Seneca: On the Creation of Earthquakes (2023)

[bunniefuu]

[distant thunder rumbling]

[eerie music building]

[narrator] Seneca was a senator,

and considered

the wisest man in Rome.

He also got the job

of tutoring Nero in all things,

and became the life coach

to our city's mass-murdering

president for life,

a terrible idea that

would later end Seneca's life.

"I understand the grief

at the departure of certain

members of our community."

[Nero] I understand

the grief at certain members

departing our community.

No, no. "I understand the grief

at the departure of certain

members of our community."

You see how that flows?

"At," the," "of."

Very presidential.

Ha! Yes! [chuckles]

"However, if there are

any fishermen among us tonight,

or fishwives..."

However, if there are

any fishermen among us tonight,

or fishwives...

That is right. Be a friend

to the common people.

-You could be a fisherman.

-Yes.

"I feel your feelings.

I have your problems.

I'm just ever so slightly

ten million times

better than you."

[chuckles] "Fishermen know

that finding a decayed clam..."

Uh, fishermen know that

finding a rotten clam--

No, I wouldn't say "rotten."

"Decayed" suggests that

she's old, senile, has dementia.

So, "fishermen know that

finding a decayed clam

means that one must...

toss her from the batch

for dinner not to be ruined."

[clears throat]

Fishermen know that finding

a decayed clam means that

one must toss her from the...

"Batch."

Uh, for dinner not to be ruined.

Excellent. All right,

now all together from the top.

[Nero clearing throat]

I know it makes people sad,

sort of mad to isolate them

from the community.

But all fishermen know

that when you've got a...

rotten oyster,

you've got to toss

that thing in the...

batch for dinner.

[Seneca chuckling]

[Seneca] All right.

Um...

Again, from the top.

-"I understand..."

-[narrator] Seneca was

the establishment,

and Rome's ruling class stood

in line to pay him

extravagantly for his deep

thoughts,

which mostly told

his wealthy employers

just what they wanted to hear.

What is the happy life,

the life worth living?

Well, it is peace of mind

and tranquility.

And my dear fellows,

do not neglect the brain

that nature put inside you

by enslaving yourselves

solely to bodily enjoyments.

Eat less.

Not nothing, my good man,

by no means, no means at all.

But less.

Aim for virtue.

Happiness will follow.

[narrator]

Though married to Octavia,

Nero was besotted

with a woman of pleasure.

And yet it is reason

that orders the universe.

Reason beats back the passions,

leading to a good life,

a life lived simply

in accordance with nature.

[narrator] It was rumored that

Nero shared with her a love

of potions ground from plants,

a vice of the lower classes,

one that often might ruin

a young girl's looks.

Mr. President,

you are my only teacher.

[narrator]

Seneca was brought in to teach

Nero the ways of the world.

But Nero, who owned the world,

had but a short honeymoon

with his teacher.

Sir, this is,

from a purely optical--

rather, ethical standpoints--

very shaky, sir.

I mean, harming your own wife?

Well,

a president must be feared.

There is one,

only one thing that

I ever wanted from this job,

and that is for

fear of my cruelty

to be on everyone's lips.

Sir, I understand the impulse,

and frankly, I admire it.

A person like you with

a nature that is so healthy

and so manly and so must be

expressed.

But, Mr. President, an average

captain commands with fear,

a solid one with respect,

but a great one,

a once-in-a-lifetime leader,

-commands with mercy...

-[men grunting]

...demonstrating with

each gesture of gentleness

that he masters his domain

without fear.

So, you see, sir, the gesture

that wins immortality

is not the hand

choking the throat,

but rather

the fingertips caressing

the bloodstained feathers

-of the wounded dove.

-Be quiet!

Does anyone ever

say this to you? Hmm?

Does anyone ever demand

that you stop

your stupid life lessons

and just be quiet for once?

Don't look to me.

The boy is right in that

you do put on tremendous airs.

-Madam, I--

-Shh.

Fancy yourself a Socrates,

but in truth,

you possess no more

profound wisdom than

my son's wrestling coach.

[chuckles]

Sir,

I'm afraid I must plead mercy

for your wife Octavia's sake.

She is an old

and treasured friend of mine.

[Nero] Are you dumb?

Don't speak anymore.

I have forbidden it.

Hold your peace unless

you want your brain clouted in

for you with this stick.

See it?

-Yes, it's a stick.

-That's right.

So stop annoying me,

and maybe, just maybe,

you'll make it till morning.

[men grunting]

Now, I'll do as I please if

you give your approval or not.

[chuckling]

Listen up! All of you.

No one is going to

hurt this man today.

Now, this is

a very respected man.

You all know who this is.

Now, he believes

that mercy beats strength

because the man of noble spirit

respects mercy more.

Well...

I do not believe

in noble spirits,

and I do not respect mercy.

As of today, we will not

speak of these bad ideas.

Not ever again.

We're gonna play by some

different rules from now on.

Hey!

[men shouting]

[narrator]

Nero's wife Octavia was chained

and all her veins were cut.

Nero sent her head to Poppaea,

his new bride,

as her wedding gift.

[Nero shouts]

This man had the power

of life and death

over one in four people

living on Earth,

and Seneca knew the odds

were even at best that Nero,

this unstable bipolar child,

would soon take Seneca's life.

[Nero laughing]

Yes!

Senator, I know you're

a student of history.

Surely you are familiar with the

stories of President Tiberius

traveling through Africa

with his teacher Vipsinius?

Vipsinius said to Tiberius,

"You must show yourself

as a leader physically.

Get in front of the caravan

and walk before the people,

showing them

that you lead the world.

Literally."

This flattered Tiberius,

and he got out in front

and marched,

and sure enough...

wham!

A f*cking panther reared up,

bared its teeth.

Luckily, Tiberius's team

came in with 100 spears,

surrounded the panther,

turned him into a porcupine.

That night at dinner,

Tiberius spoke boastfully

of Vipsinius.

Vipsinius said, "Mr. President,

are you not angry?"

I put you in the way

of a panther!"

"On the contrary," he said,

"you taught me

the most important lesson.

Even for a leader,

overcoming fear and shame

is everything."

But...

after dinner, Vipsinius

was taken deep into the bush

where cannibals were waiting,

and it was their pleasure

to take the outsider,

pinion him to tree trunks,

and to consume him

while he lived,

slicing strip after strip of

his skin off him as he howled,

while they ate

and laughed and made merry

until he bled out and died.

Madam?

What lesson should

I derive from this?

You are an expert in survival.

You should know by now

that your only job is

to look my son in the eye

and say, "Yes, Mr. President."

Indeed, that is the wisest

choice one could possibly make.

And then go home

and count your money.

Don't make me regret

saving you from exile.

