How Not to Die Every Day with Dr. James Romm
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How can a philosopher who preached virtue, simplicity, and self-mastery also serve at the court of one of Rome’s most infamous tyrants?
In this episode, I speak with James Romm, author of Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero. Together we explore the paradoxical life of Seneca, the Stoic thinker whose essays and letters still guide readers on how to live well, yet who spent years as adviser and tutor to the emperor Nero.
We trace Seneca’s journey from exile to power, from tutoring a young Nero to writing works like On Mercy, On the Shortness of Life, and the Letters to Lucilius - all while navigating court intrigues, wealth, and the moral compromises of survival. And we confront the ultimate question: did Seneca’s carefully staged death redeem his life, or was it philosophy’s final performance at the edge of politics?
This is the story of a man who taught the world how to die well - while struggling to live well in the shadow of power.
