visigoths, Muslims and Christians. A gigantic mosque, now converted to a cathedral, is an impressive icon of the city. During Muslim rule Córdoba became a caliphate and was a world leader in education. 

While visiting there in March of 2011 my wife and I found a passageway near our hotel. Through an arch, we walked up a flight of stone stairs that led to a very narrow pedestrian walkway. Three-story cement buildings lined both sides of the lane, their white-washed walls so close you could stretch out your arms like wings and touch both ends with your fingertips. 

We followed the route for a few minutes when it came to a small, but quaint plaza. A tavern sat at the far end and a handful of well manicured trees grew along the square. A short set of steps led toward a fountain of water that ran into a shallow pool. On the other side of the pool, on a pedestal, stood a beheaded Roman statue. It was none other than Lucius Annaeus Seneca. 

Statue of Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

 

Seneca was born in Roman Córdoba within a year of the birth of Christ. His father studied rhetoric and was of Italian descent, while he came from Spanish ancestry on his mother's side. His older brother, Junius Gallio, once met the Apostle Paul. (Acts 18:12) 

As a young boy he was sent to Rome to gain an education. During his academic pursuits he studied literacy, history and philosophy. Two of his teachers had been pupils of Quintus Sextius, a Roman philosopher who combined Pythagoreanism with Stoicism. Seneca spent time in Egypt after becoming sick, and was later exiled to Corsica after being falsely accused of committing adultery with the Emperor's sister. 

Seneca became a tutor and adviser to the Emperor Nero. This must have been a challenge as Nero is well known in history for his brutal character. At the age of 64, Nero ordered Seneca to commit suicide. He complied by killing himself in the same manner as Socrates, by drinking poison. 

My visit to Córdoba and discovery of the statue sparked an interest in Seneca. It also initiated an interest in the Stoic philosophy of which Seneca adhered. The more I studied the more I realized that many Stoic principles either make up who I am, or what I strive to become. 

Recently I read a book entitled Dialogues and Essays, which contain (long) letters Seneca wrote to friends, in which he gives practical advice using Stoic ideology. He recommends frugality, moderation, optimism, temperance, virtue, courage, and anything that benefits the soul, rather than pleases the body. 

I believe our modern world could benefit from the wisdom of Seneca. We live in a world that indulges in pleasure, while scarcely giving thought to morality. 

Roman Temple in Córdoba, built during the lifetime of Seneca.

 

What follows is a list of my favorite quotes. It could be much, much longer, but I painstakingly thinned it out. 

“We see wrestlers, who concern themselves with physical strength, matching themselves with only the strongest opponents, and requiring those who prepare them for a bout to use all their strength against them; they expose themselves to blows and hurt, and if they do not find one man to match them, they take on several at a time. Excellence withers without adversary; the time for us to see how great it is, how much its force, is when it displays its power through endurance. I ensure you, good men should do the same: they should not be afraid to face hardships and afflictions, or complain of fate; whatever happens, good men should take it in good part, and turn it to a good end; it is not what you endure that matters, but how you endure it.” 

“Shun luxury, shun good fortune that makes men weak and causes their minds to grow sodden, and, unless something happens to remind them of their human lot, they waste away, lulled to sleep, as it were, in a drunkenness that has no end.” 

“No tree is sturdy or firm-rooted without enduring many an assault from the wind; for the battering itself makes it tighten its grip and fix its roots more securely; trees that have grown in a sunny valley lack strength. Accordingly it is expedient even for good men, in order that they may be fearless, to spend much time in fearful pursuits, and to endure with a patient mind things that are bad only to the one who bears them badly.” 

“Very many men manufacture complaints, either by suspecting what is untrue or by exaggerating the unimportant. Anger often comes to us, but more often we come to it.” 

“How much better it is to heal a wrong than to avenge one!” 

“Show gratitude for what you have received; wait for the remainder, and be happy that your cup is not yet full; it is a form of pleasure to have something left to hope for.” 

“The man who has anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive.” 

Roman Bridge in Córdoba, Spain.

 

“Let virtue go first, let her carry the standard: we will nonetheless have pleasure, but we shall be her master and control her; sometimes we will accede to her entreaty, never to her compulsion. But those who have yielded first place to pleasure lack both; for they lose virtue, and and yet they do not posses pleasure but are themselves possessed by pleasure, being tortured by the lack of it or choked by its excess, miserable if it abandons them, more miserable if it overwhelms them.” 

