Tacitus: Annals Book XV, §§ 60-64 Flashcards
When was Tacitus writing the Annals?
Probably begun during the reign of Trajan and completed during the reign of Hadrian
So c. 98-120 C.E.
What is Tacitus’ view of the Principate? [4]
Decline since the Republic
Lack of personal freedom
Inevitably corrupts leaders
But a necessary evil to prevent civil war
Why did Tacitus present Seneca in a balanced way?
To contrast him with Nero in order to show the corrupting power of one-man rule
Where else is Seneca mentioned by Tacitus? [4]
Book XII: Agrippina recalled him from exile
Book XIII: Tacitus is unsure whether Seneca was involved in Agrippina’s murder, and describes how Seneca wrote Nero’s speech excusing the murder
Book XIV: Burrus’ death is a ‘volta’ for Seneca - no longer invulnerable to the imperial court
Book XV: Conversation between Nero and Seneca about his retirement and giving away his wealth
Why did Nero want to execute Seneca? [3]
He was supposedly implicated in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero
Nero had tried poisoning him (presumably in secret), but it didn’t work
He was in a ferocious mood
Who else was executed with relation to the Pisonian conspiracy in §60?
Plautius Lateranus - consul designate
Why was Seneca named as a conspirator? [2 possible reasons]
Seneca was actually an intermediary between Natalis and Piso
Natalis wanted to please Nero, who hated Seneca
What did Natalis say about Seneca?
When Natalis had asked Seneca why he was shirking Piso, Seneca had supposedly replied that it was better not to talk to Piso because his own existence depended on Piso’s safety
What was Seneca’s defence? [2]
He wanted to look after his health and his own interests over Piso’s.
He wasn’t prepared to flatter Piso by visiting him all the time
How did Nero respond to Seneca’s claims?
He asked if Seneca was already going to commit suicide, then ordered him to be killed
Why was Seneca allowed to take his own life?
Silvanus was entrusted with Seneca’s execution, but because Silvanus was part of the conspiracy, he was unsure whether he should carry out his order. Instead he sent a centurion to order Seneca to kill himself
How did Seneca react to the order to commit suicide?
Undaunted, he requested his will
What did Seneca say to his friends when the centurion refused to give him his will? [2]
He was leaving them the ‘image of his life’ - his greatest bequest
By bearing his life in mind they would earn credit from virtue
How did Seneca console his friends? [3]
They should stick to their philosophy and take a reasoned attitude to impeding evils
They should have expected this because if Nero had killed his mother, why not his tutor?
They will profit from association with such a virtuous man, even after his death
What happened to Pompeia Paulina? [4]
When Seneca begs her not to take his death too badly, she resolves to join him in suicide and does so
Seneca sends her to another bedroom so that they both didn’t weaken at the sight of each other’s agony
She stayed alive - some say Nero’s men bandaged her arms, others say she wanted the glory of shared suicide with her husband but also wanted to be alive
She lived for a few years longer, loyal to Seneca’s memory and very pale
