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Seneca

Roman moral philosopher of the 1st century B.C. and A.D., remembered by Dante in Limbo among the great spirits, distinguished with the appellation «moral» for his Stoically inspired works.

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In Limbo Dante places Seneca among the great spirits, alongside Tullius and Linus, qualifying him with the appellation «moral», which highlights his fame as a Stoically inspired philosopher. The critical notes clarify that with this specification Dante does not intend to distinguish him from a presumed Seneca the tragedian, but rather to underscore the principal medieval fame of the author, tied to his moral writings. Dante knew and cited his moral works, such as the Epistolae ad Lucilium, the De beneficiis, and the De consolatione, works revered in the Middle Ages.

In the text

Linked verses

1 verses
CanticaCantoVersoTestoOpen verse
InfernoCanto IV141Tulïo e Lino e Seneca morale;Open verse