I do hope your kidneys

feel better.

[narrator]

Many, many years before,

Seneca was sent into exile

by a former president

for misspeaking.

This was a brutal sentence,

for exile did not mean

repairing to your beach house

to lick your wounds.

It meant you were

dropped down naked

more or less in a wilderness

and left to eat bugs.

Most exiles got sick,

starved, or k*lled themselves.

But Seneca survived,

and Seneca knew

he would not survive

a second round

of this kind of abuse.

[tense music]

[]

[screaming]

[thunder crashes]

Nero grew more and more

unhinged and unreliable.

He had k*lled his wife

and poisoned both his stepdad

and his half-brother.

All this was done

under the guidance of his mom.

But nothing could

save Agrippina

once Nero had hardened

his heart against her.

Nero plotted a shipwreck

for Agrippina,

but miraculously, she survived.

I survived.

My boy, I lived!

[]

[grunting weakly, panting]

Seneca!

I saved you.

I saved you from exile!

Made you rich!

Please.

[weeping]

[snarls]

Don't act like

you're hard of hearing!

I bought you your first house!

[narrator]

Seneca grew unimaginably rich,

writing speeches

justifying Nero's crimes,

such as the k*lling

of his mother.

I'm Mommy. Don't hurt Mommy.

Mommy loves you. [shouts]

[narrator] He got the name

Seneca praedives:

fat cat Seneca.

[rock music playing]

[]

As Nero grew debauched

and out of touch,

many ordinary Romans

fell into dire poverty.

The elites had

had enough of Nero.

They'd had enough, and finally,

Senator Gaius Piso gathered

his friends to k*ll Nero

and get the country

back to normal.

We've got to take

this f*cking guy out right now.

[narrator] But his

co-conspirators had big mouths.

Nero used his wipeout of the

conspirators to clean house,

and one face he'd be glad

never to see again

was Seneca's.

The president knew Seneca

had no part in Piso's plot,

but Nero felt a deep contempt

for this old man's

very high opinion of himself.

[]

[percussive music playing]

Along with his upbeat life

advice for Rome's wealthy,

-Seneca lived a double life...

-Mmm, figs.

[narrator] ...staging brutal

and nightmarish horror plays

for the chic upper crust.

[Lucia] Oh...

It's beautiful.

Oh...

I think beauty is good

for the soul, don't you?

Seneca knows this.

It's just his little boy

sense of humor

that twits us with all this...

ugliness.

[dramatic music]

Although we may

dream of justice,

we can't believe in it,

except as a kid's story our

grandmother might have told us.

If anyone has ever regarded

Argos with love or affection,

had a certain hometown loyalty,

well, let him come now,

for pity's sake,

to prevent a crime

beyond imagination.

Let fury know

no bounds nor shame,

just monstrous evil, like sparks

fanned into hateful flame.

Feast on this gory spectacular

I have prepared for you.

Feast on this expl*si*n of evil

until your bellies burst.

[Atreus growling]

[Atreus] I must dare

something atrocious!

[sighs] This isn't gonna

be political, is it?

So monstrous that

my brother's spirit will break

as mine will heal.

Sir,

have you learned nothing from

your mistakes that violence,

physical violence perpetrated

on your own flesh and blood,

is the ultimate of sins?

[Atreus]

A president must be feared.

Ah, sh*t, I knew this was

gonna be political.

He loves taunting the president.

He thinks he can bullshit

his way out of anything

with his bullshit factory.

[Atreus] Let the mob

worship what they fear.

His hot blood cannot be cooled.

Such irrational passion,

such anger, such rage

must lead to catastrophe.

When you force praise by fear,

hatred and fear

come back to you.

True glory, true respect

comes not from the lips,

but the heart.

[Atreus] I've been lusting

after revenge for years.

All right.

What weapon will it be?

Sword, fire?

My brother Thyestes himself

will be the weapon.

-[Thyestes shouting]

-[all exclaiming]

[Thyestes laughing]

Let the father tear the flesh

from his boys' bodies.

Let him drink

the blood of his blood,

gnaw the bones of his bone

so he may hate himself

with the same hot hatred

as I have for him.

And you will make sure

nobody knows of our plans.

The world should crack with

cataclysms and earthquakes,

but we know how it is.

Everything marches on

like always,

and evil becomes the new normal.

Holy mackerel.

Talk about heavy-handed.

I don't get with

all the chic pessimism.

Everyone's harping on

the sins of the past.

He'd do better in awards season

if there was someone onstage

to root for.

-Sorry!

-[exclaiming, gasping]

[boy 1] No, no. No, please, no.

Ah, trapped. The whole brood.

The thought of their pain,

their hurt,

gives me

the whim-whams-delicious!

I am on fire with pleasure

and bloodlust, unbearably fine!

How nice to see my brother.

[Thyestes] This is

the greatest happiness

for exiles to return

to their home.

Flow, my tears of joy!

I have never begged before,

but now I'm on my knees.

Take my sweet boys

as proof of my good intention.

Brother, wear this crown

while I perform the sacrifice

for your return.

They're gonna k*ll those

little sl*ve wogs, aren't they?

I've barely eaten today.

I don't know if my stomach

can handle it.

-[boy 1] No! No, please!

-[Thyestes giggling]

[giggling continues]

No. No. No, please, no!

[Atreus snarling]

[Thyestes giggling]

[Atreus chuckling]

[]

Ha!

[blade scraping]

[boy 1 grunting]

[boy 2 shouts]

[boy 2] No! No!

No!

[woman gags]

[grunts]

[screams]

[Thyestes giggling]

-[Lucia] Are they real?

-Best not ask.

f*ck' Seneca.

Always goes over the top.

You're horrified?

If the crime had

only ended here,

it would've been a blessing!

[Atreus mumbling incoherently]

[mumbling continues]

[]

And on that day,

the sun itself shrank from

what it saw and fled the sky,

but too late to avoid having

witnessed the noxious feast

Atreus prepared

for his own brother.

I know now how gods feel.

Their power surges

from my synapses.

My pure will rules the world.

It is good to be a man,

even better to be a king,

but a god, limitless in power?

That is best of all.

And so,

the people soup is served.

The father carves

his boys' bodies

and chews

the flesh of his flesh.

He takes a sip

of blood-laced wine

to wash down a piece of meat

stuck in his throat.

-[Thyestes coughing]

-The only mercy for poor

Thyestes is his total ignorance,

but that can't last.

The worm has turned,

and all that awaits him

is the agonized realization

of how the world is sick.

Mad and sick.

[Thyestes] To be home at last,

safe and sound,

my exile past,

my misery forgotten.

All that remains

to make the evening perfect

is to have my boys

join my celebration!

I assure you,

your boys are here.

They cannot be taken

from you ever again.

