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The question of Seneca and Nero is heard very often, but why it arises is decidedly incomprehensible. Suetonius points out that Nero was placed in Seneca's care immediately after his adoption by Claudius, which took place on February 25, 50. Nero was in his thirteenth year; we can assume that his character was already fully formed, especially since the same Suetonius points out that Seneca had a bad dream (he allegedly raised Caligula), which was soon confirmed in Nero's behavior (Suet., Nero, 7, 1). When Nero became emperor in 54, Seneca became (along with Burr) his closest adviser and was busy with questions of state administration, which were supposed to distract him from lecturing his already august pupil. It is significant that when Nero finally departed from all decency, Seneca immediately hurried away from the court – this very clearly indicates the degree of his disappointment in his pupil. Thus, a mentor is not everything. We must take into account the personal character of Seneca, the personal character of Nero, who was influenced not only by his mentor alone, but also by conditions and circumstances that we simply do not know in detail. And finally, the counter-question: why didn't Aristotle raise Alexander to be a philosopher?