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The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy writes of Seneca: “Seneca is a major philosophical figure of the Roman imperial period. As a Stoic philosopher writing in Latin, Seneca makes a lasting contribution to Stoicism. He occupies a central place in the literature on Stoicism at the time and shapes the understanding of Stoic thought that later generations were to have. Seneca’s philosophical works played a large role in the revival of Stoic ideas in the Renaissance.
But even if we could remove all risk and technologically defer our reckoning with decrepitude and death, would it be wise to do so?As the past year’s anguish shows, a life lived in constant fear of death isn’t a good life. Barring a spiritual revival that opens up a transcendent horizon for people in the West, we desperately need a saner ethic for coming to terms with death.
Many today associate Stoicism with renouncing earthly goods like wealth and honor, but that isn’t how Seneca thought about it. Indeed, he grabbed political life by the horns, winning a seat in the Senate and later rising to chief imperial adviser. And he became fabulously wealthy in the bargain, though he did continue to practice Stoic austerities:
Early in his career, while serving as a senator under Caligula, Seneca witnessed a searing illustration of this principle. Sen. Julius Canus was widely respected for his personal dignity. One day, in a public debate with Caligula, he utterly bested him. When the senator turned to take his leave, the emperor held him back. “Just so you don’t take comfort from an absurd hope,” Caligula said, “I’ve ordered you to be led away for execution.
“No journey is without an endpoint,” he argued. And “just as with storytelling, so with life: It’s important how well it is done, not how long.” So, did Seneca embrace his own death with the courage he demanded from his friends and family members? Did he practice what he spent a lifetime preaching? Both the book and the essay highlight the thinking of the Roman philosopher and statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca , who served in the Roman Senate during the reigns of both Nero and Caligula.
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