Seneca, Quintiliano, Gellio e Frontone: critica, superamento e rovesciamento del modello educativo senecano (con una lettura di Fronto ad M. Caesarem 3.16, pp. 47.19-22 e 48.1-25 vdH2)

This paper aims to cross two different themes in a complementary way. On the one hand it focuses on the theorization of the right teaching, dealing with the issue of the contrast between rhetoric and philosophy. On the other, it deals with the reception of Seneca reception in the educative program developed by his successors (Quintilian, Fronto, Gellius). In the first section of the paper, I start from a passage of Fronto's De orationibus (pp. 153.1-16-154.1-20 vdH2), and then go backwards in time in my survey of the critiques moved against Seneca. A lexical analysis of the texts allows me to suppose a sort of 'retaliation' against Seneca on Gellius' part. In the second section of the article, I focus on a letter written by Fronto to Marcus Aurelio (ad M. Caesarem 3.16, pp. 47.19-22-48.1-25 vdH2). The letter seems to offer a specular overturning of Seneca's educative program, illustrated through the memories of his teachers. Nevertheless, both the vocabulary and the repertoire of images here employed can find its background in Seneca's description of his paideutic models.