Nero
In 54, Nero became emperor, and Seneca was one of his advisers for the next eight years. In Nero's early years as emperor, Seneca and Sextus Afranius Burrus were his main advisers and under their guidance Rome experienced a period of good governance. After the death of Burrus, however, other advisers began to criticize Seneca, and he requested permission to retire. He lived quietly for a few years in the country, but in AD 65 he was accused of being involved in a plot to kill Nero, and was ordered to kill himself. He cut several of his veins to kill himself. His wife tried to end her own life in the same way, but her wounds were bound and she lived on. Seneca died peacefully and thoughtfully, characteristic of the Stoic philosophy.
Death of Seneca
Seneca the Younger wrote moral letters to Lucilius (espistulae morales ad Lucilium). This is a collection of 124 letters addressed to his friend Lucilius. Though they are written in the format of letters, many people actually consider this a collection of essays, as there is insufficient evidence to show that there was genuine correspondence. In the letters, Seneca advises his friend on how to be a better Stoic and reinforces the new direction in Stoic thought. He generally describes situations and then expands on them in order to discuss broader principles. His descriptions provide an interesting perspective on life in Rome at the time.
Letter to Lucilius
In his first letter, Seneca discusses the importance of time. He says that time is the only thing that people really have, and that few people give the proper amount of attention to how they spend their time. He says that carelessness can cause us to lose time, and whatever time has passed is "in death's hands". In this letter he also discusses personal expenses, saying that a person is not poor as long as they have enough to get by, but he also advises that a person be aware of state of their finances, so as to avoid running out.
In the second letter, Seneca's first few sentences seem to suggest that he has received correspondence from Lucilius. In the rest of the paragraph, however, we see that he is using the supposed news from Lucilius to make an argument about life in general, and so it is likely not actually a response to something Lucilius wrote him. Seneca uses this letter to convey the importance of consistency and stability. He says it is better to become very familiar with a limited number of things than to become vaguely familiar with everything. Too much variety is a distraction, and doesn't allow a person to focus on what they have experienced. It is not as important, for example, to read a great many books as it is to have good comprehension and reflection of the books one does read. He builds upon a quotation from Epicuris and says poverty is not determined by how much a person has but by how contented a person is with what he has.
Seneca the Younger
In his fourth letter, Seneca discusses death. He tells Lucilius that death is not something which ought to be feared, because "death must either not come at all, or else must come and pass away." To die means to lose one's life, but people can't miss their own lives after they've gone because they are no longer alive to do so. He says that to have a good life, one mustn't be obsessed with holding onto life. He also says that anyone has the power to take away a person's life, so we should always remember that, from birth, we are being led toward death.
Sources
"Moral Letters to Lucilius | Work by Seneca the Younger." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2015.
"Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 16 Jul. 2015
Seneca the Younger, "Moral Letters to Lucilius", Letters 1, 2, 4. Wikisource.
Jacqueline, you do a fine job of placing Seneca in his time. You're right to note that some think these letters are literary epistles, that is, that they weren't sent in real time as "normal" letters. Some have the feel of real letters; some don't. It's hard to know. You've chosen excellent specimen letters. Seneca's comments on death, especially, I find somehow comforting each time I re-read them. He has a lot in common with Lucretius in his views on death, even though they represent different schools of ancient philosophy (Stoicism and Epicureanism, respectively). Good work.
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