Seneca on dealing with betrayal

#forgiveness has become the universal recipe for betrayal, at least theoretically. Moral leaders tell their flock to forget what they have suffered, purify their hearts, and move on with their lives. In the early Roman Empire, #seneca was the most notable #philosopher to preach forgiveness as a recipe for dealing with betrayal. His recommendations are close to those formulated by Christianity. Actually, I should categorise Seneca’s recommendations as “how to cope with betrayal,” not “how to deal with betrayal.” I consider the verb “coping” more suitable for defining Seneca’s ideas because they aim solely at consoling the victim. Seneca fails to identify the root cause for the problem. He is exhorting readers to forget the injustices they have suffered, so that they are not consumed by rage and bitterness. I cannot endorse Seneca’s #recommendations in this respect because they are deeply irrational. How does Seneca expect to solve problems if he does not address them? If the traitor is not charged and prosecuted, will he not perpetrate his crime again and again? Consider for instance the case of Emperor Nero (37-68 AD) and his multiple treasons, abuses and human rights violations. I am going to enumerate just a few, to give readers an idea of the extent of his crimes. Nero’s most despicable betrayal is the one he perpetrated against general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo (7-67 AD), who had earned an impeccable reputation for his engineering talents and for his courage. Corbulo had led Roman troops into successful campaigns in Germany and Armenia. During those wars, he had ordered the construction of water canals and military forts, and left troops behind to prevent those provinces from rebelling. When Corbulo returned to Rome, people had expected Nero to award him the highest honours. Why did Nero instead? He ordered Corbulo to commit suicide. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-dealing-with-betrayal/