Stoicism In Ancient Times

The cultures of Rome and Greece celebrated philosophical and religious thinking in various forms. The Greek and Roman religions were polytheistic and included Gods that created natural phenomena. Both religions had a God of Gods who possessed ultimate power and ruled over various capricious Gods. They both included Gods of the hunt, metalworking, war, nature, the ocean and many other human activities and forces of nature. Many Greco-Roman aristocrats searched for meaning outside of religion with philosophy. Thinkers such as Aristotle and Cicero believed strongly in balance and modesty. The Stoics stressed discipline and bravery while Socrates encouraged thinking independently.

The principal Doctrines, are written by Epicurus who lived from 341B.C. to 270 B.C. His theory is hedonism, which is rooted in pleasure. The book speaks of pain as being only temporary, and that it is only a pleasure over pain (V). This is a way of life to see the pleasures that life offers are what Epicurus is saying. And although, “no Pleasure is a bad thing in itself,” The results of obtaining the pleasure can bring greater displeasures (VIII). He is looking for the most pleasures one can get, and I suppose if he was not happy with his job, that he would quit. I can see Epicurus, avoiding a lot of things within his life because they would bring pain and frustration, like driving in rush hour. The idea sounds like he is living the simple life, or a hermit’s life.

As a slave Epictetus was severely tortured on a rack for another’s mistake and in turn received a broken leg, which never correctly healed. “ See, it’s just as I told you.” I was never more free than I was on the rack.” In addition, Stockdale ‘s leg was also damaged during his various hardships as a POW. Through these brutal hardships Stockdale finds strength in Epictetus words. For example, Stockdale was recognized by his captors in regard to holding a leadership position in the prisoners of war resistance with better hopes of challenging the Vietnamese’s treatment of prisoners. In accordance to Stoicism Stockdale did not take the leadership position with hopes of change but it was principally in his control and part of his essential duty

Born of different stations, languages and creeds, Epictetus and Seneca are Roman philosophers who externally appear to be very different. Epictetus was born to a slave mother, sold as a slave himself and spent the majority of his youth as a slave in Rome. Seneca was born into money; he became tutor to a boy named Nero who later acquired position of Emperor of Rome in 54 A.D. Though these two men seem to be from very different worlds, they have a shared purpose in studying philosophy. The purpose of their writings was to teach people how to live well. Though they had a shared purpose, they suggested its achievement through different means. Epictetus professed an ‘expect the worst so you wont be disappointed when it happens’

For instance, he quoted “Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own. If a horse should be prideful and say, " I am handsome," it would be supportable. But when you are prideful, and say, " I have a handsome horse," know that you are proud of what is, in fact, only the good of the horse.” In this sentence, Epictetus wanted to teach the stoics to learn to proud of only something they can achieve not something they own. In fact, this idea helped create a better citizen who would not become too conceited simply because of something valuable he or she had. Also, a person would then focus more on how to achieve his or her own success, one which this person could take pride in. Furthermore, Epictetus wanted the stoics to put a higher goal before they choose to quit simply because of afraid: “Aiming therefore at such great things, remember that you must not allow yourself to be carried, even with a slight tendency, towards the attainment of lesser things.” In this quote, Epictetus addressed those who aimed at too small an objective as well as those who wanted to earn both a great thing and the small one. In fact, he saw a person who know which goal he or she should aim for would probably achieve a higher accomplishment and thus became a better member of the

If I were a noble man then surely I would not even question my Roman faith, however, since I am lost in a sea of middle class laborers I could contemplate Christianity. Word of Christianity spreads slowly in rural communities and I have only heard pieces of this new religion when I travel into the city. The middle class has clearly grown throughout the years with the decrease in population that participates in government affairs. This leads to a skewed distribution of wealth to the minority of individuals. It also seems as though both men and women have both been straying from tradition and normality. However, I would lose the ability to practice my faith openly in the community because the authorities wouldn’t like that Christians view public affairs as meaningless. The emperor would think I am not loyal because I would participate in his army of killers, yet I would be loyal to a man I call king

By accepting stoicism, Chinese people more likely to avoid verbal and non-verbal expression of pain. Furthermore, they won’t say anything or express their pain until it is unbearable for them (pg. 37).

The single most important philosophy in Rome was Stoicism, which originated in Hellenistic Greece. The contents of the philosophy were easily persuaded to the Roman worldview, especially to repeat what the Romans considered their crowning achievement. The centrepiece of Stoic philosophy was the concept of the logos. The universe is ordered by God and this order is the logos, which means ?meaning of the universe?. Rome at its beginning was basically agricultural and martial culture. As a result, the earliest Romans stressed effortlessness, strength, and toughness, which are all requirements of both the agricultural and martial lifestyles.

