Reading as Training: Seneca's Didactic Technique in De Beneficiis

This article analyzes Seneca's didactic technique in De Beneficiis. It argues that Seneca does not merely explain his philosophy of beneficia; the literary design of the text actively trains the reader in the hermeneutic capabilities used in the evaluation of beneficia. Further, it demonstrates that De Beneficiis signals to readers that they ought to apply the skills that the text cultivates to the exchange of beneficia through resonant thematic episodes. The article argues that it is inappropriate to reduce Senecan philosophy to its objective propositions in light of the intervening role of literary form in his philosophical instruction.