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love and relationships > seneca context + background > Flashcards

seneca context + background Flashcards

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Conversation Starters flashcards
1
Q

What was stoicism?

A

Saw humanity as one large community living according to divine will

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2
Q

What did stoicism urge people to do?

A

Elevate reason above desires of the body

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3
Q

What would elevating reason lead to? What does this mean?

A

Attaining appatheia
Immunity to pain

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4
Q

What was the perfect Stoic?

A

The person who felt no pain bc they lived their life very simply

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5
Q

What were Seneca’s dates?

A

4 BC - 65 AD

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6
Q

Who coined stoicism?

A

Zeno

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7
Q

Where was Seneca born?

A

Spain

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8
Q

When was Seneca active in politics?

A

1st Century AD

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9
Q

Who did Seneca fall out of favour with?

A

Emperor Caligula

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10
Q

When did Seneca retire from political life till?

A

Until Claudius became emperor in 41

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11
Q

How did Claudius feel about Seneca?

A

Claudius was displeased w Seneca + exiled him supposedly for Claudius’ niece

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12
Q

Who was Agrippina? What did she do?

A

2nd wife of Emperor Claudius
Requested Seneca’s return to Rome in 48AD to act as a tutor to their son, Emperor Nero

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13
Q

Who said health + wealth don’t contribute to happiness but Seneca clearly needs them”?

A

Lydia

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14
Q

What happened with Nero as time went on?

A

Nero became more erratic + he murdered his own son

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15
Q

What did Seneca do after Nero spiralled?

A

Lost his position as advisor + retired into private life in 62 AD

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16
Q

What happened after Seneca retired?

A

A conspiracy to overthrow Nero suggested connection to Seneca + Nero ordered him to commit suicide which he did in 65 AD

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17
Q

Who was Seneca’s wife?

A

Paulina

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18
Q

Why were Seneca’s teachings considered hypocritical?

A

He condemned tyranny but acted as an advisor to the tyrannical Nero

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19
Q

Which emperors did Seneca live through the reign of?

A

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula Claudius + Nero

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20
Q

Why did Seneca come under criticism?

A

For his promotion of moderate living esp bc he amassed a huge amount of wealth

21
Q

What did some Romans mock?

A

The gap between Seneca’s philosophy + life

22
Q

When was Seneca considered help?

A

In early years of Nero + hailed for stability of the first 5 years of Nero’s principate

23
Q

What does the fact that Seneca’s philosophy survives tell us?

A

Romans thought it was worthy of reproducing

24
Q

What does Lydia say?

A

“Health + wealth don’t contribute to happiness but Seneca clearly needs them”

25
Q

What did Tactitus say Seneca expressed to Nero?

A

Seneca expressed his amazement at his own social rise to Nero

26
Q

What did Seneca train in?

A

Roman rhetorical training + several diff tutors in philosophy

27
Q

What did Seneca become in school?

A

A vegetarian but was talked out of it after a year by his father

28
Q

What was Seneca a lifelong sufferer of?

A

Chest problems, possibly chest asthma or angina

29
Q

What does Seneca say in Letter to Lucilius?

A

Talks about how he ‘adopted a defiant attitude to sickness’

30
Q

What does Seneca say in Letter to Lucilius he wanted to do because of his health?

A

He wanted to cut his life short but thought of his father, who was the kindest father held him back

31
Q

What is the quote from Seneca in Letter to Lucilius?

A

“There are times when even to live is an act of bravery”

32
Q

What does Seneca’s exile tell us?

A

He experienced the anger of those in power - experienced social degradation at the hands of an emporer

33
Q

Why did Nero suspect Seneca was involved in the plot against him?

A

Seneca’s nephew was accused of being involved + had to commit suicide, so did Seneca’s 2 brothers so it seemed only right that Nero would make Seneca commit suicide too

34
Q

What did Seneca + Paulina do together?

A

They cut their arms and legs to commit suicide, but failed

35
Q

How did Seneca die?

A

Suffocated himself w the steam of a hot bath, Paulina survived

36
Q

What did Seneca acknowledge?

A

It was difficult to reach Stoic ideal state of apatheia bc of innate human weakness

37
Q

What did Seneca desire?

A

Control/imperium over his public + personal life
Wanted to be influential in society + control over himself

38
Q

What did Seneca believe about control?

A

Those who seek controlling the world around them are inferior to those who aspire to have control over themselves

39
Q

Where does Seneca contradict?

A

Seems to accept desire as just another natural appetite to be satisfied, like thirst/hunger
Elsewhere he didn’t think this

40
Q

What does Seneca talk about in ‘On Clemency’?

A

Letter following Nero’s murder of Britannicus to ensure that it was an end to bloodshed, not beginning

41
Q

What did the attack on Seneca from Publius Sillius Rufus say?

A

In 4 years of service to Nero, Seneca gained a personal fortune of 3 hundred million sestertius by charging high interest on loans in Italy + provinces

42
Q

Who accused Seneca of gaining 3 hundred million sestertius + sleeping w Agrippina?

A

Publius Sillius Rufus

43
Q

Where were some of Seneca’s properties?

A

Baiae + Nomentum, Alban villa + Egyptian estates

44
Q

What did Seneca claim in ‘On Happy Life’?

A

A defence of wealth
Properly gaining + spending wealth is appropriate behaviour for a philosopher

45
Q

What happened to Seneca when he slit his wrists?

A

Age + diet were blamed for a slow loss of blood + extended his pain rather than a quick death

46
Q

What was Seneca thinking of in height of wealth + power? What shows this?

A

He was still thinking of life’s end
Had no usual funeral rites; which he directed in his will

47
Q

What does Wilson say about Seneca’s wealth?

A

“Seneca’s wealth went beyond norms even for the elite”

48
Q

What did Lydia say about Seneca?

A

“Health + wealth don’t contribute to happiness by Seneca clearly needs them”

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