Of course, the flock had been diminished, and recently, by one very important head, and those reading Seneca’s treatise knew it. “If the gods today ask me for an accounting, I stand ready to tally up the whole human race,” Seneca/Nero concludes-meaning that, as shepherd, he has not allowed his flock to diminish by even a single head. Whether dealing with foreign foes or the troublesome mob of his fellow citizens, he keeps “harshness sheathed, but mercy battle-ready,” an instance of Seneca’s favorite metaphor, moral effort as hand-to-hand combat. Principles of justice, mercy, and restraint guide his every move. Like a modern teenage superhero, the princeps knows that great powers confer great responsibilities. Seneca depicts Nero as an omnipotent but morally serious adolescent. Seneca opens De Clementia, “On Mercy,” by giving voice to Nero’s thoughts, a new device for allowing Rome once again to hear his words issuing from the emperor’s mouth. “Have I, out of all mortals, found favor, and have I been chosen to take the role of gods here on earth? Am I the judge who marks out nations for life or for death?” Such are the awestruck words of eighteen-year-old Nero looking out upon his realm, as Seneca imagines them.
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