While these were Cicero's most important pedagogical teachings, he also
taught many other truths valuable in education. Among them are these:
that education begins in childhood, and is a steady growth throughout
life; that memory should be cultivated by learning extracts from classic
authors; that great care should be taken to make the amusements and
environments of the child such as to elevate and refine, as well as
properly to develop its powers; that at the suitable time some calling
should be chosen for which the youth has evident fitness; that religion
is the basis of morals, therefore careful attention should be given to
religious instruction.

SENECA (B.C. 3-A.D. 65)

Seneca was one of the most distinguished men that Rome produced. Even as
a boy he showed remarkable talent, and his father furnished him the best
educational opportunities by placing him under the greatest masters in
the city. He also had the benefit of travel in Greece and Egypt, after
which he practiced law in Rome. The student of education is interested
in Seneca chiefly as the tutor of Nero, who was committed to his charge
at the age of eleven. Without doubt the lad had already formed vicious
habits, as his teacher had great trouble in managing him; nor did Seneca
eradicate those evil tendencies which bore such terrible fruit in Nero's
later years.

Nero retained his love for his teacher for a long time, keeping him as a
trusted counselor for several years. Seneca drew up all of Nero's state
papers, among others one defending the crime of matricide, Nero having
put his own mother to death. This brought deserved odium upon Seneca's
name. It indicates that he was a time-server, lacking moral independence
and firmness. This may explain his failure in the training of his royal
pupil. Nero himself wearied of his old teacher and friend, and
condemned him to death. Seneca, however, committed suicide, a mode of
death quite in accord with his Stoic philosophy.

Seneca was the most eminent writer, rhetorician, and orator of his time.
He anticipated many modern ethical teachings, and in some of his
writings we find a strong religious sentiment, quite like that of
Christianity, leading one to think that he may have been influenced by
Christ and his disciples, with whom he was contemporary. On the other
hand, some of his teachings are decidedly repulsive to Christianity.

=Seneca's Pedagogy.=--1. Like Cicero, he believed that punishment should
be mi