Evening star., 1925-08-24

Every human being is at heart
something of philosopher, or likes
to think that he is, anyway.
y u 4
To all such the life and death Of
Seneca will be interesting.
Seneca tried to straddle the Roman
fence-and got gored by the bull
Nero.
II he had been either a whole
souled philosopher or a out-and-out
Neroite, he would have Jared better,
in at least as far as his mortal life
was concerned.
AS II was, he tried to save Nero
from Nero, and thus parted Seneca
from Seneca. The royal bum, grow
ing tired of the good man, finally
said: Seneca, go kill thyself."
So Seneca, like the good Roman he
was, went and committed suicide. 1t
was the way things were done in
those days. Let no one today think
it strange. The old Romans would
look with equal wonder on some of
our doings.
Seneca was born at Cordova,
Spain, about 4 B. c.. and died, at
the request Of Nero, in IS BIC. OF
| the equestrian order, he Immediately
was "in the swim when he went to
Rome.
Seneca was educated at the Roman
bar. Ancient Rome had almost as
much penchant for laws as the
United States has today. Roman law
was the pride of the empire, and only
a lawyer could solve its riddles. And,
OF course. the more laws, the more
riddleS-and, naturally enough, the
| more demand for lawyers.
Seneca became such a good lawyer
that he got into the Senate-how like
America.-and became in course of
time a very wealthy man.
All this time, however. he sat at
the feet of the Pythagorean, Stole
and Cynic philosophers until he be-
| came as famous as a philosopher as
he was rich.
Slander got in it's evil work, and he
was banished to Corsica in IL AID.
but was recalled in the year 40 70
become the tutor Of the young Nero
then II years old.
Upon Nero's accession, in 81 AID.
Seneca, his teacher, and Burrus, pre-
feet of the Praetorian Guard, had their
hands fun in manhandling the royal
stmp, which feat, however, they man
aged to do for a time.
When the faithful Burrus died, in
62 AID. Seneca's years were mum
bered. Nero got mixed up with Pop.
paea Sabina, notorious Roman lady
who induced Nero to aSsasSinate his
mother.
Then Nero prevailed upon his tutor
| to write a letter to the Senate. saying
| that his mother had conspired against
him CNero) and. upon being discov.
cred, had committed suicide.
Seneca tried to straddle the fence
and made a bad job of il. He
had so much money that Nero, feel
| ing his oats, began 10 cast envious
glances at 1t, his own resources be
ing depleted by reason of his riotous
| living.
Seneca, crafty in the ways of the
world. offered to give Nero all his
money, but Nero, with some spark
of gratitude still left. refused. Sc
| neca, however, saw the handwriting
| on the wall, and retired to a coun
| try place.
In 65 AID. he was implicated ir
| the conspiracy of Piso to seize the
throne, and was ordered by Nero to
| commit suicide.
Seneca no more thought of refus
| ing than-well, he simply did not
| think of refusing at all. He cut the
veins in his arms, but, being a sturdy
| man, did not bleed TO death, and had
| TO have himself smothered in a vapor
| bath.
So ended the life of Lucius An
naeuS Seneca, whose essays We're by
| far the better part of him. In them
/ the real man stood forth, the real
man that Nero never knew