I promise that you

and they shall never be parted.

Those boys will sustain you,

nourish, fill you up. I swear!

[Thyestes]

I happily accept this feast

my brother has laid out for me.

Let's pour some wine to honor

the gods and then be drunk!

Let's party down!

[Thyestes] Wait.

What is this?

I can't get my hand to move.

Cup's like lead.

The wine won't pass my lips.

[somber music]

[grunts] What's come over me?

Something's terribly wrong.

[grunts]

Oh, what is this?

I feel a tremor in my guts,

a trembling.

I hear a noise from my belly,

but it does not sound like me!

My heart is pounding in terror.

My children!

Beloved brother,

I've got what you want here.

[woman groans]

I can't even take it.

What are we gonna tell him

when it's over?

[Thyestes] How...

can the world go on

after this sort of evil?

How can all of this sh*t,

piss, and poison

not sink into Earth's belly

and blast it wide open?

[mocking] "Aww,

I want my boys back!

Oh, God,

anything to get back my boys!"

Now you've got them.

So, hug 'em. Give 'em a kiss.

Nibble on their little lips!

[sobs]

Be decent, and just...

give me their remains so I can

give them a decent burial.

What is left of them, you have.

What isn't left of them,

you have that too!

-[chuckling]

-What's this riddle?

Are they being

devoured by beasts?

There's only one someone here

who's eaten them,

and that is you.

You have eaten

your sons yourself.

[]

[gasps]

[laughs humorlessly]

Who ever saw such a crime? Huh?

Are there no limits?

Is there no decency

in this world, no humanity?

Who made the world be this way?

Where are those

to protect the innocent?

Whoever's in charge here,

for the sake of your honor,

the sake of the world you rule,

send down your final,

cleansing anger!

With fire, burn away this filth!

Do it, now! I beg--No!

I defy you. I dare you.

Go on! We all deserve to die!

Or...

forever admit

there's nothing there.

Nothing but black void,

in which case we must

worship night and cold,

and learn to love death,

corruption, lies, and hate,

for it is all that's real,

and the rest is delusion.

The gods have left, and Earth

is nothing but a stupid rock.

Why is beauty gone?

Why has dark night descended,

obliterating all

the light of midday?

Either we lost our sun

or we chased it away.

Could it be that we, of all

generations, are deserving of

the sky's collapse

and an Earth

knocked off its axis?

Could it be?

Clap, please.

[applauding]

[Felix shouting] March! March!

[intense music]

[men grunting]

March, march, march!

March, march!

[]

Go! Go! Go! You're a f*ck!

Go! Go, you f*ck' idiot.

Go! Go, go, go!

March! March! March! March!

Do your duty!

Go, go, go! Go, go!

-[man grunts]

-f*ck!

I told you to get up,

so now get your a*s up!

Oh, you got to the count

of three to get on up now.

One!

Two!

-Three!

-[man grunts]

You're a f*ck' coward!

Do your f*ck' duty!

Do your f*ck' duty!

-Love.

-[Felix] f*ck you!

Love him.

-Chaps like him have their uses,

Mr. President.

-[grunting continues]

But I worry a little bit

about this one.

Lot of energy.

Dishes out punishment good.

But I wonder if he's gonna

be able to put a lid on it.

[]

[Felix] Watch me, boys,

and you'll learn a thing or two.

See,

I know how to keep it tender.

You gotta use the time you have,

and you gotta do it right.

[distant horse whinnying]

Listen.

I have a job of work for you.

You seem like a good boy.

You're not afraid

to hurt someone if you have to.

If they've done something,

you know...

bad.

Mm-hmm.

Do you know

who Senator Seneca is?

Mmm...

nope.

Oh, that's good. [chuckling]

Now let me get you a horse.

[all] "Friends,

we serve up nightmares here."

A frisson, a cold shiver.

Not for fragile sensibilities.

Of course,

there is a lesson to our tale.

We're not indulging

in ugliness for its own sake.

So, what is required

of those allowed to dine

at the President's table?

What are the conditions

necessary for the good life--

all their benefits, the eating,

the drinking--to continue?

Exactly this: you must smile at

the slaughter of your loved ones

and say, "Thank you, boss.

Might I have another?"

You must eat the sh*t you are

told to eat and beg for more.

Like love, like relations,

all is transactional.

Alas, whether life is worth

living at such a price

is a whole other question.

Seneca, it's super clear

what makes you write these

gruesome, nihilistic sketches

that are so far from

the great advice

you give our city's achievers.

It's all the time you spend

with high-rollers,

counseling these

soulless aardvarks on

how to lead a righteous life,

telling them

what they wanted to hear.

-It makes you lash out.

-Mmm, don't mean to sound like

a know-it-all, Senator,

but I--I sense something

churning in you, pulling you

to make these, uh, events.

I can't put my fingers on it,

but it's not wholesome.

No matter.

Wouldn't read too much into it.

After all, we're not speaking

of present-day Rome, are we?

But rather ancient Greece.

[chuckles] You are so bad.

But I do worry about you.

All this political stuff.

You must tend your words

carefully when you approach

the subject of the president.

Nero would wrap your knickers

'round your head

before the intermission.

If he found out we were here

watching, he'd k*ll us too.

[percussive music]

[soldier] Keep going!

Let's go! Keep it up!

-Keep it up!

-[horse whinnying]

Push! Push, now! Keep it up!

Don't stop!

Keep it going! Let's go!

[]

[narrator]

There were rumors, tremors

that went through the capital

that Seneca was

out of favor with

the president.

[thunder booming]

But Seneca, Mr. Establishment,

could talk his way

out of anything,

and tonight's theatergoers,

the cream of the rich

and beautiful set,

were happy to be there at

the great man's side as guests

at his country estate,

the most in-demand

dinner spot in highbrow Rome...

at least, at first.

[]

[bird calling]

[]

[music turns suspenseful]

[]

Remind yourselves,

we die every day.

Death is stalking us everywhere,

so it's useless

to fear or dread it.

Say a knot

strangles your throat,

or you fall off a cliff--

ahh, splat-- onto the rocks.

Well, however you go,

even if it is a ghastly thing,

at least you die fast!

How can you not be embarrassed

having dreaded

something your entire life

which, bam, is over in a second?

Far better to imagine and

embrace doom before it arrives

so that it ceases to terrify.

And kids, drink up.

It's later than you think.

[]

[]

Listen,

I understand that we expect

a certain quid pro quo

from the universe.

You have done all that the gods

have bidden,

you have maybe--

maybe even learned

to delay a pleasure today

for a deeper pleasure tomorrow,

a greater security,

and yet, still, one day--

[groaning]

So...

the question is, why do bad

things happen to good people?

Meaning people like us.

People like you, my dear.

