Humanity Against Cruelty to Animals in Historical Literature, Timeline of Animal Rights History

Animal Rights History »» Quintus Sextius

Pythagoras Sotion…taught me, why Pythagoras abstained from animal food, and why after him Sextius: their reasons were different, but, both, very great. Sextius thought, that there was food enough for man in the world without shedding blood; and that the taking pleasure in butchering helpless animals, only inspired men with cruelty: he added hereunto, that luxury was not to be encouraged, and supposed of meats, and particularlysuchas are foreign to our constitutions are by no means a preservative of health, but the contrary. (Seneca [c.4bce-65ce], Epistle CVIII, The Right Use of Reading or Hearing the Philosophers )

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Seneca [5bce-65ce], Epistle CVIII, The Right Use of Reading or Hearing the Philosophers in The Epistles of Lucius Annæus Seneca, translated by Thomas Morrell, in two volumes (London, 1786; Digitized by Google, 2006).

Quotes briefly introduce animal rights activists, animal welfare advocates and authors; the history of animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection; and the literature of the humane movement against cruelty to animals.

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