Dying every day: Seneca at the Court of Nera is a captivating view into the life of Seneca. As a central question, we try to find out who Seneca was. All this wrapped into the intrigues of the imperial courts from Caligula, Claudius, Agrippina, and last but not least, Nero.
Summary
James Romm takes us on a quest to unravel the mysterious identity of Seneca the Younger. Was he the Stoic philosopher his text makes him appear to be? Or was he a henchman of one of the most notorious emperors Rome had ever seen? Using sources like Tacitus, Cassius Dio, and the play Octavia, Romm recreates what life was like in and around the imperial courts.
A story that even a modern-day soap opera would find difficult to keep up with. A multi-layered depiction of what life was like between 4 BC and 68 AD, we see what Seneca had to deal with during his life. Among all the atrocities the royal families put themselves through, we go on a back-and-forth between pseudo-Seneca and who the real Seneca could have been.
Although Romm withholds us from a direct conclusion on who Seneca was. He gives us enough grounds to start forming our own views and opinions. The problem is that the evidence doesn’t point to a definitive side. Leaving it up to us to make a judgment on how we see Seneca after this compelling read.
Review
This book, Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero, is an excellent combination of a history book, multiple mini-biographies packed together, a real-life drama, and an exposition of life at the Roman court.
Romm displays his mastery of the source texts and brings us deep into the palaces and streets of imperial Rome. Not only does he show us a deep look into the lives of all the major players and how their stories evolve, but he also takes us on his quest for the real Seneca.
It is a wonderful book to read. It makes a complex situation such as life at the Roman court, accessible for common readers like myself.
Recommendation
This is one of the books anyone interested in Roman history, Stoic philosophy, Seneca, and overall drama and intrigues, should read. However, it might not delve into the Stoic philosophy as deeply as I had thought. But it does give the reader enough insights into this school of thought.
It takes its place high up on the list of recommendations for me. But as for the true Stoicism student, it will be on the second tier. Behind the more core Stoic texts. But for anyone with even the smallest of interests in Imperial Rome, this is an easy pick for the next read.
Final thoughts
All-in-all, Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero is a wonderful book to read. It captures the reader’s attention and lets them use their imagination to bring Rome at the time of Seneca back to life. Leaving the ultimate question, of who was the real Seneca, over to the reader. Which is where it belongs. Check out the following affiliate link in case you want to get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/41INidt
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