And you, kind sir. Whoops.

Even you.

And me.

And the answer is so that we

may teach others how to endure.

You see,

that is actually our privilege.

We are born to set an example.

Now, I'm not much one

for blowing my own horn...

[Lucia laughs]

...but fear is not

on my list of ingredients.

[approaching hoofbeats]

Can I help you, friend?

I seek the Senator named...

Sene--Seneca?

I am Seneca.

I, uh... [clears throat]

Would you step outside for

a quick second with me, sir?

Whatever you may

have to say to me,

I am happy to hear

among friends.

No, I--I don't think this, sir.

With due respect.

I haven't a care. Whether

it be a delinquent tax bill,

or a nearby landowner

hoping to alter the boundary

of my property,

or a distinguished fellow

from the city who believes

I am growing a friendship with

his most marriageable daughter.

All of these conflicts

are to me easily rectified

by a simple conversation

among decent men,

and therefore open

to the hearing of all

my good and close friends.

Nothing will ever befall me

that I shall receive

with gloomy countenance.

Well...

I come to tell you, sir,

that President Nero has decided

that you are to be ex*cuted

for leading a conspiracy

to k*ll him.

And...

and he said to me personally,

he's giving you a real special

gift--that's how he put it--

he's gonna let you

take your own life.

Because, sir, the way

I'm supposed to do it...

it's awful, sir.

I wouldn't wish it on a dog.

So, if I was you,

I'd take his council,

and do it by my own hand, sir.

What is your name, officer?

Felix, sir.

Felix, if--if I may,

there has been a great deal

of tumult in the court of late.

Lots of arguing,

raised voices, much squabbling,

and sometimes these disputes,

you see,

-get out of hand...

-No. No, sir--

So, please, go back,

and I shall call upon him

-at his convenience

to straighten this out...

-No. Sir--

...right away.

I'll venture out from my home

at his earliest convenience.

Now that is settled. Let us

invite you to dine with us,

have a jug of wine,

and in the spirit of--

[shouting] Sir!

No! No, sir!

The president said

you are to die!

And that is that.

[grunts]

[tense music]

[groans]

[groaning]

He said no funny business,

and that you would try

all kinds of funny business.

He said you would try

to talk your way out of it.

It's no good.

You are to learn

that you have to die.

And you can do it

the hard way or the easy way,

and it's up to you,

but there is no other way.

There is no way

of getting out of this, sir.

I can dispatch you right now,

but I promise the way

he wanted that done ain't nice.

Or...

I can come back here

tomorrow morning,

pick up your body,

and you can do it much nicer.

Get to have your friends and all

by your side too if you want.

My wife is coming back.

She'll be here any minute.

I can do this, sir.

You don't want that. Really.

I understand.

No, sir. Thank you.

Can I offer you a meal before

you set out on your journey?

No, sir.

You have a lot

to think about right now.

I won't take up any more

of your precious time.

Good night to you all.

And safe passage to you,

officer.

[retreating hoofbeats]

[low, tense music]

[indistinct murmuring]

-Paulina!

-Oh, look at you!

Paulina, as I live and breathe!

Look at you!

-How fresh you look

after a long journey!

-I know the spinning

of this silk!

The spiders from Madagascar.

Look how your skin glows!

All the anger and the worry

from before your trip

has disappeared.

-I tell you this as a friend.

-Oh, dearest.

My dearest man?

Is everything all right?

In the garden.

I mean, on the grounds?

Servants have not

stolen anything?

Nothing that I need to tend to?

Beloved, please,

if you would, with me?

[murmuring]

The green is ghastly.

I wonder who she f*cked

for this dress.

-Seneca wouldn't pay for it.

-[snickering]

Beloved, outside, please.

Let's--

-She needs a new designer.

-I know.

What's the thing in her ear?

Is it new?

Please don't phrase it.

Just speak to me. What happened?

Well, um...

-the president--

-Ugh!

-Please.

-What? Just, what is it?

Well, you see, dearest,

the fact of the matter is,

he--he has

sentenced me to death.

[whimpering]

[sobbing]

-[wailing]

-Please, darling.

Li--listen. Listen.

-Listen...

-What have you done?

Or what did you do?

Why did you have to consort

with these people?

There were plenty of sponsors.

They would have given you

whole vineyards

-rather than take them away!

-Beloved... dearest one--

Why did you fall in with

these horrible, vicious people?

I always said to you,

these people, they--

not only do they

not have manners,

they--they don't have feelings,

or morals, or...

They are not like people!

They are like--like donkeys,

or jackals, or--or a hyena!

-Did you try to k*ll him?

-What? No, of course not!

I know you love drama and all,

but let's get down

to brass tacks.

We need to fix this.

What must we do now?

How much do we have to pay now

to get out of this?

That is not an option.

I am going--I--You don't--

How do I phrase this? They are

going to actually k*ll me.

-No. No!

-Yes. Yes!

-Yes.

-No!

-Yes.

-[sobbing] No! No!

-No!

-Jesus! Stop! Stop!

Why is everyone

hitting me today?

You're a self-destructive a*s!

Look. Look in the mirror.

Look at your face.

Does this look like

a clean liver?

Paragon of virtue

advising the state?

Looks to me like an old drunk

who eats too well.

Nero... your masterpiece!

You are drowning in the ashes

of the bridges you have burned.

My mother begged me

not to marry you.

-Said you'd be my ruination.

-Stop. Stop.

That I would give you

my best years,

-my beautiful years.

-Stop.

And you know what?

She was right.

-Stop it.

-I never told you this...

I told her that

I owed it to you.

Because you were a great man,

[grunting]

...and you deserved my respect.

And look at me. Look at me now!

What will I be?

Everyone knew the president

was a nutter. [sobs]

Who'd even take that job,

knowing they were going to...

[sobs]

[shouting] People!

You have no idea

the treats I brought you!

[laughing maniacally]

[percussive music]

Don't be so f*cking timid!

You're not gonna

break water tonight.

[]

[narrator] While Nero partied,

his armies colonized

more territory,

extracting resources for Rome.

When asked for comment on this,

Seneca once remarked, "It is

a chief executive's prerogative

to take what he thinks

his people need."

[laughter]

[all murmuring]

[woman clears throat]

I made the bargain that

many good men have made when

agreeing to aid bad regimes,

but, you know,

I did it for Rome.

My friends, you understand,

for our traditions.

Don't we have to preserve

our beautiful traditions?

We can not have maniacs

like this running the country

completely unchecked!

And had I left the Senate

or the president's employ

as scholar-in-residence,

Nero would have been

a worse princeps,

and Rome would have been

subject to worse abuses.

He owes me!

He owes me.

Not money.

He owes me for any part

of himself that resembles a man.

He owes me.