“All life is servitude. A man should therefore grow accustomed to his state and complain about it as little as possible, seizing upon whatever good it may have: no condition is so distressing that a balanced mind cannot find some comfort in it.” 

“Without a plan they rove, searching for work to occupy them, and what they end up doing is not what they have intended to do but whatever they have bumped into; they scurry around without aim or purpose like ants crawling through bushes, that idly make their way to the top of some twig and then to the bottom: it is a life like this that most men lead, one that might justly be described as a restless idleness.'” 

“We must, therefore, take a less serious view of all things, tolerating them in a spirit of acceptance: it is more human to laugh at life than to weep tears over it.” 

“It is, however, necessary to combine the two things, solitude and the crowd, and to have recourse to them alternately: the former will make us long for people, the latter for ourselves, and the one will be a cure for the other: our distaste for the crowd will be cured by solitude, our boredom with solitude by the crowd.”  

“Nature's intention was that we should need no great equipment for living in happiness: every one of us is capable of making himself happy. Little importance is to be attached to external things, and they cannot posses great influence in either direction: the wise man is neither raised up by prosperity nor cast down by adversity; for always he has striven to rely predominantly on himself, and to derive all joy from himself.”  

“Excessive prosperity does indeed create greed in men, and never are desires so well controlled that they vanish once satisfied.”  

“Sadness blunts the mind's powers, scattering and restricting them; not even when disaster strikes him personally will this happen to the wise man, but instead he will beat back all of Fortune's anger and smash it first; he will always maintain the same calm, unperturbed appearance, an impossible thing to do if he were susceptible to sadness.” ♠

 

 

Gothic Quarter of Barcelona

The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is one of the best preserved Medieval neighborhoods in all of Europe. One could spend an entire day wandering through its labyrinth of cobblestone streets and never get bored.
 
The name “Gothic” is a little misleading. The title may refer to the Gothic architecture of the cathedral, or perhaps to the former counts of Barcelona, who reigned during the medieval era and came from Gothic lineage.
 

The Gothic Quarter accommodates the oldest section of Barcelona. On the west it is bordered by the Rambla, the east by Via Laietana, the north by Plaça Catalunya, and the south by the Mediterranean Sea.
 
A walk through this neighborhood is like stepping back in time to the 14th century. Many of its corridors are so narrow that a modern car would unlikely fit. The cobblestone pavement rarely sees direct sunlight. The city has literally been built on top of surrounding structures, resulting in many accidental discoveries during modern construction, such as Roman mosaics.
 

Cathedral of Saint Eulalia.

There is no set-in-stone itinerary of what to visit in the Gothic Quarter. Perhaps the best plan is just to wander about the streets and get lost—which you will probably do! But the one place which is a must-see is the cathedral.
 
The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia is the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Although it is squeezed next to other ancient buildings, it still stands majestic with its spires, pointed arches and gargoyles. The plaza in front of the cathedral will often be found with crowds of people and street performers. If you pay close attention you will spot the partial remains of a Roman aqueduct.
 

View from rooftop of cathedral.

Cloister of the cathedral.

Although it is difficult to conceive in modern times, the cathedral was built on the highest hill in the old city. In Roman times a temple dedicated to Augustus was built on the site. Some of the columns can still be seen from inside a nearby building. During the 4th century an early Visigothic chapel was built here. Two centuries later it was considered the Cathedral of Barcelona and held the Council of 559. Amid the violence that occurred during the Moorish conquest of Spain, the church was destroyed by the Islamic ruler of Spain in 985. The Christians slowly began to push the Moors southward and eventually into Africa, which became known as the Reconquest. Once they reclaimed Barcelona, the count, Ramón Berenguer I, rebuilt the church in a Romanesque style. The cathedral as it is known today didn't begin until the year 1298 and continued until 1448, with additional improvements in subsequent centuries.
 
The interior is a cacophony of visual artwork and symbolism. Everywhere are sculptures big and small, stained-glass windows, arches, candles and silence. Yes, with the exception of shuffling feet and whispering voices, the building remains relatively quiet considering the high numbers of visitors. Although the interior has become dark and dingy over the centuries, there is still a reverence about it. It has become somewhat of a cemetery with former bishops buried beneath the floor and in the walls.
 

Sarcophagus of Saint Eulalia, located in the crypt of the cathedral.

