Sénèque, le sto cisme et la monarchie absolue dans le De clementia Seneca, Stoicism and Absolute Monarchy in De clementia Seneca, stoicismo e monarchia assoluta nello De clementia

Le De clementia se présente comme un traité à fonction parénétique destiné à guider Néron sur la voie du bon gouvernement en le convaincant de pratiquer la clémence, élevée au rang de vertu cardinale. Mais à un moment où à Rome le sto cisme appara t comme lié par la figure de Caton aux valeurs républicaines, l’ uvre participe aussi d’un débat interne au Portique. Sénèque se réclame quant à lui du sto cisme orthodoxe à la fois pour justifier son acceptation de la monarchie absolue et la place éminente qu’il accorde à la clémence, essentielle dans ce type de régime. Sur le plan des institutions, le dossier de Sénèque para t solide ; en ce qui concerne la clémence on peut considérer qu’il cherche à faire évoluer la doctrine, même s’il raisonne toujours dans les cadres sto ciens. L’Histoire suffit à prouver que Sénèque n’a pas convaincu, mais il n’en reste pas moins que le De clementia est l’ uvre d’un sto cien authentique. De clementia is a treaty of exhortation for guiding Nero on the road to good government by convincing him to practice clemency, in so far as it is considered as a cardinal virtue. But at a time when Stoicism in Rome seems bound by the figure of Cato to Republican values, this work also involves an internal debate in Stoicism. Seneca claims an orthodox Stoicism both to justify its acceptance of absolute monarchy and the prominent place that he grants to clemency, which is essential in this kind of political system. On the institutional level, Seneca seems to have solid argumentation ; as far as clemency is concerned, he can be regarded as seeking to change the doctrine, even if he continues to invoke frames of Stoicism. Historical events are enough to prove that Seneca did not convince, but it remains the case that De clementia is the work of a true Stoic. Il De clementia si presenta come un trattato dalla funzione parenetica destinato a guidare Nerone sulla via del buongoverno convincendolo a praticare la clemenza, elevata al rango di virtù cardinale. Ma in un momento in cui a Roma lo stoicismo appare associato, nella figura di Catone, agli ideali repubblicani, l’opera partecipa anche di un dibattito interno alla Stoa. Seneca a volte afferma la sua vicinanza allo stoicismo ortodosso per giustificare la sua accettazione della monarchia assoluta e il primo piano da lui accordato alla clemenza, essenziale in questo tipo di regime. Sul piano istituzionale il trattato senecano appare solido; per quanto concerne la clemenza egli cerca di far evolvere la dottrina pur rimanendo all’interno delle categorie stoiche. La storia mostra che Seneca non