Well, you wrote plays where

he was a sadistic fatso.

And you mocked his

singing voice.

Practically to his face.

My point is, I was putting

my life on the line

to defend the people of Rome

against a dangerous kid

with too much power.

Attempting to--

to mold his brain

into something mature.

Trying--

trying to teach someone

born with the brains

of a scorpion

uh, about mercy--no!

Oh, for God's sake, no,

forget about mercy,

how about just trying,

attempting to teach him

a thing or two

about reason itself!

You know,

I've discovered something

about you today, Senator.

You're paid to enlighten

the rich,

but--but your real heart

and soul isn't in that.

It's in these horrible and

horrific pageants you put on.

Spectacles of cruelty.

So you show awful

things to spoiled little girls

and scar them for life.

And guess what? Bullseye.

Uh, you did it.

And now you've made

yourself the spectacle.

Ah.

Devastatingly insightful.

I'm in agony.

You know, that

reminds me of a story.

Listen, Seneca.

I really gotta hit the bricks.

I've got a massive day ahead.

[chuckles]

plus, let's face facts,

you've got a lot on your plate.

Yeah, this is no time

for socializing.

This is crunch time.

You have many great

decisions to make,

and business to tend to.

-Straightening out this mess.

-Hmm.

-Hmm.

-You know,

I have dealt with

a thousand worse things

a thousand times before!

So why don't you just relax,

I'll fetch a jug of wine.

-No, really, the kids

are asleep.

-Yeah.

You'll be missing a major moment

in the history of rhetoric,

-something they'll be teaching--

-We can't.

Can't you understand

what he's trying to say?

We don't feel safe.

We don't feel safe

with everything that's going on,

and I think there's nothing

more to do about it,

and we have to go now.

But Cecilia, I--

I wouldn't want you to think

that I mean to detain you,

or oppress you.

We're leaving, too.

But you understand, things

being as chaotic as they are.

Everything is very emotional.

-You are very emotional.

-We're sure you'll figure

this thing out.

-We just--

-We don't want to abandon you,

you know?

It's just, things

are tough for us right now,

and we can't handle problems,

with the government

watching us all--

-You are a great man, Senator.

-Listen, listen.

Everyone, and I don't

care who you are,

succumbs to panic

when our senses are alerted

to the creation

of an earthquake.

Does anything cause

more terror than the world

going boom, boom, boom, boom!

Can you imagine the whole

world falling down?

Uh, but, really,

nothing to be done.

There's no point in panicking,

because we do what we can,

but that is all one can do,

And we must accept that.

Because, kids, what

hidey-hole can we hope for,

what aid awaits us,

if the very planet itself

is the reason for ruin?

For the vanquished,

what possible safety remains,

except, ask not for any safety?

Yeah, that's okay, but,

you know, you are a great man.

What she means is,

we are not philosophers.

We just want to live.

Your name is, Rufus,

is that right?

I only know you

through your wife.

Well, everyone knows Balbina.

And you got in here

on your wife's good looks

and charms, correct?

Not--not that I mind that.

I--I appreciate a man

who sees his main chance,

and goes there.

And though I don't much share

your taste in, say, shirts,

um...

might I ask you a question?

Do you know why

you beat your wife?

[clatters]

You beat her to take the

edge off the pain and terror

in your own heart,

but that only adds

to the pile of shame inside you,

and in a few, pitiful years

you will both be dead,

but all that pain,

and misery, and shame

will have been for sh*t.

[mimics fanfare] Trumpets.

Lesson completed.

So, do go.

f*ck off. Go on, beat it.

Get the f*ck out of here.

Tonight I am bequeathing

the legacy of my life's work

to those who deserve to hear it.

Who have earned it!

People who shall

themselves be remembered!

So please do, go forth,

and disappoint.

Go, go!

Yes, f--you f*cking,

ri--you f*cking, f*ck--

you f*cking, f*cking,

f*cking rich people!

You have too much to lose

to even retain

the flimsiest pose of virtue.

[Balbina] Senator?

I mean, it's hard to take

this soak-the-rich stuff

from one who clearly,

and I don't mean that

in a jealous way,

lives very high on the hog.

You know, that sultry

voice of yours

must no doubt be amazing

when someone's f*cking you.

But, uh, "What you mean,

why do you mock me,

Senator, when you give wealth

the exact same status

I give wealth?"

Is that about right?

[Rufus] Exactly!

They don't warrant your wrath.

I am Seneca.

I advise, I awaken,

I admonish, I accuse.

But I don't do wrath.

Now, would you care to know

how differently we view wealth?

Bring it on!

In my life,

wealth has a certain place,

in your life it is center-stage.

To sum up,

my wealth belongs to me,

and your wealth owns you.

I regard wealth as a sl*ve,

but you regard it as a master.

So, therefore, enough of this

banning philosophers

from possessing money.

No one has ever condemned

wisdom to poverty.

Did you get that, people?

Now go, f*ck off, I'll, uh,

have the girls bring you

a bag of dinner for your dogs.

[narrator] In this moment,

a key turned inside Seneca,

and as he flung

the guests out of his house,

he suddenly had the knowledge,

for no particular reason,

like a bolt of lightning,

this is the day he would die,

and he would die soon.

It is most distasteful

to evict unwelcome guests.

And now, perhaps,

most of you feel unwelcome.

Oh, my Gods!

If you had all just tasted

the berries I ate last week.

[sighs]

From the center of Africa.

I forget the name of the town.

But they just take

you out of your skin!

The beauty of the berry,

you see,

is not just that you

have visions,

it's what really happens to you.

Ooh!

[eerie music]

I was transported

into a sea of stars.

[laughs softly]

It was like a hundred million

campfires, all burning bright.

And I felt the energy...

of a hundred million souls,

spinning together into one,

in balance.

Do you feel it?

Do you feel the softness

of the stars, caressing us?

And I now have the power

to draw the sweetness,

and the love,

and pass it to you.

Can you feel,

through my fingertips,

that the universe itself

is bestowing sweetness on you?

And care,

and wrapping you up

like a baby in a blanket?

I want this whole room to stop!

And close your eyes,

and feel in your hearts

the love,

and the sweetness,

and the kindness to yourselves

that my journey has brought us.

It's a special gift.

Use it, while it's still here

in the room.

Dear Lucia, you are...

I don't--

how should I phrase this?

Well, sh*t,

you're a f*cking drug fiend.

Um, and before you know it,

your girlish beauty

will be gone,

and you're going

to end up looking

like your f*cking sister.

Oh, don't even

take the bait, Lucia.

He has this way of twitting

the ones he loves the most.

You don't say?

Well, maybe he does it to those

who don't love him most!

Not after this treatment!

You get moody, and suddenly,

we're the evilest people

in the world.

