The Roman statesman, philosopher and playwright Lucius Annaeus Seneca dramatically influenced the progression of Western thought. His works have had an unparalleled impact on the development of ethical theory, shaping a code of behavior for dealing with tyranny in his own age that endures today. This Companion thoroughly examines the complete Senecan corpus, with special emphasis on the aspects of his writings that have challenged interpretation. The authors place Seneca in the context of the ancient world and trace his impressive legacy in literature, art, religion, and politics from Neronian Rome to the early modern period. Through critical discussion of the recent proliferation of Senecan studies, this volume compellingly illustrates how the perception of Seneca and his particular type of Stoicism has evolved over time. It provides a comprehensive overview that will benefit students and scholars in classics, comparative literature, history, philosophy and political theory, as well as general readers.

'… [a] wonderful volume … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.' A. M. Busch, Choice
'The Cambridge Companion to Seneca is a remarkable achievement, which has much to offer to advanced students and confirmed scholars looking for useful syntheses and suggestive, in-depth interpretations of the many aspects of this dazzling corpus.' François Prost, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Shadi Bartsch is Helen A. Regenstein Distinguished Service Professor of Classics at the University of Chicago. She is the author of Decoding the Ancient Novel: The Reader and the Role of Description in Heliodorus and Achilles Tatius (1989); Actors in the Audience: Theatricality and Doublespeak from Nero to Hadrian (1994); Ideology in Cold Blood: A Reading of Lucan's Civil War (1998); The Mirror of the Self: Sexuality, Self-Knowledge, and the Gaze in the Early Roman Empire (2006); and the forthcoming Persius: A Study in Food, Philosophy, and the Figural. Alessandro Schiesaro is Professor of Latin Literature at Sapienza University of Rome. He is the author of The Passions in Play: Thyestes and the Dynamics of Senecan Drama (2003) and the co-editor, with Thomas Habinek, of The Roman Cultural Revolution (1997).