seneca lucius annaeus philosopher, poet, dramatist
TRANSCRIPT
Seneca Lucius AnnaeusSeneca Lucius AnnaeusPhilosopher, poet, dramatistPhilosopher, poet, dramatist
BIOGRAPHYBIOGRAPHY• Born in Cordoba of Spain in 4 BC• Brought to Rome and studied near to stoicians• Became lawyer• Founder of famous philosophical faculty in Rome
Exiled by Kaligula Restored by
Agrippina Tutor of emperor
Nero from 49 AD Owner of a big
fortune Remarkable
influence on NeroAccused of
conspiracy and made by Nero to commit a suicide
His literary production includes: a dozen philosophical essays one hundred twenty-four letters dealing with moral issues nine tragedies a satire (Apocolocyntosis divi Claudii) a meteorological essay and the controversial Octavia
I HAVE undertaken, Nero Caesar, to write on the subject of mercy, in order to serve in a way the purpose of a mirror, and thus reveal you to yourself as one destined to attain to the greatest of all pleasures. For, though the true profit of virtuous deeds lies in the doing, and there is no fitting reward for the virtues apart from the virtues themselves, still it is a pleasure to subject a good conscience to a round of inspection, then to cast one's eyes upon this vast throng… Seneca, On Mercy (De Clementia)
Philosophical cosmotheorySenecaSeneca:
A) is the greatest Roman stoician influenced by Plato, Cynics and Epicurus.
B) is the man of guidance, adherent of moral evolution and completion of the human being through education and humanity
C) accepts the flaws and weaknesses of the humansD) believes that humans are evil and weak and they
will always be
BeliefsGod is the first cause
and his will the lawlaw The human reason or the The human reason or the
immortal immortal psychepsyche is the is the outcome of the god – like outcome of the god – like spirit bound in the bodyspirit bound in the body
Philosophy is the Philosophy is the love love of wisdomof wisdom, inseparate , inseparate from from virtue andteaches the doing and
the right Humans should be
humanistic humanistic even to the sclaves
TragediesHercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules)Troades (The Trojan Women)Phoenissae (The Phoenician Women)PhaedraMedeaThyestesAgamemnonOedipusHercules Oetaeus (Hercules on Oeta) and Octavia closely resemble Seneca's plays in
style, but are probably written by a follower
CHARACTERISTICS OF SENECA’STRAGEDY
Content of tragedies Based on the
ancient prototype especially Euripides
use of contaminatio contaminatio (intermixture of works)
loose structure of hellenistic tragedy
creation of unique unique (in Seneca’s plays) theatrical personaspersonas
Language and style