I'm trying to help you here!

I don't need this kind of help.

You're giving me

a f*cking headache.

Is that so?

Well...

Let me tell you

something, Senator.

Something you may not

be aware of.

Most of the senators

that work in the Senate,

and most of the people

that work with the senators

that work in the Senate,

they see you,

this great, wise man

with your great tips on how

one ought to live one's life,

and then they see those

ridiculous leather boots

with the fancy double laces,

and the leather rubbed

in some f*cking butter

by a dozen virgins,

and what do you think they see?

A hick.

A hayseed.

A jumped-up climber,

struggling to fit in

with people

you will never understand.

People of breeding,

people of noble birth.

Stop, stop, stop. Enough.

You have to learn to quit

when you're behind, kiddo!

You're a one-woman opium crisis.

They laugh at you.

[low, tense music]

The great stoic preacher

of the simple life,

who got filthy rich

being Nero's ghostwriter.

You are a vain,

hypocritical fool,

and a coward,

and you have tried to have

the hair of sl*ves

stitched into a wig,

to hide your cuckold pate!

-[cackles]

-[coughs]

[Lucia] Uh-oh,

you didn't know that?

[cackles]

Don't you f*cking touch me!

[cackling wildly]

Time for you to be

on your way, Madame.

It is growing dark.

Night is almost upon us.

It has been a sincere sensation,

I hope you have a safe

journey home,

and should you ever need

anything, anything at all,

such as protection

from common th*gs,

do not hesitate to call upon me.

Good day.

I am putting a curse on you.

A f*cking curse!

Not on your child bride.

But on your legacy.

And that is the hex

that will chase your words,

not your stinking carcass,

through a hundred

thousand years!

And no amount of cheap

shock tactic

blood and gut trash theatre

is gonna change that one bit!

[Lucia gasps]

You think we're rubbish,

don't you?

And you are the great wise man,

a superhuman man.

Well, I wanna tell you

something, mister.

Let's have a come-to-Jupiter

moment here.

The one thing that

absolutely no one will

say to your face is--

-[door clanks]

-Madwoman.

Her son died, you know.

Been deranged with grief.

Uh, that it was her sister's.

Nephew, actually.

Whatevs.

Moving on.

Here we are.

I have a gift for you,

my darling.

My darling baby child.

I've been traveling.

Believe me.

I am besieged with gifts.

I have so many gifts.

I have this ostrich egg--

[Seneca] Dearest, no,

not that kind of gift.

I mean an ultimate gift.

Something, an offering

that we, as two people,

refining our spirits together

through our love, have come to.

Dear... I'm so tired.

I have no time for riddles.

Take my hand. Come with me.

Let me show you what I mean.

[wind gusts softly]

[birds chirping]

We used to come here

all the time.

Remember our secret spot?

Been way too long.

Oh, Dearest.

We have had our quarrels.

Many. Many.

Had I known when we were wed

how hard it'd be

to lie beside one so much

older than myself--

Dearest! My love, please.

Just saying, had I known

about all your...

unfortunate digestive issues,

not to mention

your erectile dysfunction,

and of course your so-called

"elite predilections",

the nurse dresses,

the paddle,

that night you finally

passed those peppers,

and then the constant

leakage of your--

Dearest, my love, shh!

Please, for me. Just listen.

For a brief moment.

You know that

for all of our differences,

I love you so much more

than anyone.

I love you so much, I feel

as if my chest were exploding.

Yes, I...

I know you do.

[sobbing]

And I'm sorry I struck you, I--

Dearest. Listen.

Let me explain how

things are here.

Here?

Here, on this earth of ours.

Yes, I loved that.

From when I was your pupil.

You would explain things to me,

the workings of how

things... worked.

You don't do that

for me any more.

But, dearest, I am!

Just listen.

[low, somber music]

I know you may say that

the worst thing is to age,

get worn out, and die off,

or rather, as my generation

says, to fade away.

Of course, we don't just

fall down,

and come apart all at once.

We fade away.

Like I was saying

about your body parts.

All of the things, Paulina,

that are beautiful about you,

that are special about you,

and I'm not referring

to your physical beauty,

I want you to know that,

because that--

That's ridiculously superficial,

and at this point,

I don't even think about it.

Of course not, because you

are an advanced person.

Very advanced.

But I want you to know

that all the things

that are special about you,

your learning,

your great sensitivity,

your compassion toward animals,

your tenderness

toward children--

That's another story.

I don't think

I ever got over it.

The loss, the emptiness.

Couldn't we go somewhere

and have a child,

surely we can afford an orphan

child that could be ours!

I'd keep it, you wouldn't

have to deal with it.

Dearest, Dearest,

stay with me, focus.

Just... listen.

Just--just hear me.

[Paulina sighs]

We all know we have to go.

But, when the time comes,

and death comes knock,

knock, knockin' upon our door,

well, we shake,

and we scream,

and we shout,

"How do I get out of this?"

But don't waste your breath.

Every journey has its end.

And I must go.

And you, you, Paulina,

must go,

the way all things go.

It happened to your mom and dad,

and it would happen to our

children, if we had any.

And now, it is our turn.

Just the two of us.

Time for a magnificent exit.

Think of all the billions

and trillions of people

that are going to die after us,

and isn't it--isn't it

amazing that you, Paulina,

are so much braver then they?

But so much braver.

You were an actress.

Only for a brief moment,

but you were a very good one.

And of course you remember

that we don't applaud,

and reward the most acting,

but rather the best acting.

And you must be certain to leave

an absolutely indelible ending.

[ominous music]

I'm very, very sure

that you've given them

something to remember.

And they will remember Paulina

at the absolute pinnacle

of her beauty and charm.

[]

[sighs]

I know this is not

how you saw this going.

But, listen.

I promise you, if you do this,

the name Paulina will sound...

so loud, for eternity.

[]

We are so privileged.

So privileged.

So honored.

Will they--I'm so afraid

to ask this.

No, no! Go.

Will they not just remember

my name?

Will they remember my face?

It's so stupid, and wrong,

but I wanted to be remembered

for when I was young,

and beautiful.

They will remember your face

for all of eternity.

And more.

Tonight, this special night,

I shall pass on to you,

dear friends,

the fruit of a life spent

in contemplation.

The humble wisdoms

of a simple man,

a small-town

schoolteacher, really,

if one wishes to view Rome

as a small town,

which, of course, it is.

I want to gift you my legacy.

And, p.s., Paulina and I

are not in the least afraid

of our taking our final

curtain call tonight.

It is a well-known,

and at this point,

an almost canonical piece

of Roman lore,

the last words spoken

by Socrates before dying.

"Crito! We owe a c*ck

to Ascepius!"

A-S-C-E-P-I-U-S.

