[Footnote 75: Seneca's influence on writers in his own day was
notable. He seems almost to have superseded Cicero as a model. Critics
of our day, while recognizing all this and the charm of his style,
have found in his philosophy a lack of sincere qualities. An old
question is that of his relations to Christianity. So much in his
writings partakes of the spirit of the Apostles that he has been
credited with having been influenced by them. It is known that his
brother Gallio met St. Paul in Corinth and that Burrus, the colleague
and intimate friend of Seneca, was the captain of the Praetorian guards
before whom St. Paul was brought in Rome. Cruttwell dismisses the
claim, believing that Seneca's philosophy was "the natural development
of the thoughts of his predecessors in a mind at once capacious and
smitten with the love of virtue." Philosophy to Seneca was "altogether
a question of practise." Like other thinkers of his day, "he cared
nothing for consistency of opinion, everything for impressiveness of
application."]
[Footnote 76: From Book II of the "Minor Essays." Translated by Aubrey
Stewart.]
[Footnote 77: Quintilius Fabius, the general, who before the battle of
Cannae commanded in Italy against Hannibal. He was famous for avoiding
pitched battles and hence the term "Fabian policy."]
[Footnote 78: From Book VI of the "Minor Essays." Translated by Aubrey
Stewart. Marcia, to whom this letter was addrest, was "a respectable
and opulent lady," the daughter of Cremutius Cordus.]
[Footnote 79: Made Consul with Julius Caesar in 59 B.C. He represented
the aristocratic party and bitterly opposed some of the measures of
Caesar. In the war with Pompey he joined his forces to those of
Pompey.]
[Footnote 80: A legendary maiden delivered as hostage to Lars Porsena
of Clusium, but who escaped by swimming across the Tiber.]
[Footnote 81: Marcus Livius Drusus was a politician, who in 91 B.C.
became tribune of the plebs. He was about to bring forward a proposal
giving citizenship to the Italians when he was assassinated, an event
which precipitated the Social War.]
[Footnote 82: From the "Minor Essays." Translated by Aubrey Stewart.
"This," says Alexander Thomson, the eighteenth-century translator of
Suetonius, "appears to have been written in the beginning of the reign
of Nero, on whom the author bestows some high encomiums which at that
time seem not to have been destitute of foundation."]
[Footnote 83: Burrus in 52 A.D. had been made sole Praetorian Praefect
by Claudius and, conjointly with Seneca, was entrusted with the
education of Nero. It was his influence with the Praetorian Guards that
secured to Nero in 54 the independent succession. He was put to death
by poison, under orders from Nero, who had been offended by the
severity of his moral conduct.]
[Footnote 84: From Epistle 85. Translated by Thomas Lodge. Printed
here with the spelling and punctuation of the first edition (1613).]
[Footnote 85: From Book VII of the "Minor Essays." Translated by
Aubrey Stewart. This essay addrest to Gallio, Seneca is thought to
have intended "as a vindication of himself against those who
calumniated him on account of his riches and manner of living."]