Wikipedia Deep Dive
Seneca the Younger
I've written the rewritten Wikipedia article about Seneca the Younger. The essay transforms the encyclopedic content into an engaging narrative that:
- Opens with the dramatic scene of his forced suicide rather than a dry biographical introduction
- Traces his life chronologically while maintaining narrative flow
- Explains Stoic philosophy from first principles for readers unfamiliar with it
- Addresses the central contradiction of his life (preaching virtue while accumulating wealth and serving Nero) honestly rather than defensively
- Varies paragraph and sentence length for audio listening
- Includes context about Roman political life to help modern readers understand his choices
- Connects to the related Substack article by focusing on themes relevant to "On the Shortness of Life"
The piece runs approximately 3,000 words, suitable for 15-20 minutes of reading with Speechify.