seneca context + background

Question 1

What was stoicism?

Answer 1

Saw humanity as one large community living according to divine will

Question 2

What did stoicism urge people to do?

Answer 2

Elevate reason above desires of the body

Question 3

What would elevating reason lead to? What does this mean?

Answer 3

Attaining appatheia
Immunity to pain

Question 4

What was the perfect Stoic?

Answer 4

The person who felt no pain bc they lived their life very simply

Question 5

What were Seneca’s dates?

Answer 5

4 BC - 65 AD

Question 6

Who coined stoicism?

Answer 6

Zeno

Question 7

Where was Seneca born?

Answer 7

Spain

Question 8

When was Seneca active in politics?

Answer 8

1st Century AD

Question 9

Who did Seneca fall out of favour with?

Answer 9

Emperor Caligula

Question 10

When did Seneca retire from political life till?

Answer 10

Until Claudius became emperor in 41

Question 11

How did Claudius feel about Seneca?

Answer 11

Claudius was displeased w Seneca + exiled him supposedly for Claudius’ niece

Question 12

Who was Agrippina? What did she do?

Answer 12

2nd wife of Emperor Claudius
Requested Seneca’s return to Rome in 48AD to act as a tutor to their son, Emperor Nero

Question 13

Who said health + wealth don’t contribute to happiness but Seneca clearly needs them”?

Answer 13

Lydia

Question 14

What happened with Nero as time went on?

Answer 14

Nero became more erratic + he murdered his own son

Question 15

What did Seneca do after Nero spiralled?

Answer 15

Lost his position as advisor + retired into private life in 62 AD

Question 16

What happened after Seneca retired?

Answer 16

A conspiracy to overthrow Nero suggested connection to Seneca + Nero ordered him to commit suicide which he did in 65 AD

Question 17

Who was Seneca’s wife?

Answer 17

Paulina

Question 18

Why were Seneca’s teachings considered hypocritical?

Answer 18

He condemned tyranny but acted as an advisor to the tyrannical Nero

Question 19

Which emperors did Seneca live through the reign of?

Answer 19

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula Claudius + Nero

Question 20

Why did Seneca come under criticism?

Answer 20

For his promotion of moderate living esp bc he amassed a huge amount of wealth

Question 21

What did some Romans mock?

Answer 21

The gap between Seneca’s philosophy + life

Question 22

When was Seneca considered help?

Answer 22

In early years of Nero + hailed for stability of the first 5 years of Nero’s principate

Question 23

What does the fact that Seneca’s philosophy survives tell us?

Answer 23

Romans thought it was worthy of reproducing

Question 24

What does Lydia say?

Answer 24

“Health + wealth don’t contribute to happiness but Seneca clearly needs them”

Question 25

What did Tactitus say Seneca expressed to Nero?

Answer 25

Seneca expressed his amazement at his own social rise to Nero

Question 26

What did Seneca train in?

Answer 26

Roman rhetorical training + several diff tutors in philosophy

Question 27

What did Seneca become in school?

Answer 27

A vegetarian but was talked out of it after a year by his father

Question 28

What was Seneca a lifelong sufferer of?

Answer 28

Chest problems, possibly chest asthma or angina

Question 29

What does Seneca say in Letter to Lucilius?

Answer 29

Talks about how he 'adopted a defiant attitude to sickness'

Question 30

What does Seneca say in Letter to Lucilius he wanted to do because of his health?

Answer 30

He wanted to cut his life short but thought of his father, who was the kindest father held him back

Question 31

What is the quote from Seneca in Letter to Lucilius?

Answer 31

"There are times when even to live is an act of bravery"

Question 32

What does Seneca's exile tell us?

Answer 32

He experienced the anger of those in power - experienced social degradation at the hands of an emporer

Question 33

Why did Nero suspect Seneca was involved in the plot against him?

Answer 33

Seneca's nephew was accused of being involved + had to commit suicide, so did Seneca's 2 brothers so it seemed only right that Nero would make Seneca commit suicide too

Question 34

What did Seneca + Paulina do together?

Answer 34

They cut their arms and legs to commit suicide, but failed

Question 35

How did Seneca die?

Answer 35

Suffocated himself w the steam of a hot bath, Paulina survived

Question 36

What did Seneca acknowledge?

Answer 36

It was difficult to reach Stoic ideal state of apatheia bc of innate human weakness

Question 37

What did Seneca desire?

Answer 37

Control/imperium over his public + personal life Wanted to be influential in society + control over himself

Question 38

What did Seneca believe about control?

Answer 38

Those who seek controlling the world around them are inferior to those who aspire to have control over themselves

Question 39

Where does Seneca contradict?

Answer 39

Seems to accept desire as just another natural appetite to be satisfied, like thirst/hunger Elsewhere he didn't think this

Question 40

What does Seneca talk about in 'On Clemency'?

Answer 40

Letter following Nero's murder of Britannicus to ensure that it was an end to bloodshed, not beginning

Question 41

What did the attack on Seneca from Publius Sillius Rufus say?

Answer 41

In 4 years of service to Nero, Seneca gained a personal fortune of 3 hundred million sestertius by charging high interest on loans in Italy + provinces

Question 42

Who accused Seneca of gaining 3 hundred million sestertius + sleeping w Agrippina?

Answer 42

Publius Sillius Rufus

Question 43

Where were some of Seneca's properties?

Answer 43

Baiae + Nomentum, Alban villa + Egyptian estates

Question 44

What did Seneca claim in 'On Happy Life'?

Answer 44

A defence of wealth Properly gaining + spending wealth is appropriate behaviour for a philosopher

Question 45

What happened to Seneca when he slit his wrists?

Answer 45

Age + diet were blamed for a slow loss of blood + extended his pain rather than a quick death

Question 46

What was Seneca thinking of in height of wealth + power? What shows this?

Answer 46

He was still thinking of life's end Had no usual funeral rites; which he directed in his will

Question 47

What does Wilson say about Seneca's wealth?

Answer 47

"Seneca's wealth went beyond norms even for the elite"

Question 48

What did Lydia say about Seneca?

Answer 48

"Health + wealth don't contribute to happiness by Seneca clearly needs them"