Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

138 STOICISM.as still remained in the interests of right and order,and not leave the government to be a carnival forthe excesses of the unprincipled courtiers of a youngdespot who would take his passions only for hisguide. While the mad caprices of Caligula, and thecriminal abuse of power by the freedmen and wivesof Claudius, were still fresh in men's memories, itmight seem a paramount obligation for the statesmanto remain still at his post, if he could hope by hisauthority to avert or to delay such orgies of misrule.We cannot say how far such motives weighed, andthey are never expressly urged by Seneca himselfBut many a looker-on would have swept away suchpleas as hypocritic trifling, and sneeringly contrastedthe high professions of austere philosophy with thegrowing wealth of the great minister whose broadlands and mansions might be, and were, regarded asthe price of blood. It was hard enough before tofind an answer to such taunts, but it became almostimpossible when he had penned the famous messageto the Senate from the throne, which did not scrupleto imply that the murdered mother had failed in aplot against the emperor's life, and then died by herown hands in despair. It went on further to tramplemeanly on the memory of the fallen queen, ascribingto her all the worst atrocities of the last reign as wellas criminal ambition in the present. This is a blotupon the character of Seneca which no apology canwipe away. Decency required at least a little morerespect for the benefactress to whom he owed hisfreedom and his high estate. His gratitude, indeed.