Marcus Aurelius in Meditations, believes that practicing stoicism will bring a person true happiness. Stoicism is an act of independence, and having a state of mind that all things that happen in life are meant to happen. Regardless what happens, stoics do not let it affect their actions or state of mind. Boethius in The Consolation of Philosophy, believes happiness is recognizing that a man’s desires being fulfilled is not true happiness, but having a relationship with God is true happiness. Religion is practicing a healthy relationship with your God. A healthy relationship would be keeping God as a priority. Boethius and Marcus Aurelius both come up with philosophies that are in place for a person to reach a epidemy in life of true

In the Aeneid by Vergil, the Roman values of Stoicism, dutifulness, and patriotism are reflected through the main characters’ actions and beliefs, such as Aeneas’s abandonment of Dido and his speech of encouragement to his soldiers. In Roman philosophy, Stoicism was valued because it emphasized following duty over giving into emotion. Vergil portrays this belief consistently throughout the Aeneid through the characters’ actions. The first instance of Stoicism is when Aeneas and his crew are shipwrecked in Carthage. Aeneas states, “Now call back your courage, and have done with fear and sorrow.

After the death of Aristotle, philosophy that targeted greater complex depths was outrun by philosophy that focused on mere everyday lives. With the rise and fall of Skepticism, Cynicism, and Epicureanism there was an influence that survived years impacting life and that was Stoicism. Zeno of Citium who believed that the world had an ultimate plan and everything--including nature, animals, and humans, were there for a reason (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014, p. 66). The reason Stoicism was easily used is because it was well-suited with the way Romans highlighted their law and order giving the extensive coverage displayed by many philosophers, including Marcus Aurelius.

“Happiness in particular is believed to be complete without qualification, since we always choose it for itself and never for the sake of anything else. Honour, pleasure, intellect, and every virtue we do indeed choose for themselves (since we would choose each of them even if they had no good effects), but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, on the assumption that through them we shall live a life of happiness; whereas happiness no one chooses for the sake of any of these nor indeed for the sake of anything else.” ( Aristotle 10-11) Aristotle is the other view of happiness that will be discussed. With him and the Stoics, they are both kind of similar due to both believe in virtue for happiness, Aristotle says virtue a different way and other ways about happiness. Aristotle along with the Stoic’s believe that virtues is the same, but Aristotle says this about virtue “and if we take this kind of life to be activity of the soul and actions in accordance with reason, and the characteristic activity of the good person to be to carry this out well and nobly, and a characteristic activity to be accomplished well when it is accomplished in accordance with the appropriate virtue; then if this is so, the human good turns out to be

Born of different backgrounds, upbringings, and experiences, Epictetus and Seneca are Roman philosophers who outwardly appear very different. Epictetus spent most of his youth as a slave while Seneca was born into money and became a tutor of Nero. Although these two men seem to be very dissimilar, they each shared a common purpose in studying philosophy and teaching people on how to live well. Each suggested different paths for how to do so. Epictetus suggests in his book, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, that living a life in accordance with nature could be achieved by living moderately. Seneca suggests in his work, Letters from a Stoic, that a happy man is self-sufficient and realizes that happiness depends only on interior perfection. Despite the differences, both Epictetus and Seneca are considered Stoics because of their shared belief in the idea that character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness. The world outside ourselves will never give us happiness, nor will it be responsible for our unhappiness. It doesn’t matter what’s happening outside ourselves, Epictetus and Seneca claim that the only thing that matters is how we interpret those events. Further evaluating Seneca’s, Letters from a Stoic and Epictetus’s, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, we will clearly be able to differentiate the two in their ideas and opinions regarding stoicism and the keys to living a well, happy life.

Stoicism made the transition from an intriguing foreign philosophy to a popular practice because it was taken up by several high profile figures. Scipio Africanus, the original esteemed Roman Stoic died in 129 BCE, but about 40 years later a new crop of celebrated Romans took up the Stoic practice. During the fall of the Roman Republic a group of famed orators, generals, and statesmen including Marcus Junius Brutus (85-42 BCE), Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), Pompey the Great (106-48 BCE), and Cato the Younger (95-46 BCE) all professed themselves Stoics. This group of powerful statesmen and leaders practicing Stoicism disseminated it throughout Rome. Octavian (63 BC- 14 AD) who later became Caesar Augustus had a Stoic tutor and many

Epicurus lived a life of simplicity, and studied at great length what happiness meant, and announced a set of insights that we only need three things to be happy. These were not of grandeur, riches, or fame, they were simple truths that hid underneath those desires. His beliefs were as follows, that you need your friends around, not just on an every so often basis, regular contact is what counts. Secondly, working for yourself instead of others, getting a sense of helping people out of your work. And lastly that we need to stay calm. We will always be in search of happiness, and the Epicurean lifestyle may be of some insight to us even in the present day.