Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

Seneca: His Character and Environment
a hypocrite, a man whose professions were belied by
his actions. Still others. and they are largely in the
majority
are more lenient in their judgment; though
they cannot exculpate him from inconsistencies, they
excuse them by pointing to the extremely difficult posi
tion in which he was placed during the greater part of
his life. He has strong partisans who are attracted
and charmed by
the sublime sentiments scattered
so profusely through his writings; his enemies, in
forming their opinions, lay the chief stress on what
they regard as the inexcusable deeds of his life. It
is too late to add anything to the evidence either pro
or contra.
All that it is proposed to do in this essay is
to place before the reader a picture
of the man,
mainly from his own writings, as the chief exponent
of the highest philosophy reached by the ancient
world before this philosophy was supplanted by the
new religion that was destined to take its place
in the thought of mankind. Seneca was next
to Cicero, or rather along with Cicero, the most
distinguished Roman philosopher; but as a philos
opher he has received the far greater share
of attention. Both were Romans at heart; both
were earnestly engaged in the search for the
supreme good; both were guilty of conduct incon
sistent with their professions; both tried and tried
in vain to combine a life devoted to reflection with
with an active career in the service of the state; and
both failed. But Seneca not only had a higher ideal
than Cicero; he also came nearer attaining
it.
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