Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome. He was also a lawyer, writer, and teacher-advisor to the young Emperor Nero. Seneca experienced great power, wealth, and fame, as well as exile and accusations of corruption. Parallel to his political life, Seneca wrote many tragedies, essays, and letters. He died in A.D. 65.

Tom Butler-Bowdon is series editor of the Capstone Classics series and has written introductions to Plato's Republic, Epictetus's Discourses, Machiavelli's The Prince, and Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. A graduate of the London School of Economics, he is also the author of 50 Philosophy Classics, 50 Politics Classics, and 50 Psychology Classics.