Under the main chapel are stairs leading to a crypt, which contains an alabaster sarcophagus holding the remains of Saint Eulalia, the person for whom the cathedral is named. Saint Eulalia was a young girl who lived in the 4th century and was tortured and killed for her Christian beliefs. According to one story, the young girl was exposed naked in a public square and miraculously a spring snow-storm fell and covered her nudity. The Romans then became enraged and put her in a barrel pierced with knives, and then rolled her down a hill, leading to her death.
 

Pockmarks on the walls of the church of Sant Felip Neri.

Not far from the cathedral, tucked away in its own secluded corner, sits the solemn Plaça de Sant Felip Neri. This plaza is simple in adornment, with a single fountain in the center and two trees. A stone arch and narrow street provide portals to the otherwise closed-off square. The Church of Sant Felip Neri shares its walls with the plaza. But it is the pockmarks on the face of the wall that make this sanctuary unique.
 
There are two competing versions as to how the scars got on the wall. Both come from the era of the Spanish Civil War when the regime of Francisco Franco terrorized his opponents, who were with the Republic. The first version that I heard was that Franco's troops executed several men along the wall, and those pockmarks that exist today are from those bullet holes. But then I learned the story to be apocryphal.
 
The correct version, however, doesn't sound much more benign. During the war, a convent was being used as a home for evacuated children. On January 30, 1938, Franco's airforce dropped a bomb directly in front of the church that killed 30 children. Shortly afterward, as rescue crews were furiously working to help the survivors, another bomb was dropped, this time landing in the plaza and killing 12 more people. The pockmarks in the wall of the church are from that explosion.
 

Street performer near cathedral.

Remains of Roman Aqueduct.

Woman with umbrella on Carrer de Ferran.

One surprising aspect about Barcelona that most people don't realize is the amount of Roman structures still extant. Emperor Augustus founded the Roman colony of Barcino in 15 B.C., whose city limits were completely within what is now known as the Gothic Quarter. When the first walls were constructed they contained within them houses, baths, an aqueduct and temple. Today, certain fragments of the wall remain, along with a handful of other relics.
 
During my latest visit to Barcelona I was pleasantly surprised to find an ancient Roman necropolis in the middle of the city. I had walked through the Gothic Quarter at least a dozen times in the past and had never stumbled across this jewel. The cemetery is located—I believe—just outside the former city walls. The grounds are laid with gravel and surrounded by buildings. We were unable to walk up close to the tombs, but were able to view them from a balcony.
 

Roman necropolis.

The tombs themselves are of a curious nature. They are shaped similarly to a mailbox, but of course bigger and made of stone. Many of them have a circular hole drilled into the side. I was unsure whether these stone structures contained the body within them, or if it was only a marker that sat atop the ground. Was this the original arrangement of the tombs, or have they been rearranged by archeologists and planners over the years? Were the tombs once buried beneath the surface? Are the bodies still there? I had very few answers to my questions, but nonetheless, it was fascinating just to see a Roman burial ground.
 
Several centuries after the Romans, the Gothic Quarter was partially inhabited by the Jews. From the 7th to the 14th century, the neighborhood where they lived was known as El Call, a name derived from the Hebrew word qahal, meaning a community or congregation. Today this neighborhood is distinguished by particularly narrow streets.
 

Narrow street in the Jewish Quarter.

Plaça de Sant Miguel.

As happened in other places in Spain, the Jewish community flourished in Barcelona. It is estimated that during the 13th century, about 4,000 Jews (about 15% of the population) lived in Barcelona. They were a very smart people and worked as doctors, scholars, money lenders, merchants, and scientists. In December of 1424, the Jews of Barcelona were either forced to convert to Christianity or expelled from city during the reign of King Alfonso V of Aragon. This came 68 years before the Jews were expelled from the Kingdom of Spain under Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabella.
 
Today there is a synagogue in the Jewish Quarter. It is believed that it was built during the 5th century on the foundation of Roman ruins. After the Jews were expelled, it was used as a storeroom and apartments were built on top of it. It wasn't until a research project that the true origins of the building were discovered and it was restored and opened to the public.
 

Wooden crucifixes at Frederic Marès Museum.

One of the hidden gems of the Gothic Quarter is the Frederic Marès Museum, located next to the cathedral. I had walked down this street many times before, but never knew the museum existed, or at least didn't give it a second thought. Housed in the Palau Reial Major, the building itself contains a bit of history. In the 15th century it became the residence of the kings of Aragon and Castile and Christopher Columbus was received here upon return from his voyage to the New World.
 
