Seneca’s Luxuria

Abstract This chapter deals with the charges of immorality made against Seneca, as reported by historical sources and by the author himself in De vita Beata, and his defence, advanced in the same dialogue. The charges hit specifically Seneca’s immense wealth and luxury, which contradicted the philosophical principles he himself proposed. Grounded in Stoic philosophy, and switching from the morally labelled word luxuria to the objective term divitiae, ‘wealth’, Seneca argues that money, as any other exterior thing or event, is completely indifferent to the philosopher, and so he may or may not use it, since he does not care. The final section of the chapter explores Seneca’s attitude towards frugality, with special regard to Cynic philosophy. With regard to this school of thought, Seneca admires its detachment from material goods, but despises its anti-social attitude.