[writing implement rustling]

"Crito, please don't forget

to pay the debt."

Ascepius is the god of healing,

and many have inferred that

Socrates was giving thanks

for his safe and peaceable

exit out of this world.

Or, perhaps, it was a form

of lowbrow joke.

You know, um, a c*ck,

and all that.

Anyway, Socrates!

Well, who can hack

into the epic brain

of that world champ

of the suicide Olympics,

in whose shadow we all

live and die.

He chugged...

[mimics glugging sounds]

...that hemlock, and said,

"I am jumping out

of my own skin, to see

what's up in the next world."

I mean, what a screwball.

-But, seriously, folks.

-[insects buzzing]

Come on. What a night, huh?

I want to start first

by thanking you,

dear people,

for the smoothness

of my exit from this world,

and perhaps most of all,

you, dear Paulina,

for making my deliverance most

gorgeous, and most comforted.

Now friends, you know

that it is a man's own fault

if he suffers,

for he can always put an end

to his misery,

by putting an end to himself.

You see, I have always

imagined gods saying,

"I made nothing easier

in this life than dying."

Try any vein in your body.

Open up, and bleed.

I promise you.

You will have left the building

in under three minutes.

Suicide is a superpower.

[suspenseful music]

Death is coming.

He rides by night.

[]

Be graceful.

Let him have his way.

Do not neigh, and jerk

against the bit in your mouth.

Death is coming

to make us all equals.

Death's here, my love.

Not as sweet

as my little Paulina,

but sweet all the same.

Folks.

We are ready to go,

ready to go, ready to go,

ready to go-h*-h*.

No, no, I insist.

Let me get ready for death,

as I would get ready for bed.

Just as cozily,

just as happily

as I would jump into bed

and pull up the covers,

so will I jump into my tomb,

and pull it closed.

Here, feel my pulse, I dare you.

Even-Steven, not raised

by so much as a notch.

I lived well,

and now I am going to die well,

And that means to die gladly.

Friends, most humble thanks.

Farewell.

Friends, whoa, hey!

What happened to your

philosophical convictions,

your rationality rehearsed

for so many years,

against impending

gloom and doom?

Haven't you read my writings?

I mean,

look at this little girl,

Paulina, she understands.

My best pupil,

my one masterpiece. My equal.

You know, she told me something

the night we met--

Dearest. I come to join you now.

My love.

You prefer the glory of dying.

I will not begrudge you

such a noble example.

Let the fortitude

of so courageous an end

be alike in both of us,

but let there be more

in your passing

to win the respect of the women

who were born after you.

I live to serve your legacy,

master.

[solemn music]

Now I join you.

[]

No, I shall take this straight.

You have it,

dear friend, Statius.

[]

Ah!

[Seneca groaning]

Ah!

[Paulina gasps]

[]

[Paulina whimpers]

[whimpers]

[sobbing]

[Paulina gasps]

[Paulina whimpers]

[Seneca gasps]

Oh!

[suspenseful music]

[gasps]

[blood spatters]

Oh!

[Paulina gasps]

Oh!

[blood spattering]

[]

[gasps sharply]

[Paulina whimpers]

[Paulina whimpers]

[Paulina moaning]

[Paulina] Oh!

Gentlemen.

I believe we need

to do a bit more cutting.

[Paulina gasps and moans]

[blood spatters]

[Paulina moans]

[Seneca] Friends, once again,

here we are.

The grand finale.

Yep. This is it.

My legacy.

My own death is my ultimate--

Aah! Legacy.

It is a wonderful thing

to learn thoroughly how--

Eee! To die.

Aah!

[Paulina moans]

[moaning faintly]

[whimpering]

[tense, somber music]

[squelching]

He who has learned how

to die has unlearned sl*very.

He is...

[Paulina moaning faintly]

Fear, due to a fee...

[Paulina moaning faintly]

[]

[gasps]

For what--

he...

[slurring]

...fear do the bars of...

[groaning]

Ah!

For what fear...

[]

[Paulina moans faintly]

[Seneca] ...what fear do...

the bars of a jail, the room

is spinning, really spinning.

[groans]

Learned, enlightened, man,

his way out is clear.

[sharp gasping breath]

[gasping]

Ah!

[labored breaths]

[gasping]

There is only one chain

which binds us to life,

and that is the love of life.

And so I bid you farewell.

Milord.

No, I must insist...

I must go!

Senator! I'm sorry!

We can't endure this no longer!

-But--

-This girl,

to sacrifice

this beautiful girl,

as part of your...

theatrical imagination,

well, it's just...

You should be

dreadfully ashamed of yourself.

What? Gentlemen.

Gentlemen. Wait.

Don't ruin this moment.

This is an historic moment.

No, wait! Have I no more

authority in my own house?

All right! All right!

There's no need to accost me

in my own house.

All right!

I shall be peaceable!

I shall be peaceable. Unhand me.

[distant shouting]

[suspenseful music]

But--

[whimpering]

[Statius grunting]

[birds chirping]

Seneca...

What?

Look at yourself.

[somber music]

This clearly isn't working.

[breathing heavily]

It's as

I always expected, truly,

I have sawdust in my veins!

We need to reach for a more

traditional approach.

Lucilius.

I keep some hemlock at the ready

for purposes of contemplation.

Grind me a cup of hemlock.

The ground leaves

that produce the hemlock drink.

Thank you, most trusted friend,

for moving me to

the next scene of our drama.

Perhaps I can become my best

Seneca by playing Socrates.

Farewell, my friend.

[gasping]

Folks, once more.

One final time.

This... is the end.

At long last.

And my eyes range

over many centuries,

the succession of so many ages.

I see kingdoms rise

to wealth and glory

and plummet into nothingness.

I see magnificent cities

descend into hellholes.

I see vast lands submerged

under ever-rising seas.

Understand that permanence,

the very concept,

does not exist.

The clock will demolish

everything you loved,

everything you ever

laid bloody eyes on!

Time is the landlord.

It owns everything.

And not only human beings

will be time's playmates

and victims,

because, let's face it,

time does not even

care that we exist,

but also planets, galaxies,

whole galactic

star systems will be...

wiped out.

Mountains completely levelled.

Seas smote. Smote. Smote!

Affiliations? Commerce?

Thwarted. Utterly.

All bonds? Over.

Cities devoured by chasms,

rocked by earthquakes,

stunk out with

pestilential vapors.

And, in a thoroughgoing deluge,

the planet itself

will k*ll off whole species,

and create a conflagration

none shall escape.

All that now shines in

neat and orderly arrangement

will burn in a single fire,

until all matter

is consumed in flame.

[ominous music]

This stuff always

cheers me up somehow.

Strange. Right?

Even when it gets

so bad I can't talk.

[Seneca] For how can anything

exist when I am dead?

