Il "De clementia" di Seneca: un contributo per l'analisi antropologica del valore della 'clementia'

The proposal of this research is reflecting on the concept of ‘clementia’through an analysis of the Senecan De clementia. We can see that clementia is a gift: the gift of punishment, namely doing no negative deed towards the ‘damager’, turning down any dynamic of negative reciprocity. In particular, the episode told by Seneca in 1,9 shows how clementia can change a negative relationship into a friendly one. The story deals with a well-known episode of Augustus’ life. He decides not to return Cinna’s hostile deeds. Augustus shows his own clementia to him, and even he gives Cinna a lot of honours in exchange for his friendship. From then on Augustus could live securus. So, we can see that clementia shows itself the only way to avoid running the risks which an autocratic ruler runs: attempts made on his own life. Finally, the gift of clementia to subjects (who can live securi this way) obtains the securitas (as a counter-gift) also to the princeps.