An improving reputation Seneca the Younger

seneca, ancient hero of modern cordoba; architectural roundel in seville based on pseudo-seneca (illustration above)



baroque marble imaginary portrait bust of seneca, anonymous sculptor of 17th century. museo del prado

even admiration of earlier group of intellectual stalwarts, seneca has never been without detractors. in own time, accused of hypocrisy or, @ least, less stoic lifestyle. while banished corsica, wrote plea restoration rather incompatible advocacy of simple life , acceptance of fate. in apocolocyntosis ridiculed behaviors , policies of claudius, , flattered nero—such proclaiming nero live longer , wiser legendary nestor. claims of publius suillius rufus seneca acquired 3 hundred million sesterces through nero s favor, highly partizan, reflect reality seneca both powerful , wealthy. robin campbell, translator of seneca s letters, writes stock criticism of seneca right down centuries [has been]...the apparent contrast between philosophical teachings , practice.

attacks on seneca include gerolamo cardano s encomium neronis printed in 1562 in basel. cardano portrays him crook of worst kind, empty rhetorician thinking grab money , power, after having poisoned mind of young emperor. cardano says seneca deserved death. more modern , similar portrayal comes in robert graves claudius god, sequel novel i, claudius. here, seneca portrayed unbearable sycophant , half-wit, graves quoting several of seneca s works @ points. shown pathetic flatterer conversion stoic solely appeasing claudius own ideology. inclusion of pumpkinification (apocolocyntosis) in graves light reads unbearable work of flattery loathsome nero , mocking man seneca had groveled years.

among historians have challenged view of seneca scholar anna lydia motto in 1966 argued image has been based entirely on suillius s account, while many others might have lauded him have been lost.

therefore left no contemporary record of seneca s life, save desperate opinion of publius suillius. think of barren image should have of socrates, had works of plato , xenophon not come down , wholly dependent upon aristophanes description of athenian philosopher. sure, should have highly distorted, misconstrued view. such view left of seneca, if rely upon suillius alone.

more recent work changing dominant perception of seneca mere conduit pre-existing ideas showing originality in seneca s contribution history of ideas. examination of seneca s life , thought in relation contemporary education , psychology of emotions revealing relevance of thought. example, martha nussbaum in discussion of desire , emotion includes seneca among stoics offered important insights , perspectives on emotions , role in our lives. devoting chapter treatment of anger , management, shows seneca s appreciation of damaging role of uncontrolled anger, , pathological connections. nussbaum later extended examination seneca s contribution political philosophy showing considerable subtlety , richness in thoughts politics, education , notions of global citizenship , finding basis reform-minded education in seneca s ideas allows propose mode of modern education steers clear of both narrow traditionalism , total rejection of tradition. elsewhere seneca has been noted first great western thinker on complex nature , role of gratitude in human relationships.