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Which of Seneca’s tragedies may not have been written by Seneca?
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Seneca
A 3rd century marble bust of Seneca, after an original bust of the 1st century; in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany
Of the 10 tragedies traditionally attributed to the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca, scholars consider some to be spurious:
- Octavia: This play is considered certainly spurious.1
- Hercules Oetaeus: This play is considered probably spurious.1
While these works are often grouped under the label of Senecan tragedy, their authorship remains a subject of academic distinction from the rest of his body of work.21