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Nero orders his old tutor Seneca to die

65 CE, Rome. An event.

Where and when

65 CERome

1,961 years ago

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, Rome

Accused of a plot against Nero, the Stoic Seneca is told to kill himself. Tacitus says he left his friends the pattern of his life.

he bequeathed to them the only, but still the noblest possession yet remaining to him, the pattern of his life

Tacitus, Annals 15.62Translated by A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb (1876)Read the full passage (Tacitus, Annals 15.62, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Seneca the Younger, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

Seneca's calm Stoic suicide later became the subject of numerous paintings.

Based on Wikipedia: Seneca the Younger

His stoic and calm suicide has become the subject of numerous paintings.

Wikipedia, Seneca the Younger (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-03. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 62 CE3 years earlier Seneca offers Nero his wealth, per Tacitus Rests on this event
  2. c. 62–65 CEDuring it Seneca on dying daily Rests on this eventAlso about death
  3. c. 62–65 CEDuring it Seneca on living each day as a whole life Rests on this event
  4. c. 62–65 CEDuring it Seneca on living well, not long Rests on this event
  5. c. 62–65 CEDuring it Seneca on time, the only thing we own Rests on this event
  6. 64 CE1 year earlier The Great Fire burns much of Rome Same years
  7. set in 64 CE1 year earlier Nero watches the fire, as Suetonius tells it Also in Rome
  8. by 64 CE1 year earlier Nero on fire devouring the world, in Suetonius Same years
  9. set in 64 CE1 year earlier Tacitus on the Great Fire of Rome Also in Rome
  10. 65 CEThis momentNero orders his old tutor Seneca to die
  11. 66 CE1 year later Judaea rises against Rome Same years
  12. c. 64–68 CEDuring it Nero on his new house, as Suetonius tells it Also in Rome
  13. 68 CE3 years later Nero kills himself as the Senate declares him an enemy Same years
  14. set in 68 CE3 years later Nero's last hours, as Suetonius tells it Also about death
  15. 69 CE4 years later Four emperors in one year Same years

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