Due to the edict issued by Emperor Claudius, Seneca spent eight years in exile in Corsica. His property, family and friends had remained in Rome. Since the imperial edict had not specified the length of the exile, Seneca believed that he would have to stay in Corsica for the rest of his life.
When Seneca first set foot on Corsica, he was only forty-five years old, far too young to give up all hope. Nevertheless, he had witnessed how exile had gone for other people. None of them had been pardoned; none of them had ever returned to Rome.
Fortunately, Seneca had already become a solid philosopher, one that would not lose countenance due to setbacks, no matter how severe or painful those would be.
Before the imperial edict sending him to exile, Seneca had become an expert on Stoic philosophy. He knew the principles in detail and had discussed them extensively with his friends. It had never occurred to him, however, that he would be facing such a terrible situation himself, a situation that had arisen out of the blue.
Seneca’s strategy for dealing with adversity
Seneca faced his exile on Corsica by employing exactly the same principle that has served him well a decade earlier during his period of severe illness; as a Stoic, he committed himself to making the best of each day; and as a pragmatic, he figured out how to render his exile as pleasant as possible.
From the 76th Letter to Lucilius, I realize that Seneca must have ended up viewing his exile as an opportunity to deepen his wisdom. Also in his essay “On Providence,” he described misfortunes as chances to practise virtue and gain wisdom.
Seneca’s resolve to reframe his exile as an opportunity was remarkable, and illustrates Stoic philosophy at its best. Instead of falling prey to depression, Seneca kept a cool head, stayed productive, and made his lifestyle as comfortable as possible.
Instead of losing himself in lamentations, Seneca looked for ways to acquire additional knowledge. He read extensively, committed himself to several literary projects and carried them out at good speed.
Despite his limited social contacts on Corsica, Seneca didn’t lose his intellectual sharpness. In addition to a few servants, he had no other companions than local peasants, Roman soldiers stationed in the garrison and their commander.
How Seneca re-framed disaster into opportunity
His limited social circle did not prevent Seneca from taking walks, reading history books, and writing extensively. If we compare Seneca’s lifestyle with our century, it looks even more remarkable.
Do you know many people who would turn disaster into an opportunity by committing themselves to productive routines? I know some alleged Stoics that are long on excuses, but short on constructive action.
When Seneca turned fifty-three, he was ordered to return to Rome. The order, issued by Empress Agrippina, caught Seneca by surprise. By then, he no longer entertained the idea of ever returning to Rome. He had expected to remain in Corsica until his death.
Empress Agrippina wanted Seneca as tutor for his son Nero (37-68 AD), who was only thirteen-years old at that time. Nero was too young to rule the Roman Empire, and his mother had chosen Seneca as tutor due to his reputation as a philosopher.
She didn’t care for the reasons that had led Claudius to send Seneca into exile. Claudius had accused Seneca of committing adultery with a noblewoman, but those reasons may have been bogus in the first place.
Seneca facing new challenges at age fifty-tree
Seneca had still five years before Nero would turn eighteen, and become the Roman Emperor. He designed a lecture plan, mostly rhetoric, history, philosophy and law, that he wanted to impart to Nero.
Nonetheless, Seneca’s functions in the imperial court soon exceeded those of a tutor. Empress Agrippina gave him more and more responsibilities, first on financial matters and then on the general administration of the Roman Empire.
Seneca discharged his duties smoothly while Nero was still in his early teens, but frictions ensued as soon as Nero turned sixteen. He was two-years away from ascending to the throne, but his character already showed signs of despotism, paranoia and megalomania.
Stoic philosophy had not made any impression on Nero. All the efforts displayed by Seneca had been in vain. Seneca could not close his eyes to the truth. It’s virtually impossible to grasp Stoic philosophy for someone who has not experienced severe setbacks in life.
To Nero, Seneca’s teachings had proven as fruitless as those of Aristotle (384-322 BC) to Alexander the Great. Instead of a long-range vision, they had only produced a thirst for absolute power at the expense of the rest of the world.
Seneca realised the danger, but didn’t know how to turn the ship around. Day by day, he watched Nero grow into a psycho, feared by his family members, servants and acquaintances.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all kinds of situations, I recommend my book “Against all odds: How to achieve great victories in desperate times.”
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