A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

780' SENECA. SENECA.
children; but Anicetus, he added, would finish Seneca explained the words that lie had used to
what he had begun. Anicetus performed his pro- Natalis, and the tribune carried them to the ernmise, and Agrippina died by the hand of assas- peror. Nero was in close council with the two great
sills, A.D. 60. ministers of his cruelty, his wife Poppaea and TiThe imperial murderer fled as if he could leave gellinus. Nero asked if Seneca was preparing to
his conscience behind him, to the city of Naples, die voluntarily; and on the tribune replying that
whence he addressed a letter to the senate upon he saw no signs of fear, no gloomy indication in
the death of his mother: he charged her with a his words or countenance, he was ordered to go
conspiracy against himself, on the failure of which back and give him notice to die. The tribune,
she had committed suicide. The author of the himself a party to the conspiracy of Piso, did not
letter was Seneca (Tacit. Ann. xiv. 11): it is not show himself again to Seneca, but he sent in a
extant, but a few words from it are quoted by centurion with the order of death. Without showQuintilian (Inst. Orat. viii. 5). This letter is Se- ing any sign of alarm, Seneca asked for his testaneca's great condemnation: he had consented to ment, apparently with the intention of adding some
Agrippina being assassinated, and he added to this legacies, but the centurion refused to allow this, on
crime the despicable subterfuge of a lie which which Seneca told his friends that since he wags
nobody could believe. From this time Nero felt forbidden to reward their services, his last testamore free, and Seneca in due time had his reward. mentary bequest must be the portraiture of his
In A. D. 63 Burrus died, and he may have been life, which, if they kept in their memory, they
poisoned:. Nero appointed two commanders of the would have the reputation of an honest life and of
Praetorians in place of Burrus, Fennius Rufus and a constant friendship. He cheered his weeping
Sofonius Tigellinus, whose infamy has been per- friends by reminding them of the lessons of phipetuated with that of his master. The death of losophy, and that he who had murdered a brother
Burrus broke the power of Seneca: it diminished and a mother could not be expected to spare his
his influence towards good, and Nero was now in teacher. Embracing his wife, he prayed her to
the hands of persons who were exactly suited to his moderate her grief, and to console herself for the
taste. Tigellinus and Rufus began an attack on Se- loss of her husband by the reflection that he had
neca. His enormous wealth, a never-failing matter lived an honourable life. But as Paullina protested
of charge against Seneca, his gardens and villae, more that she would die with him, Seneca consented, and
magnificent than those of the emperor, his exclusive the same blow opened the veins in the arms of both.
claims to eloquence, and his disparagement of Seneca's body was attenuated by age and meagre
Nero's skill in driving and singing, were all diet; the blood would not flow easily, and he
urged against him; and it was time, they said, opened the veins in his legs. His torture was exfor Nero to get rid of a teacher. Seneca heard of cessive; and to save himself and his wife the pain
the charges against him: he was rich, and he of seeing one another suffer, he bade her retire to
knew that Nero wanted money. He obtained an her chamber. His last words were taken down il
interview in which he addressed the emperor in a writing by persons who were called in for the
studied speech (Tacit. Ann. xiv. 53). He asked purpose, and were afterwards published. Tacitus
for permission to retire, and offered to surrender all for some reason has not given the words, and he
that he had. Nero affected to be grateful for his past did not think proper to give the substance of them.
services, refused the proffered gift, and sent him The soldiers, at the entreaty of the slaves and
away with perfidious assurances of his respect and freedmen of Seneca, stopped the wounds of Paulaffection. Seneca now altered his mode of life, saw lina, and she lived a few years longer; but her
little company, and seldom visited the city, on the pallid face showed that the stream of life was
ground of feeble health, or being occupied with Iis largely drawn from her. Scandal, as usual, said
philosophical studies. that when she found that Nero did not wish her
When Nero, after plundering Italy and the death, she was easily prevailed upon to submit to live.
provinces, began, like the Eighth Henry of England, Seneca's torments being still prolonged, he took
the pillage of the temples and of things dedicated hemlock from his friend and physician, Statius
to religion, in order to meet his extravagant ex- Annaeus, but it had no effect. At last he entered
penditure, Seneca, who feared that he might be a warm bath, and as he sprinkled some of the
involved in the odium of the sacrilege, though it is water on the slaves nearest to him, he said, that
not said why he feared (Tacit. Ann. xv. 45), he made a libation to Jupiter the Liberator. He
prayed for leave to retire into the country; and was then taken into a vapour stove, where he was
when it was refused, he kept his chamber on the quickly suffocated, A. D. 65. The body was burnt
pretence of sickness. A story was current that without ceremony, according to the instructions ill
Nero tried to poison him, but the attempt failed. a codicil to his will, which was made when he was
The conspiracy of Piso gave the emperor a pretext in the full enjoyment of power and wealth. Seneca
for a more direct attack on his teacher's life, died, as was the fashion among the Romans, with
though there was not complete evidence of Seneca the courage of a stoic; but with somewhat of a
being a party to the conspiracy (Tacit. Ann. xv. theatrical affectation which detracts from the dig60). Certain words of Seneca to AntonIius Na- nity of the scene. Tacitus has not strongly centalis, which were of a suspicious character, were sured Seneca in any passage; but Dion Cassius
repeated to Nero; and Granius Sylvanus, a tribune collected from among the contradictory memoirs of
of a Praetorian cohort, was sent by the emperor to the time every thing that was most unfavourable
Seneca to demand the meaning of them. It hap- to his character. Seneca's great misfortune was to
pened that Seneca was returning from Campania, have known Nero; and though we cannot say
and had rested at a villa four miles from the city. that he was a truly great or a truly good man, his
In the evening the tribune with a band of soldiers character will not lose by comparison with that of
surrounded the house where Seneca was supping many others who have been placed in equally diffiwith his wife Pompeia Paullina and two friends. cult circumstances. Whether he was privy to