Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE CAREER OF SENECA. 137hints which fell on willing ears about the unlimitedpowers of the Imperial ruler. The annals of thecourt became a long tragedy of shame and horror.The estrangement between the mother and the sonhad soon begun, when Agrippina claimed to rule inNero's name, for his advisers, fearing with good reasonher capricious lusts, had worked upon his jealousand stooped even to introduce a rival influencefears,by encouraging a low amour. Agrippina's fierce resentmentfound a vent in ominous threats; she wouldhurry to the camp and bid the soldiers rally roundthe son of Claudius, whose rightful claims had beenignored, and hurl the thankless Nero from the throne.The threat cost her her life. But first the haplessboy, whose name she had abused, was disposed ofby a draught of poison. Then a plot was laid tosink the ship in which she sailed by night acrossthe bay of Naples, and when that failed recoursewas had to open force, and assassins were ordered todespatch her.There is no reason to believe that Seneca connivedat such atrocities, the details of which were left toconfidants of meaner stamp. But he has left a fatalstain upon his memory by the publicsanctions whichhe seemed to give to the deeds of horror when theyhad been done. It was not merely that he clung tooffice and remained at court, when a moralist ofsterner stamp would have retired from a scene wherevirtue could no longer act with dignity and freedom.For this it was possible to urge the plea that heowed a duty to the Roman world to use such influence