The museum is a collection of sculptures, including many dating back to Iberian, Greek and Punic culture. But the bulk of the collection is focused on medieval Christian sculptures. The Virgin Mary and the Holy Family are common themes throughout the museum. Of interest to me are the vast amount of crucifixes depicting Christ on the cross. Often the arms of the Savior are broken off.
 
The Frederic Marès Museum is just one example of what one may find in the Gothic Quarter. A person could spend days wandering the the narrow alleyways and continue to discover hidden treasures. ♠

Plaça del Vuit de Març.

Plaça del Rei.

Tarragona, Spain!!!

Climbing the stairs to the Balcony of the Mediterranean, one can see the coast below, spread for miles. The train station is across the rails from the beach. A warm breeze blows over our face and toward the Rambla Nova, which extends at our back into the city.
 
We are in the port city of Tarragona, known in the days of Augustus as Tarraco. With the exception of Mérida, it has more Roman remains than any other city on the Iberian Peninsula. Kaitlyn and I enjoy the view, stopping to take a photo. We are on a day-trip from Barcelona, having caught the regional train.
 
A short walk leads to a large Roman amphitheater, also overlooking the sea. It is possible to wander around the perimeter and enjoy the view for free. Although for a small fee you can gain an up-close experience and learn more about the history. We pay 3,70€ to enter the site.
 

Amphitheater of Tarragona.

A basilica and cemetery were built in the center of the amphitheater several centuries after the Romans.

The amphitheater was built near the end of the first century. Below the arena are two underground galleries, over which large beams used to support a wooden floor, keeping them hidden from the spectators. A series of trap-doors could open allowing gladiators and animals to be raised into the arena for a triumphant entry. At its peak the amphitheater could seat 15,000 spectators.
 
The amphitheater was also used for public executions. In 259 A.D. Bishop Fructuosus and his two deacons were burned alive. After falling into disuse, a Visigoth basilica was built in the arena in memory of the martyrs, using stones from the amphitheater. In the 6th century a cemetery grew up around the basilica. In subsequent years it was used as a monastery, and then as a prison for prisoners who were helping build the port in 1780. Again the site fell into disuse. It wasn't until the 20th century that the glory of the old Roman amphitheater was rediscovered and restoration began.
 

Old street in the medieval quarter of Tarragona.

By this time it is becoming hot and we are getting hungry so we climb another set of stairs and enter the old medieval labyrinth of Tarragona. Here the streets are narrow and many are devoid of any shops.
 
We find a small café on a corner and sit at a table on the cobblestone street. Our meal comes in two courses. I order a plate of melon and thin slices of jamón, each arranged separately, but meant to be eaten together. Kaitlyn chooses calamares a la romana, which are calamari rings, deep-fried like onion rings. For my second course I order morcilla con cebolla, which is blood sausage with onions. It tastes surprisingly good.
 

Cathedral of Tarragona, Spain.

Detail of Cathedral.

We wander a little longer in the old part of town, up a flight of stone stairs to the cathedral. The old section of Tarragona is complete with city walls and a Jewish quarter. There is so much more to explore, but being pressed for time we return to the Rambla Nova to find the bus stop. Along the way we run into the sister missionaries and talk with them for a few minutes.
 
On the Rambla Nova there is a tall statue of a human tower, which is a popular pastime in Catalunya. Known locally as Castellers, these towers are created as participants climb to stand on each others' shoulders to a height of six or seven levels, and sometimes higher. A child of 8 or 10 years old will climb to the pinnacle and raise his or her arm to signal that the tower is complete. The tradition originated in the town of Valls, which is near Tarragona. The statue on the Rambla Nova is life-size and the human replicas are stacked several levels high.
 

Statue of Castellers on the Rambla Nova.

On Avinguda Prat de la Riba we find the stop for bus number five and pay 1,50€ each. The bus takes us on a roundabout and to the outskirts of town where we are now on the autopista. Just a couple miles out of town, we are dropped off on the side of the motorway, which at first glance appears to be nowhere.
 
We walk up a hill to a car-park and find several paths that take off in different directions. They all lead to different parts of The Ferreres Aqueduct, also known as Pont del Diable, or "Devil's Bridge."  This Roman aqueduct has stood the test of time for nearly 2,000 years. Twenty-five arches span the canyon and at one time brought water to the populace of Tarraco.
 
