Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Roman Stoic philosopher and statesman whose letters on moral life anchor ancient Stoicism Show bio
Bio
Lucius Annaeus Seneca spent up to ten years sick in Egypt, nursed by his aunt. He later angered the emperor Caligula, one story says, by speaking too well in the Senate. Seneca survived Caligula's order to die, the story adds, because he was already gravely ill.
He spent eight years exiled on Corsica, then came back to tutor the future emperor Nero. Seneca became Nero's advisor and wrote On Clemency to show him a ruler's path to virtue.
He lost his hold on Nero and was accused, perhaps unjustly, of plotting to kill him. Seneca met Nero's order to die with a calm that many painters have since depicted.
Books by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- Minor Dialogues, Together with the Dialog on ClemencyMinor Dialogues, Together with the Dialog on Clemency
Short essays and letters cover anger, grief, the shortness of life, and how to find peace of mind. The essay on mercy is addressed to the young emperor Nero, whom Seneca had tutored.
- Seneca's MoralsSeneca's Morals
A shortened English retelling of a Roman thinker's advice on kindness, anger, and living a happy life. A long section looks at gifts and favors: how to give them well, and how to receive them.