The Greatest Empire: A Life of Seneca
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.48 (809 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0199926646 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-10-11 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
It is possible, in their view, to see Seneca as a hypocrite and as a force of moral restraint." --The New Yorker "Seneca lived in a world where dissimulation was a way of life, and the confusion between reality and failure woven into the very fabric of the state. By quoting in translation and explaining Roman practices she helps the general reader enjoy her well-written and imaginative book." --History Today"Morally our author is tough on Seneca, contrasting, for example, his lickspittle approach to Nero with Boudicca's resistance. For good or ill, ours is a Senecan age." --Simon Critchley, The New School for Social Research"A fresh, perceptive, and in-depth look at the enigmatic Seneca, giving us a nuanced perspective into the conflicted mind and motives of the philosopher who embraced lofty Stoic ideals while serving Nero and amassing great wealth in the process. For Wilson
Emily Wilson is Associate Professor of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
By any measure, Seneca (?4-65AD) is one of the most significant figures in both Roman literature and ancient philosophy. TheGreatest Empire offers us the portrait of a life lived perilously in the gap between political realities and philosophical ideals, between what we aspire to be and what we are.. How can we reconcile the bloody tragedies with the prose works advocating a life of Stoic tranquility? How are we to balance Seneca the man of principle, who counseled a life of calm and simplicity, with Seneca the man of the moment, who amassed a vast personal fortune in the service of an emperor seen by many, at the time and afterwards, as an insane tyrant? In this definitive and moving biography, Emily Wilson presents Seneca as a man under enormous pressure, struggling for compromise in a world of absolutism. Exiled by the emperor Claudius in the wake of a sex scandal, he was eventually brought back to Rome to become tutor and, later, speech-writer and advisor to Nero. His writings are voluminous and diverse, ranging from satire to disturbing, violent tragedies, from metaphysical theory to moral and political discussions of virtue and anger. Seneca was suspected of plotting against Nero, condemned to die, and ultimately took his own life-an act that is
Penetrating insight; slightly sloppy execution This is a really fascinating, well-done biography. Wilson treats the historical sources fairly, but focuses heavily on Seneca's own writings and the insight they offer into his psychology. In many parts, it reads more like literary analysis than history, but I don't think this is a bad thi. F. Bailey Norwood said This book is terrific, awesome. This book is terrific, awesome, a masterpiece. Masterly written. It is a great addition to the standard books about Seneca's life, like the book Dying Every Day, because it goes way beyond just describing Seneca and his political adventures, but provides a lot of the details about philosop. J. Hamby said Wilson's work here does a good job of introducing Seneca and his times. Emily Wilson gives a strong and smartly terse look at the life of Seneca, one of the most respected voices to come out of the Julio-Claudian era of the Roman empire.Wilson's work here does a good job of introducing Seneca and his times. Though biographies can often settle too much on a gen