Seneca 
Of Clemency 

De Clementia (or On Clemency in English) is a two-volume hortatory essay written in AD 55–56 by Seneca the Younger, a Roman Stoic philosopher, to the emperor Nero. You will love this timeless contrast between a good ruler and a tyrant.

About the author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 BCE – 65 CE), known simply as Seneca, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist of the Silver Age of Latin literature. Born in Corduba in the province of Hispania Baetica, Seneca was raised in Rome, where he was trained in rhetoric and philosophy. His works are voluminous and multifaceted, reflecting his diverse interests and experiences in politics, moral philosophy, and ethics. Seneca’s ‘Of Clemency’ (De Clementia) is a notable treatise that sheds light on his Stoic beliefs and serves as an advice piece to the young Emperor Nero, advocating for the virtues of mercy and restraint in governance. His literary style is marked by its aphoristic wisdom and has had a lasting influence on later writers. Seneca’s contributions to Stoicism are significant, addressing themes such as the importance of reason, the natural order, the management of emotions, and the pursuit of virtue. His other important works include ‘Letters to Lucilius’ (Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium), a collection of moral epistles, and a series of tragic plays that blend Stoic teachings with intense emotional drama. Despite his eventual forced suicide on orders from Nero, Seneca’s intellectual legacy has persisted, asserting his place as one of classical antiquity’s most enduring philosophical voices.