When a philosopher spends his life telling others what to do, it’s fair to ask if his own life has been a success. In the case of Seneca, the fact that he committed suicide at sixty-nine makes it hard to categorize his life as success. Emperor Nero had decided Seneca’s execution, but giving him first…

It frequently happens that individuals will criticise someone else’s mistakes more readily than they will admit their own. We all find our own psychological defences hard to overcome and Seneca was the paramount example. When he became tutor to Nero, the future Roman Emperor, it didn’t take long for Seneca to realize that Nero was…

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…

When analysing the insights of great philosophers, I love to look at their biographies and see the practical implications. Do their biographies reflect the benefits of their insights? Did their choices prove particularly perceptive and clever? Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) passed the biography test with flight colours. His choices mirrored his philosophy and all his…