Think of covid-19 as if you were in exile with Seneca

Rugged Corsica

Here in New York City, my wife and I have been “on pause,” as Governor Cuomo likes to put, for almost 40 days (the original meaning of the word “quarantine”). And today’s news is that the pause will keep going at least until May 15th, very likely well beyond that. The thought struck me that we are in a situation not dissimilar from exile, one of the most feared types of punishment, second only to…