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Primary sourceBookc. 50 CE

Medea

Seneca · c. 50 CE

Seneca's tragedy retelling the myth of Medea's revenge against Jason, exploring uncontrolled passion as a counterpoint to Stoic ideals.

A tragedy written by Seneca himself, showing his literary work alongside his philosophy.

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Page from a medieval manuscript with black Latin text in columns, red and blue initials, and a framed illuminated initial showing small figures beside a vessel, with a dog below. Red rubric reads 'Explicit Troas. Incipit Medea'.
Seneca, Medea, copy from a 15th-century Italian codex of his tragedies.

About this source

What it is

This is a Roman tragedy of about 1027 lines written by Seneca around 50 CE, based on the Greek myth of Medea and her revenge on her husband Jason. It survives through later manuscripts, including a 15th-century Italian codex copy.

Why it matters

Medea dramatizes overwhelming passion and revenge, contrasting with the self-control that Seneca praised in his philosophical writings. It is considered one of his strongest early plays and later influenced Renaissance revenge drama. A famous passage about new lands beyond the known world was later included in Christopher Columbus's Book of Prophecies, showing how widely Seneca's words traveled through history.

Look closer

  • Why might Seneca, a Stoic philosopher, have been drawn to write about a character ruled by uncontrolled passion?
  • How does Seneca's chorus react differently to Medea compared with earlier Greek versions of the story?
  • What does the play's violence suggest about what Roman audiences expected from tragedy?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Seneca on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Illuminated manuscript page with Latin text 'Lucii Annei Senece Epistolarum liber feliciter incipit' and ornate borders of vines, putti, animals, a peacock, and a small portrait of a seated author holding a book.Letter

Primary source

Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium

Seneca · c. 62-65 CE

Scanned page 375 of a 1643 Latin edition of Seneca's works. The heading reads L. Annaei Senecae, Ad Paullinum, De Brevitate Vitae, Liber Unus, Caput I. Below is a large decorated initial M followed by dense Latin body text.Book

Primary source

De Brevitate Vitae

Seneca · c. 49 CE

Scanned page of an early printed book, with a running heading reading 'C. Taciti de divo Claudio Caesare liber quintus' in capitals and dense black-letter Latin text in two columns of prose. Library stamps and a handwritten shelf mark appear at the top and on the page.Book

Secondary source

Annals

Tacitus · c. AD 116 or later

Scanned page 119 of a 1594 Latin edition of Seneca's works. The header reads 'L. Annaei Senecae ad Neronem Caesarem de Clementia, Liber Primus, Caput I.' A decorated initial S opens the Latin text in dense columns of print.Book

Primary source

De Clementia

Seneca · 55-56 CE

Marble double bust in a museum, showing two bearded and balding male faces joined at the back on one shoulder-length torso draped in a cloak. The front face is older with deep wrinkles; the second face is behind it on the right. Mounted on a pale stone pedestal.Sculpture

Secondary source

Double Herm of Socrates and Seneca

first half of the 3rd century AD

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