Dying Every Day
Seneca at the Court of Nero
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Narrated by:
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Paul Woodson
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By:
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James S. Romm
About this listen
James Romm seamlessly weaves together the life and written words, the moral struggles, political intrigue, and bloody vengeance that enmeshed Seneca the Younger in the twisted imperial family and the perverse, paranoid regime of Emperor Nero, despot and madman.
Romm writes that Seneca watched over Nero as teacher, moral guide, and surrogate father, and, at 17, when Nero abruptly ascended to become emperor of Rome, Seneca became, with Nero, the ruler of the Roman Empire. We see how Seneca was able to control his young student, how, under Seneca's influence, Nero ruled with intelligence and moderation, banned capital punishment, reduced taxes, gave slaves the right to file complaints against their owners, pardoned prisoners arrested for sedition. But with time, as Nero grew vain and disillusioned, Seneca was unable to hold sway over the emperor, and between Nero's mother, Agrippina, and Nero's father, how long could the young Nero have been contained?
Dying Every Day is a portrait of Seneca's moral struggle in the midst of madness and excess. As Nero's adviser, Seneca was presented with a more complex set of choices, as the only man capable of summoning the better aspect of Nero's nature, yet, remaining at Nero's side and colluding in the evil regime he created.
©2014 James Romm (P)2021 TantorWhat listeners say about Dying Every Day
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- Zazafraz
- 04-07-24
A suffering man.
A man who attempted to steer a powerful leader of massive faults and almost equally potential greatness. I love to think of the affection the two must have shared, even if their relationship ended in such catastrophic ways.
It is clear that the storyteller has a bias. Amazing look into the man, myth and controversial figure of Seneca, but somehow has no problem either believing or skipping over massive facts about Nero, the second main character in the story. Rightfully states Nero wasn’t even in Rome during the great fire and states his attempts to help the people, but no issue blindly trusting that he killed his second wife also.
Claims he died at age 32 even if he famously died at 30, but respectfully notes that Nero’s vindictiveness wasn’t a part of his younger years.
Also skips many facets of major importance for Nero, especially in the end at his downfall. Sort of selective focus, but I did hear details I had rarely heard before. Fortunately I know much about the late Emperor Nero, and the book overall was very insightful and fascinating.
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