Four Tragedies and Octavia
(Author) SenecaBased on the legends used in Greek drama, Seneca's plays are notable for the exuberant ruthlessness with which disastrous events are foretold and then pursued to their tragic and often bloodthirsty ends. Thyestes depicts the menace of an ancestral curse hanging over two feuding brothers, while Phaedra portrays a woman tormented by fatal passion for her stepson. In The Trojan Women, the widowed Hecuba and Andromache await their fates at the hands of the conquering Greeks, and Oedipus follows the downfall of the royal House of Thebes. Octavia is a grim commentary on Nero's tyrannical rule and the execution of his wife, with Seneca himself appearing as an ineffective counsellor attempting to curb the atrocities of the emperor.
Seneca
Seneca, a Roman philosopher and playwright, is best known for his collection of essays and letters, "Moral Epistles." His writing style is characterized by its clarity, wisdom, and practical advice. Seneca's key contributions to literature include his exploration of Stoic philosophy and his influence on later thinkers such as Montaigne and Descartes.
Other related
Major Works of the Stoics (Boxed Set)
Meditations, Letters from a Stoic, Discourses and Selected Writings
Tragedies, Volume I
Hercules. Trojan Women. Phoenician Women. Medea. Phaedra : 62
