ABSTRACT
Seneca was a statesman, philosopher, and dramatist who authored 124 letters, over a dozen essays, and at least nine tragedies. While Seneca’s influence is too extensive to detail, one should note that he was renowned in his Rome for his wisdom and that his works were read by medieval, renaissance, and modern philosophers, theologians, and scholars. Born sometime around 4 bce in Corduba, Spain, Seneca was the son of Helvia and Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Elder, brother to Roman senator Gallio and Marcus Annaeus Mela, and uncle of the poet Lucan. Along with Cicero, Seneca is the access point for contemporary readers into Stoic philosophic thought. Seneca defines emotions as unjustifiable movements of the mind that are abrupt and agitated.