This is it. Finally.

At last. The end.

I can see it. I can see

the end approaching me.

Soul turning silent.

Mute, forever.

[muttering]

Oh?

I dreamt of sweetmeats.

So... not dead. Oof.

See? Very cold.

The hemlock

isn't getting us there.

It worked for Socrates,

but not me...

my friend,

my great friend, helper,

my compatriot, most beloved

assistant in my life's work.

Let's end this now.

Draw me a bath,

piping hot, hard to endure,

so that even the steam

rising up might singe you,

and without delay plunge me

into it, resist me even if

I say otherwise,

plunge me in there, I say,

let us finish this.

Do it. Please.

I don't care if you burn

the skin off me,

I cannot any longer

endure the shaking

that comes of the cold!

-Master...

-No, don't call me that.

Please. You know that word

represents everything I loathe!

But sir, Senator, my friend-

Yes. But that is who we are.

Yeah, of cour--what?

Sir, I--I know you well,

I know your philosophy well.

And I feel, well, I have with me

now enough to make your legacy.

That is what we are doing here.

My legacy.

To form the minds of

all the future generations--

I have here quite enough,

and know some thoughts of yours

I can add as well--

No. No! No,

I am not finished yet. No.

[Lucilius]

Yes, sir, but the fact is...

-Not finished--

-I am not safe.

-No, no.

-Sir, as you can see--

-No. No. Lucilius...

-Yes, sir, yes, and so--

I can assure you,

my dearest friend--

no harm will come to you,

zip, zilch--

but more importantly, these

words, these specific ideas,

these last words of

noble Seneca, Senator Seneca,

Fat cat Seneca who never

met a dollar he didn't like.

These words, these conceits,

conceptual phantasms,

spasms of insight and

spontaneous perceptions,

memes, thought bites,

filigreed shivers of sensation,

these will form the fundament

of, of a future civilized world,

these will be the backbone

and the blood and the nutrients

of the world to come,

which will redeem

this fallen world, this...

barbarous world that devours us,

how can you not want to

be a part of that, a co-creator?

Get it? You--you would

get shared credit

for the world!

H-how can you reject

the greatness

I am offering you as a--

[moaning]

You have spoken enough.

And we have heard enough.

And we have listened enough.

And there has been quite enough

of you, sir, for eternity.

Now I shall take your words,

and you have my oath

that I will share them

with the whole world,

all of the generations

to follow you.

But you must

f*cking let me go!

Dear, noble, kind,

well-meaning Lucilius--

My followers. At one time,

I had more followers

than anyone else in Rome.

I must have followers!

We had a deal, an agreement

among gentlemen,

that you would

come in the morning to pick up

my corpse, in the morning.

It's not yet morning!

You promised me.

You promised!

[gasping, crying out]

f*ck, f*cking f*ck, what--

is this f*cking hell?

[gagging]

I lost a tooth,

I lost a f*cking tooth.

And I just slip into--

[spluttering]

Not gonna get--if you

could find my tooth. Ooh!

What happened to Paulina?

What, what...

where was she going?

Go get... my wife...

Wait, Wait!

Wait, my tooth hurts.

President told me you were all

funny business, and sure enough.

Should be preparing to die,

and here you were

telling your friends jokes.

No, they're not jokes!

They're life lessons.

The gentlemen were writing down

my life's wisdoms for

the children of the future!

Time's up.

No! You promised me

'til morning. You promised.

You promised 'til morning.

You promised!

Do you know what a code is, sir?

Honor? Surely you know the word.

Bet you gave

a whole speech on it once!

See, where I come from,

honor means you do your duty.

You're told

to march into battle?

You march!

Death is waiting.

Still you march!

Ain't no crying and

moaning and putting it off.

You get in there and

you do what is needed,

and you don't

bellyache about it!

Now...

march.

You said 'til morning... it's...

we're not there yet.

Just give me...

just give me fifteen minutes.

[sword tapping ground]

[Seneca gagging]

Is it true?

Do I merely talk the talk?

Do I merely

speak brave thoughts,

or do I actually feel them?

[water splashing]

Was my scorn... fortune

really just pretense,

a pantomime, an after-school

half-off theatre matinee?

And how are we to know

if our end is truly virtuous,

or just another bit of

self-deceiving gimmickry

from a man who was

both a playwright and a star?

The day has come

when all tricks and disguises,

all props and makeup have

been put away,

and I will examine all my years

and I will pass judgment

on myself.

Everything that

I have said or done,

up until now, means nothing.

[pot clattering]

The chips are down.

There's no turning back.

Death is going to

deliver the final verdict.

[panting]

I will not shirk my duties,

my good man. Oh, no.

To all things a season,

and now...

it is harvest time.

And I am prepared.

[crying out]

Wait, wait--one second--

[crying out]

[water trickling]

See you in the morning.

[sword scraping]

My man. My gentleman.

My m*rder*r.

Have you forsaken me, too?

[ominous music]

No matter. I shall speak on.

To the very end.

Well. Here we are.

At last. The end.

We are born for a very,

very brief span of life...

brief span of life...

and even this, this time...

it just rushes by,

so swiftly, speedily,

that with very few exceptions,

all things find themselves

abandoned by life...

Was a lamp worse off

when it was extinguished

then when it was lit?

We are also

extinguished and lit.

Guess what? [chuckling]

The suffering part?

Comes in between.

What am I doing?

Find comfort...

For the distressed.

Protect them...

from their terrible fear.

That's my job.

[faint footsteps]

What's the word?

For a candle, the thing.

Not that, it's different.

It's brown, it's round...

It's little.

It's a thing,

what's the thing?

Words leaving... me.

Like... my friends.

Can't.

Cannot die.

Can't not die.

Won't die.

'Cause my heart and brain.

And lips and tongue...

won't give out.

'Cause they're scared.

I'm scared.

It hurts.

It hurts!

It hurts me.

Mommy, it hurts me.

[solemn music]

[wind rustling]

[breathing heavily]

[groaning]

Oh.

[unsettling music]

[armor clanking]

[Felix grunting]

[]

[engine rumbling]

[narrator] And in the end,

the civilization that Seneca

so cherished became rent

by a hundred divisions,

like tiny cuts along the veins

of a fragile and elderly body.

Rome did not so much fall,

as we often hear,

as it slowly slipped away...

[kids shouting]

Later, Nero would desert

his post as a commander,

and was tried in absentia

and sentenced to death.

He k*lled himself,

in a fashion

more cowardly than Seneca's...

but shorter.

It was reported

by Seneca's scribe

that his last words were

a favorite quote from Cicero,

often repeated by Seneca

as if they were his own.

The words apply

to our world, perhaps,

more than his:

[reading words on screen]

[eerie music]