His simplicity of life has been already dealt with.
Dio, lxi. 10, 2, gives a most unjust account of Seneca’s character:
πάντα τὰ ἐναντιώτατα οἷς ἐφιλοσόφει ποιῶν ἠλέγχθη. καὶ γὰρ τυραννίδος κατηγορῶν τυραννοδιδάσκαλος ἐγίνετο, καὶ τῶν συνόντων τοῖς δυνάσταις κατατρέχων οὐκ ἀφίστατο τοῦ παλατίου ... τοῖς τε πλουσίοις ἐγκαλῶν οὐσίαν ἑπτακισχιλίων καὶ πεντακοσίων μυριάδων ἐκτήσατο.
Seneca followed no traditional style. Cf. Ep. 100, 6, ‘De compositione non constat’; Ep. 114, 13, ‘Oratio certam regulam non habet.’ Quintilian, x. 1, 125-131, attacks his style, though admitting his great powers.
CURTIUS RUFUS.
The full name is Q. Curtius Rufus, given in the MSS. of his work, ‘Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedonis Libri x.’, the first two Books of which are lost. Curtius is not referred to by name by any ancient writer, but is probably identical with the Q. Curtius Rufus mentioned in the list prefixed to Sueton. de claris oratoribus between M. Porcius Latro and L. Valerius Primanus. This order favours the view that he belonged to the reign of Claudius, a view supported by the two contemporary references in Curtius:
iv. 4, 21 (of Tyre), ‘nunc tandem longa pace cuncta refovente sub tutela Romanae mansuetudinis adquiescit.’
x. 9, 3-6, ‘Quod imperium sub uno stare potuisset, dum a pluribus sustinetur, ruit. Proinde iure meritoque populus Romanus salutem se principi suo debere profitetur, qui noctis, quam paene supremam habuimus, novum sidus inluxit. Huius hercule, non solis ortus lucem caliganti reddidit mundo, cum sine suo capite discordia membra trepidarent,’ etc.
This passage probably refers to the tumultuous scene on the night between 24th and 25th Jan., A.D. 41, before Claudius’ accession, after the murder of Caligula (cf. the pun in caliganti), when rival claimants to the throne were put forward, and the Senate wished to restore the republic (cf. discordia membra trepidarent). Sen. ad Polyb. 13, 1, uses similar language of Claudius, ‘Sidus hoc, quod praecipitato in profundum et demerso in tenebras orbi refulsit, semper luceat.’
As Curtius says nothing but good about the reign of Claudius, he probably wrote shortly after his accession. The passage in iv. 4, 21 (above) also fits in with this view, as there was little fighting in the Roman world from 17 to 43 A.D. His bold tone with regard to rulers would also suit this time, while it would have been dangerous under Caligula, or from 43 to 54 A.D.