18 h 22 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a philosopher of self-control lets rage, desire and revenge take the stage?
In The Tragedies of Seneca, Greek myths become Latin verse plays where reason struggles against passion. Medea faces exile as Jason prepares to marry Creusa. Phaedra hides her desire for her stepson. In plague-stricken Thebes, Oedipus searches for the killer of the old king Laius. Each faces a conflict that puts judgment under strain.
The collection includes Hercules Furens, Medea, Phaedra, Oedipus and Thyestes, alongside the story of Troy's fall. Ghosts open the drama, choruses sing of fortune and the gods, and rulers argue themselves toward terrible acts. Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Stoic philosopher and adviser to Nero, explores minds gripped by the very passions his philosophy teaches people to resist.
What you’ll discover
- Reason against rage Explore the struggle between clear judgment and passions that drive kings and heroes toward crime.
- Medea at the edge Meet an abandoned sorceress whose fury takes shape as Jason prepares for another marriage.
- A hero's threatened home Enter Thebes, where the tyrant Lycus threatens Hercules' wife and children during his absence.
- Voices from the shadows Hear ghosts, choral songs and long speeches turn moral conflict into dark, vivid drama.
- The ruins of Troy Stand among the captive women with Hecuba as she mourns her city and children.
Who will love it
For readers who love myth, dark drama, or the roots of Shakespeare and later revenge plays. It also suits anyone curious about Stoicism in action.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Stoic philosopher writes monstrous plays
- Heroes and captives face the wrath of heaven
- Passion drives Medea and Phaedra to the edge
- Cursed houses breed crime across generations
- Reason and passion fight for every mind
- Speeches, ghosts and choruses shape the drama
Who’s who
- MedeaA foreign sorceress, abandoned by Jason and ordered into exile, who turns her fury into a plan.
- JasonThe Greek hero who prepares to marry a king's daughter and leaves Medea behind.
- HerculesThe great hero, returned from the underworld, pursued by the hatred of the goddess Juno.
- PhaedraWife of Theseus, who is overcome by desire for her stepson and struggles to hide it.
- OedipusKing of Thebes, proud and determined, who searches for the cause of a plague that is killing his people.
- AtreusA king driven by a family curse, who invites his brother Thyestes home with a scheme in mind.
- HecubaThe old queen of Troy, who mourns her city and her children among the captive women.
- ClytemnestraQueen of Mycenae, who plans with her lover Aegisthus for the return of her husband Agamemnon.
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- Audiobook
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Les Tragédies de Sénèque
by Sénèque
Ghosts speak and kings surrender to rage as Greek myths become a battle between reason and passion.
Challenging10–20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Tragedies of Seneca are a group of Latin plays in verse, written in the first century of our era by Lucius Annaeus Seneca. He was a Stoic philosopher, a statesman and, for some years, the tutor and adviser of the young emperor Nero.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A Stoic philosopher writes monstrous plays
Seneca was born in Corduba in Spain and made his career in Rome. He wrote letters and essays on how to live, and he taught that a wise person keeps reason in charge of the passions. He served Nero as tutor and then as adviser, which put him close to power and close to danger. In the year 65 Nero ordered him to die, and he took his own life.
The tragedies are hard to date, though most scholars place them in the reign of Claudius or Nero. Nobody knows for sure whether they were staged in theatres or performed as recitations to small audiences. Their long speeches and vivid word pictures suit a reciter well, and many readers have thought of them as plays for the voice.
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What are the tragedies of Seneca about?
They retell Greek myths, including Medea, Phaedra, Oedipus and the house of Atreus. Each play shows people driven by rage, lust or ambition into terrible acts, and often warns against letting passion rule reason.
How many tragedies did Seneca write?
Eight or nine plays are accepted as his, depending on whether Hercules on Oeta is counted. A tenth play, Octavia, is generally thought to be by another writer.
Were Seneca's plays meant to be performed on stage?
Scholars disagree. Some think they were written for recitation to small audiences, while others believe they could be staged. Their long speeches and vivid descriptions suit a speaker well.
The author
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
4 BC–65 · Roman Stoic philosopher and dramatist
Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist.
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