Seneca is a philosopher, a talented speaker, distinguished by an enviable eloquence, a writer whose works are the subject of close study. Seneca Jr. (as he was also called) is the author of many aphorisms and sayings.
Seneca (philosopher) - biography
Seneca, an ancient philosopher, was born in Cordoba (Spain) in the family of the Roman "rider" and the famous rhetorician Lucius Annei Seneca. Seneca Sr. himself was engaged in the upbringing and education of his son, instilling in the boy the basic moral principles and paying great attention to the development of eloquence. A big trace in the life of the child was left by his mother and aunt, who instilled in him a love of philosophy, which subsequently determined his life path. It should be noted that the father did not share the boy's aspirations, because he did not have a love for philosophy.
Living in Rome, the future philosopher Seneca, and at that time simply Seneca Jr., was enthusiastically engaged in rhetoric, grammar and, of course, philosophy. Enthusiastically listened to the speeches of the Pythagoreans Sextius and Sotion, the cynic Demetrius and the Stoic Attalus. Papirius Fabian, respected by Seneca Sr., became his teacher.
The beginning of a political career
Deep philosophical and rhetorical knowledge allowed Seneca to successfully move in the political sphere. The Roman philosopher Seneca at the very beginning of his social activities acted as an attorney, later, with the assistance of an aunt who married the influential Egyptian governor Vitrasius Pollion, he received a questure, which brought him the title of senator.
If not for the disease, then, most likely, the future Roman philosopher Seneca, following the example of his father, would become a rhetorician. However, a serious illness that crippled him at the beginning of his career as a statesman prompted him to take a different path. The disease turned out to be so painful and severe that it brought Seneca to thoughts of suicide, which, fortunately, remained thoughts.
The next few years, the philosopher Seneca spent in Egypt, where he was treated and wrote natural science treatises. Life in Egypt, far from comfort, and philosophical studies accustomed him to a simple life. For some time he even refused to eat meat, but later retreated from the principles of vegetarianism.
Senate Activities
Upon his return, the philosopher Seneca enters the Senate, where he quickly gains the glory of a talented orator, which excites the jealous envy of the ruler of Rome Caligula. The Roman philosopher Seneca spoke with enthusiasm and expressiveness, possessed an enviable gift of eloquence and could easily captivate an audience that listened with bated breath. Caligula (see photo above), who could not boast of such a talent, felt strong hatred towards the philosopher. The envious and jealous Caligula in every way belittled Seneca’s oratory talent, which, however, did not prevent him from enjoying success with his fellow citizens.
Seneca’s life could have ended in the year 39, since Caligula intended to eliminate the brilliant speaker, but one of the court ladies told the emperor that Seneca, suffering from consumption, would not live long.
Around the same time, Seneca married, but the marriage that brought him two sons, judging by the hints slipping in his writings, was unsuccessful.
Link to Corsica
At the beginning of the reign of Claudius, the most insidious and unpredictable enemy of the philosopher was the wife of the emperor Messalin, who hated Julia Livilla (niece of Claudius) and persecuted Seneca for the support given to the supporters of the Caligula sisters, who fought with Messalina for influence on the ruler. Messalin's machinations led the philosopher to the dock, where he appeared before the Senate as the accused (according to one version) of a love affair with Julia. Claudius' intercession saved his life, the death penalty was replaced by a link to the island of Corsica, where Seneca - the ancient Roman philosopher and writer - remained for almost 8 years.
The link was given to him incredibly hard, even considering that he could devote a lot of time to philosophical reflection and writing. This is confirmed by the flattering appeals that have reached us, who have influence at the imperial court, in which he asked to commute the sentence and return him to his homeland. However, he was able to return to Rome only after the death of Messalina.
Return to politics
Thanks to the efforts of Agrippina, the young wife of Emperor Claudius, Seneca returned to Rome and again plunged into politics. The Empress saw in him a tool to implement her ambitious plans. Thanks to her efforts, the philosopher Seneca led praetorship and became the educator of the young Nero, her son. That time can be considered the rise of his power, which he increased after the death of the benefactress as one of the advisers to Nero, who bestowed the teacher with honors and the highest confidence.
The gravestone delivered by young Nero in memory of the late Claudius belongs to his pen. Subsequently, Seneca wrote for the emperor speech on all occasions, for which he was highly appreciated. The marriage with Pompey Paulina not only increased his wealth and strengthened his influence, but also brought him happiness.
Reign of nero
The beginning of the reign of Nero turned out to be calm for Seneca, given that at that time he used an inexhaustible credit of trust from the emperor, who listened to his advice. Historians believe that the generosity of Nero, demonstrated by him in the first years of his reign, is the merit of Seneca. The famous philosopher kept him from atrocities and other manifestations of restraint, however, fearing to lose influence on the emperor, he encouraged a penchant for debauchery.
In the fifty-seventh year, Seneca was awarded the post of consul. By that time, his fortune had reached 300 million sisters. Two years later, Nero forces Seneca to indirectly participate in the murder of Agrippina. Her death split the relationship between the emperor and the philosopher, who could not accept the fact that he was forced to participate in such an dishonest and unnatural act. Later, the philosopher writes for Nero a hypocritical speech justifying this crime.
Relations with the emperor are steadily deteriorating. The machinations of rivals, pointing to the ruler of the danger of concentrating huge wealth in the hands of one person and drawing Nero's attention to the respectful attitude of fellow citizens to Seneca, led to sad consequences - the first adviser fell out of favor and, on the pretext of poor health, left the court, giving all his fortune to Nero. Later, fearing the progressive tyranny of the emperor, who refused his request to retire to a secluded estate, he closed himself in the room, speaking ill.
Seneca's death
The plot of Pison, who intended to take Nero's life, played a tragic role in the fate of the philosopher. Spiteful accusers accused Seneca of participating in the conspiracy, presenting the emperor with a forged note, which assured him of the betrayal of the old teacher. By order of the emperor, Seneca opened his veins and ended his days surrounded by family, friends and admirers of his talent.
The philosopher Seneca passed away without moaning and fear, as he preached in his teaching. His wife wanted to follow her husband, but the emperor kept her from suicide.
Seneca - speaker
Seneca remained in the memory of friends and admirers as an incredibly intelligent, versatile person, a thinker and philosopher, a genius of eloquence, a brilliant speaker and witty interlocutor. Seneca masterly possessed a voice, possessed an extensive vocabulary, thanks to which his speech flowed smoothly and smoothly, without excessive pathos and pomposity, bringing to the interlocutor or listener what the philosopher wanted to tell him. Brevity and expressiveness, inexhaustible wit and rich imagination, inimitable grace of presentation - this is what distinguished him from other speakers.
Literary works
Seneca's fame as a writer is based on prose works, where he expressed his thoughts, acting as a philosopher, writer and moralist. Being a famous speaker and possessing a magnificent, albeit somewhat florid style, he was considered the first literary figure of the time and gained many imitators. His literary works were criticized by followers of Cicero and archaists, nevertheless, the works of Seneca were appreciated and studied until the Middle Ages.
