Seneca
Seneca the Younger (4 BC – AD 65) was confidant and tutor to Nero and an eminent Stoic philosopher. He was forced to commit suicide by Nero but ensured that his suicide mirrored Socrates in its theatrics. His belief is if you are miserable then the idea is not trying to be cheerful but instead to accept it and conquer it.
Suetonius first mentions Seneca when commenting on Tiberius's death. Whereas many have hinted that Caligula administered teh coup-de-gras on the rapidly expiring Emperor, Seneca merely says that he died while calling out to his attendants and died some way from his bed.
He was born in 6BC and interestingly Suetonius notes that it was six years before the Christian era. Seneca was born about six years before the Christian aera, and gave early indication of uncommon talents. His father was a well read man of letters and rose to prominence in circle of the Caesars. At first he was a vegetarian until such time that many were persecuted for shunning meat. It was said that Caligula was jealous of him and he decided to carve out a career in politics and became a quaestor and embarked on a scandalous affair with Julia Livia and had to leave Rome. Claudius later banished him to Corsica. After Claudius's marriage to Agrippina he was rehabilitated.
However, Seneca becomes much more prominent in the reign of Nero. He is by now a tutor to the young Nero. He discouraged Nero from studying the great orators of the time hoping to secure greater affection for himself. Many say he acquitted his duties well while other says he must have initiated his pupil in those detestable vices which disgraced the reign of Nero [1]. Others like Suilius, whon Seneca had banished earlier, contended that he was mischievous and used his position to amass great wealth. Charges like this he well know were precursors to worse fates so he decided to retire. Nero refused so he stayed on but made himself indisposed. Sure enough he got implicated in the conspiracy of Piso although there was no evidence that he was aware of the plot. Nero however, sent instruction that Seneca should kill himself. With typical stoical fortitude and some little sarcasm He heard the message not only with philosophical firmness, but even with symptoms of joy, and observed, that such an honour might long have been expected from a man who had assassinated all his friends, and even murdered his own mother[2]. Far from dying in the Socratic method he hoped where life ebbed away slowly, the cut wrists did not bleed hard enough, even when placed in a warm bath. He took posion to know avail and was eventually sufficated with steam.
In Cassius Dio's version he has Seneca implicated in the plot when he says Seneca, however, and Rufus, the prefect, and some other prominent men formed a plot against Nero; for they could no longer endure his disgraceful behaviour, his licentiousness, and his cruelty [3]. He also reflects that Seneca's influence over Nero actually saved lives Seneca reportedly told Nero "No matter how many you may slay, you cannot kill your successor."
