Seneca was a Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist from the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was born in Corduba in Hispania, and his father was Seneca the Elder. Seneca is believed to have been born in 4 BC on December 15th, as Tacitus says in his Annals that it was on this day that Nero was born. Seneca’s family were aristocratic Roman senators; they had owned several estates near Corduba and it is likely that he spent part of his childhood there.
Actually, Seneca’s writings include natural philosophy, poetry, and letters to his friend Lucilius. While he is best known for his tragedies, he also wrote comedies which are now lost. Many of these works are available in English translation.
Seneca’s tragedies are considered the pinnacle of Roman drama; they rework Greek models to present Roman views on contemporary questions: the causes of evil, suicide, revenge and human suffering. The influence of Seneca on Renaissance art and literature is still palpable, as well as that of his friend Lucilius.
In addition to being a playwright and poet Seneca was also a philosopher, who wrote treatises such as De brevitate vitae (“On the Shortness of Life”) that discuss how to attain tranquility (ataraxia) through discovering one’s purpose (telos) in life.
