Can You Be Wealthy and Stoic? Seneca's Paradox

Can you own nice things and still call yourself a Stoic? Seneca, Nero's tutor and one of the richest men in Rome, was accused of hypocrisy to his face. Seneca preached simple living while he grew enormously rich at Nero's court, so many people decide that Stoicism was only ever a pose. This video puts him on trial, using his own words and the accusations of the ancient historians. It also looks at the test he proposed for wealth, and the night that test was put to him. In this video: The hypocrite myth, and the opposite myth that Stoics must give everything away Seneca's road from exile on Corsica to Nero's palace, and the charge of 300 million sesterces On the Happy Life: wealth in your house, not in your heart The strongest case against him, from Cassius Dio and Tacitus The day he offered Nero his whole fortune back, and the night the soldiers came Two small practices: the walk-out test, and giving your things a job Sources: Tacitus, Annals (books 12-15); Cassius Dio, Roman History (books 61-62); Seneca, On the Happy Life. Alex and the other modern characters are illustrative, not real people. Next video: Seneca's book on anger, and the biggest myth about the Stoics. #seneca #stoicism #SenecaAndNero #onthehappylife #stoicismandmoney #stoicphilosophy #senecahypocrite #nero #tacitusannals #ancientrome #romanhistory