Now days the visitor can walk across the top where water once flowed. The aqueduct was a major architectural feat, consisting of hundreds of large stones, built into arches, perfectly fitted together to create a massive bridge.
 
We walk across the top and then scamper down the hill along a trail through the brush until we are directly below the gigantic structure. It is amazing to think of the labor that must have went into such a project.
 

Pont del Diable, a Roman aqueduct that brought water into the city of Tarraco.

Distorted image of aqueduct.

After exploring all that we can of the old Roman aqueduct, it is time to catch the bus again. At this point, I am not exactly sure of the best way to return to Tarragona. Our bus stop is located next to the busy highway and is only for north-bound buses, which is the opposite direction we want to travel. We wait for twenty minutes without seeing a bus, with the exception of one or two whizzing by in the opposite direction. We are the only people at the stop and are worried about being stranded, as it is a two-mile walk back to town.
 
At last, a red and white number five bus slows down and comes to a halt in front of us. The conductor assures us that the bus will eventually loop around and head back into town. In the meantime, we enjoy the view as we drive through the small suburb of Sant Salvador, before coming back around to the highway and then into Tarragona proper, dropping us off on Avinguda Prat de la Riba.
 

Looking down Carrer Major from the cathedral.

At this point, Kaitlyn has two priorities that she seeks to accomplish. We find a men's clothing store with neck ties displayed in the front window. We step inside and peruse the collection. After several minutes, Kaitlyn finds a purple tie that satisfies her requirements as a gift for her boyfriend, and stays within budget. Priority number one—checked off.
 
We walk further down the street and find a pastry shop selling all sorts of confectioneries: napolitanas de chocolate, croissants, cañas. What a delight and olfactory pleasure it is to walk inside a Spanish bakery! But when it comes to cakes, or tortas as they call them, they come up short. We find a few single servings that appear to be soaked in rum, but that's not what she's looking for. At last she finds (as close as we will get) the perfect slice of cake. We purchase the pastry for 3,75€, and the lady packages it for us inside a cute brown box. Priority number two—half checked off.
 

Roman Forum.

Juxtaposition of the old and new.

On the Carrer (street) del Cardenal Cervantes, surrounded by urban apartment buildings on two separate blocks connected by a bridge, is the Roman Forum. A couple thousand years ago, this was the center of activity in Tarraco and site of several government buildings. Today, all that remains are four roman columns, two arched niches, and several low-walled ruins that were once complete structures.
 
I pay 3,50€ to enter the fenced enclosure, while Kaitlyn decides to wait for me on a bench near the street. I spend twenty minutes wandering around the ruined buildings. There are a few interpretive signs, but most goes unexplained. I can only imagine how many homes and other structures existed during the prime of Tarraco that are now lost to time, or buried beneath the sea of apartment buildings.
 
As the sun moves toward the western horizon, we have one more item of business to take care of. We walk toward the formidable line of railroad tracks that separate us from the sea. Certain that there is a passageway to the other side, but not certain where that might be, I decide to ask a lady walking down the street. She motions down the road and to and underground staircase on the other side of a park. We thank her and follow directions.
 

Sea-side promenade.

After another twenty minutes of walking to arrive at a point that could have taken five had we been able to move in a straight line, we find ourselves at the water's edge. We descend a short flight of steps, remove our shoes, roll up our pants, and feel the smooth sand as it forms around our feet. This is nice! The sun is low in the sky and the gentle waves lap across the beach. We lay our belongings over a towel and enjoy wading in the water. Kaitlyn takes a stick and writes in the sand before a destroying roller comes in and obliterates her message.
 
Then comes time to complete priority number two. Kaitlyn unwraps the cake from the cute brown box and she holds it up and poses for an eyewitness photograph. Then she eats and enjoys. It is a tradition of hers to eat a slice of cake at every beach she visits.
 
Although we could stay much, much longer, it is time for us to leave. We brush the sand from our toes and replace our socks and shoes, shake off the towel and roll it back up, and slip it into the pack that I pull over my shoulders. We walk back toward the port and then down the stairs that go beneath the tracks, and then back to the station. When the train comes, we get a seat next to the window that faces the sea. As the sun goes down and the hues of the sky turn pink and sight of the sea and turns dim, I sit and watch and wish I could stay longer. ♠