Seneca: Stoic Philosopher at Nero's Court

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 BCE–65 CE), born in Corduba in Spain, lived one of the most dramatic lives of any philosopher. A successful writer and senator, he was exiled to Corsica in 41 CE by Emperor Claudius. Recalled in 49 CE, he became tutor to the young Nero and, after Nero became emperor in 54 CE, one of his chief advisers. For several years Seneca helped guide the government, but Nero's rule grew increasingly violent, and Seneca withdrew around 62 CE.

In 65 CE, accused of involvement in a conspiracy, he was ordered to take his own life. Seneca's life raises sharp questions: he preached Stoic simplicity while becoming enormously wealthy, and he served a ruler who committed terrible crimes. Some see him as a hypocrite, others as a realist trying to restrain a dangerous emperor. His essays, letters and tragedies made him widely read in later centuries.