“If wisdom were given me under the express condition that it must be kept hidden and not uttered, I should refuse it.” Thus wrote the 1st-century Roman philosopher Seneca in one of the many letters he wrote to his disciple, Lucilius. These letters were later collected together to form Moral Epistles, one of the central ethical works of the classical period. This program examines Seneca’s particular brand of stoic philosophy and chronicles an extraordinary life that spanned the tumultuous reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and finally Nero—whom Seneca served as both tutor and counselor. Included are a number of excerpts from Seneca’s Epistles, among them passages in which he deplores capital punishment and encourages unity, brotherhood, and equality among all people—including slaves. (25 minutes)