Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-09-23
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 90. 1882.
SENECA.

APopuIar Account Of the Great Phi
lOsOpher.
Cincinnati Saturday Night.
Seneca, whose moral writings and
teachings are familiar to every common
councilman, was born in COrdOva, Spain
about the beginning of the Christian
Era. His father being wealthy it was
unnecessary for him to learn trade
so it was decided that he should follow
the easy if not lucrative profession OF
philosophy. philosopher in those days
was a man of good deal of Importance,
He was engaged to ride in professions,
was a dead-head at the shows and every
body invited him to drink. When he
died the philosophers who renamed on
deck held meeting and passed resO-
buttons of regret, which were printed in
the papers.
When quite young man Seneca went
to Rome to study OratOry. and he was q
daily visitor at the auction stores and
horse markets, where he could hear the
varieties of Roman elOquence. Some
authors claim that he was himself a
shOuter for side show for time, and
ing the merits of moral hyena, but the
Even philosophy wasn't proof against
the shafts of love, and young Seneca be-
came enarmOred of the neice of Emperor
Claudius. They arranged an elOpement
but it was frustrated. AS Senaca play
fully remarked to friend, at the time,
1.-The Emperor ClaudOus as we were es-
Gaping through the garden gate. Per-
haps their garden gait wasn't rapid
enough. For this offence Seneca was
banished to Corsica, where he remained
eight years in exile, employing his hours
of feverish uneasiness and fretful anX-
iety in penning smooth and tranquil
essays upon the beauties of content
ment,
Wenext find Seneca recalled from ban
ishment and made tutor to Nero, son of
Claudius' wife Agrippina. Nero took
after his mother. He was exceedingly
muscular, and had Agrip pima tutor
might be afraid of. He made it very I'M
comfortable for "Old Sen." as he used to
call him. lie was just developing those
interesting traits of cruelty that made
his subsequent reign so lively for the
boys. Seneca taught him to play the
violin, and even inculated into his quick
sympathetic nature the very tune which
he tiddled when Rome was burning.
Seneca was wise enough to make him
self solid with young Nero and when
the Roman world proclaimed the latter
Emperor he was promoted to high
position. But Nero grew tired of him.
Seneca was constantly taking him one
side to read him a moral essay that he
had written for the magazines. He did
not believe in Seneca, anyway, for while
he was preaching prohibition he had
private bottle in the barn and Nero knew
it. He plotted to rid himself of the phi
losOpher. A conspiracy to assassinate
the Emperor was discovered and Seneca
was condemned for completely in it.
Nero kindly allowed him to be his own
executiOner and the favor was highly
appreciated by Seneca who was a saw
ing man and liked to spare all the ex-
pense he could. He opened his veins,
reclining in tepid bath, surrounded by
friends, to whom he discoursed appro-
priatly after the manner of Socrates, as
life ebbed slowly away. His name is
preserved in his writings, and Seneca
oil and Seneca county Ohio was named
for him.