Seneca's Tragedies

During the Middle Ages, Italian humanists rediscovered the works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 BC – AD 65), a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist. Among the most important were his tragedies, which were hugely influential on both the French neoclassical and Elizabethan tragedies. As such, Seneca’s influence can be seen in both the works of Jean Racine (1639-99) and William Shakespeare (1564-1616). An exceptionally illuminated 14th century manuscript of the work was created by the so-called Master of the Seneca dei Girolamini, one of the most representative and skilled illuminators of the Angevin age. Tabular miniatures making use of dreamy blue backgrounds and glimmering gold leaf in the margins surround and illustrate the text along with extensive ornamentation and decorative friezes. An exceptional visual and emotional impact arouse in the reader some myths that Seneca recalls in his tragedies and that the illuminator accurately portrays, such as the descent of Hercules into Hades and the capture of Cerberus, or the poignant story of Orpheus and Eurydice.