SENECA, Lucius ANN:ELIS, a celebrated ancient philosopher, was born at Corduba in Spain, about the beginning of the Christian era. He was educated at Rome, and his father, who was himself eminent as an orator, instructed him in the study of eloquence. The study of philosophy, however, soon engrossed all his attention, and though he at first joined the Pythago rean sect, yet he afterwards connected himself more closely with the Stoics. He had acquired considera ble reputation at the bar, but it is said that he relin quished it out or fear of the vengeance of Caligula, who was himself ambitious of rhetorical fame. Having obtained the office of questor, and risen to distinction in the court of Claudius, he was accused by Messalina of an adulterous connection with Julia, the daughter of Germanicus, and was sent to Corsica, where he spent eight years in exile. All the philosophy which he had acquired could not inspire him with resigna tion and patience, and he is said to have complained of his lot, and even to have made abject application to the Emperor for pardon.
When Claudius married his second wife Agrippi na, Seneca was, at her request, recalled from banish ment, and after being elevated to the prxtorship, he was appointed tutor to her son Nero. As the account of his political life has been already given under our article ROMAN EMPIRE, we have only to add that, being commanded by Nero to put an end to his ex istence, lie expired, by opening his veins, in the year 65. His wife, Paulina, had refused every con solation, and had resolved to die the same death with her husband; she had even opened her veins; but the Emperor would not allow her this comfort, and she never recovered from the loss of blood which she had suffered before the arrival of the imperial prohibition.
From the great munificence of Nero, Seneca ac quired prodigious wealth. He possessed innumera ble villas. His house and garden were the most splen did in Rome, and he had money laid out at interest in every part of the world. If we believe Dio, he had no less than £250,000 sterling at interest in Britain, and the calling in of this sum is said to have been one of the causes of a war with that nation. In the midst of all this wealth, however, Seneca led an ab stemious and quiet life.
The philosophical works of Seneca consist of 126 Epistles, and of separate treatises on Consolation, Anger, Providence, Tranquillity of Mind, Constancy, Clemency, the Shortness of Life, a Happy Life, Re tirement, and Benefits. His treatise on Consolation was written in Corsica, and was addressed to his mo ther, Ilelvia, and his friend Polybius. The tragedies extant under his name, are supposed by some to have been written for amusement during his exile, as he himself says, nzodo se letioribus Mullis ibi obleausse; but they are generally supposed not to be his. The 17 Epistles from Seneca to St. Paul are obviously spurious. The last editions of his philosophical works are those of Lipsius, the Variorum, 3 vols. 8vo. the Leipsic, 2 vols. 8vo. and the Hipontine edition. His seven vols. of Natural Questions, included in this edition, contain some curious observations on Egypt and the Nile, which makes it probable that he had travelled in the early part of his life.