This consolation letter was written from exile on Corsica to comfort Seneca's own mother. Rather than lamenting his circumstances, Seneca argues that exile cannot deprive a philosopher of what truly matters: virtue, learning, and the life of the mind.
The letter is remarkable for its reversal of the usual consolation: the exile consoles the one left behind, turning his misfortune into a demonstration of Stoic principles in action.
"All that is best for a man lies beyond the power of other men, who can neither give it nor take it away."
— Of Consolation — To Helvia, 8