The Death of Seneca

Seneca was a Roman politician, philosopher, and, as an exponent of Stoicism, one of the most widely read authors of his time. His life ended in an act of suicide ordered by Emperor Nero, his former student. This was occasioned by the Pisonian conspiracy directed against the ‘despotic’ regime of Nero. It is unclear whether Seneca was actually involved in the plot. Seneca is said to have faced death in accordance with Stoic principles: with equanimity and calm submission to his fate. Rubens’s composition vividly captures that mood.