dumb animals
animal · 2 works · 2 mentions · 3 anchored passages
beasts · birds · cows · hare · horse · mares · wild beasts
in the texts
Consolation to Marcia
Various animals (cows, mares, wild beasts, birds) cited as examples of intense but naturally brief grief for lost offspring, contrasted with human grief.
the lowing of cows is heard for a day or two, and no longer is that wild and frantic galloping of mares;
Letters to Lucilius
Non-rational creatures used throughout Letter 124 as the contrast case against which the rational good in man is defined.
For with them the judgement about the better is given to the basest part, that sense should pronounce upon the good, a thing dull and blunt and slower in man than in other animals.
When you have done all things, you will be surpassed in comeliness by the dumb animals.
Each, as regards the understanding of good and evil, is equally mature, and the infant is no more yet capable of good than a tree or some dumb animal.