Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This ...
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One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This book makes a thorough study of the form, content, and meaning of this infrequently studied monument. The author employs a new approach to the column, one that focuses on the process of its creation and construction, to uncover the cultural significance of the column to the Romans of the late second century ad. Using clues from ancient sources and from the monument itself, this book traces the creative process step by step from the first decision to build the monument through the processes of planning and construction to the final carving of the column's relief decoration. The conclusions challenge many of the widely held assumptions about the value of the column's 700-foot-long frieze as a historical source. By reconstructing the creative process of the column's sculpture, the author opens up numerous new paths of analysis not only to the Column of Marcus Aurelius but also to Roman imperial art and architecture in general.Less
One of the most important monuments of Imperial Rome and at the same time one of the most poorly understood, the Column of Marcus Aurelius has long stood in the shadow of the Column of Trajan. This book makes a thorough study of the form, content, and meaning of this infrequently studied monument. The author employs a new approach to the column, one that focuses on the process of its creation and construction, to uncover the cultural significance of the column to the Romans of the late second century ad. Using clues from ancient sources and from the monument itself, this book traces the creative process step by step from the first decision to build the monument through the processes of planning and construction to the final carving of the column's relief decoration. The conclusions challenge many of the widely held assumptions about the value of the column's 700-foot-long frieze as a historical source. By reconstructing the creative process of the column's sculpture, the author opens up numerous new paths of analysis not only to the Column of Marcus Aurelius but also to Roman imperial art and architecture in general.
William A. Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195176407
- eISBN:
- 9780199775545
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195176407.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Fronto was the teacher and friend of Marcus Aurelius. Fronto’s Letters show a man intent on constructing literary culture within the context of the contubernium, an ideal of close connection and ...
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Fronto was the teacher and friend of Marcus Aurelius. Fronto’s Letters show a man intent on constructing literary culture within the context of the contubernium, an ideal of close connection and friendship. His pupil Aurelius, however, shows a strong inclination toward reading habits that privileged the solitary, a set of habits that his contemporaries judged idiosyncratic. The chapter also focuses on the use of excerpts and excerpting in imperial reading culture.Less
Fronto was the teacher and friend of Marcus Aurelius. Fronto’s Letters show a man intent on constructing literary culture within the context of the contubernium, an ideal of close connection and friendship. His pupil Aurelius, however, shows a strong inclination toward reading habits that privileged the solitary, a set of habits that his contemporaries judged idiosyncratic. The chapter also focuses on the use of excerpts and excerpting in imperial reading culture.
Annelise Freisenbruch
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203956
- eISBN:
- 9780191708244
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203956.003.0011
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter re-evaluates Fronto's letters within the traditions of epistolary scholarship and against the backdrop of a surge of interest in the epistolarity of the letter collections of antiquity. ...
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This chapter re-evaluates Fronto's letters within the traditions of epistolary scholarship and against the backdrop of a surge of interest in the epistolarity of the letter collections of antiquity. Because Fronto has a valuable role to play in the call for a reassessment of the Roman letter-writing voice and identity, his correspondence with his pupil, emperor-in-the-making Marcus Aurelius, is examined. The recurring narrative of sickness and health that features in over eighty of the extant letters between Fronto and Marcus Aurelius is examined, with a particular emphasis on the ailments of the former. This chapter explores the pressing question of whether Fronto and Marcus Aurelius' letters should be regarded as simply reflecting the trend of their age to open up about one's state of health, or whether there is something more pointed, more calculated about such an epistolary narrative.Less
This chapter re-evaluates Fronto's letters within the traditions of epistolary scholarship and against the backdrop of a surge of interest in the epistolarity of the letter collections of antiquity. Because Fronto has a valuable role to play in the call for a reassessment of the Roman letter-writing voice and identity, his correspondence with his pupil, emperor-in-the-making Marcus Aurelius, is examined. The recurring narrative of sickness and health that features in over eighty of the extant letters between Fronto and Marcus Aurelius is examined, with a particular emphasis on the ailments of the former. This chapter explores the pressing question of whether Fronto and Marcus Aurelius' letters should be regarded as simply reflecting the trend of their age to open up about one's state of health, or whether there is something more pointed, more calculated about such an epistolary narrative.
Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this ...
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In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this find disappointed many nineteenth-century readers, who had hoped for the letters to convey all of the political drama of Cicero's. That the collection included passionate love letters between Fronto and the future emperor Marcus Aurelius was politely ignored—or concealed. And for almost 200 years these letters have lain hidden in plain sight. This book rescues these letters from obscurity and returns them to the public eye. The story of Marcus and Fronto began in 139 ce, when Fronto was selected to instruct Marcus in rhetoric. Marcus was eighteen then, and by all appearances the pupil and teacher fell in love. Spanning the years in which the relationship flowered and died, these are the only love letters to survive from antiquity—homoerotic or otherwise. The translation reproduces the effusive, slangy style of the young prince and the rhetorical flourishes of his master.Less
In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this find disappointed many nineteenth-century readers, who had hoped for the letters to convey all of the political drama of Cicero's. That the collection included passionate love letters between Fronto and the future emperor Marcus Aurelius was politely ignored—or concealed. And for almost 200 years these letters have lain hidden in plain sight. This book rescues these letters from obscurity and returns them to the public eye. The story of Marcus and Fronto began in 139 ce, when Fronto was selected to instruct Marcus in rhetoric. Marcus was eighteen then, and by all appearances the pupil and teacher fell in love. Spanning the years in which the relationship flowered and died, these are the only love letters to survive from antiquity—homoerotic or otherwise. The translation reproduces the effusive, slangy style of the young prince and the rhetorical flourishes of his master.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus ...
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This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus also says: “Should I not burn with love of you when you've written this to me?” In his reply, Fronto makes a proposal to go for a walk down by the river Illyssus. Both letters are dated December 139 CE.Less
This chapter presents an exchange of letters between Marcus Aurelius and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. The first letter, written by Marcus to Fronto, indicates that Marcus is longing for Fronto. Marcus also says: “Should I not burn with love of you when you've written this to me?” In his reply, Fronto makes a proposal to go for a walk down by the river Illyssus. Both letters are dated December 139 CE.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann.9
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter argues that the designers of the frieze of the Column of Marcus Aurelius did not face the same challenge as did the designer of the frieze of Trajan's Column. The designers of the frieze ...
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This chapter argues that the designers of the frieze of the Column of Marcus Aurelius did not face the same challenge as did the designer of the frieze of Trajan's Column. The designers of the frieze of the Column of Marcus Aurelius did not have to create an entirely new form of architectural sculpture, but rather were able to rely on a model for guidance. At the same time, the existence of a model did not make the task an easy one. To start with, the designers would have had to rely on their own observation and interpretation of their model. Working seventy years after the Column of Trajan was built, these men would not have been able to rely on the advice or information of anyone who had been involved in the original project. Just how well did the designers of the Column of Marcus Aurelius understand their model? Even today, with the benefit of close-up photography and numerous detailed studies, the frieze of the Column of Trajan is far from fully understood.Less
This chapter argues that the designers of the frieze of the Column of Marcus Aurelius did not face the same challenge as did the designer of the frieze of Trajan's Column. The designers of the frieze of the Column of Marcus Aurelius did not have to create an entirely new form of architectural sculpture, but rather were able to rely on a model for guidance. At the same time, the existence of a model did not make the task an easy one. To start with, the designers would have had to rely on their own observation and interpretation of their model. Working seventy years after the Column of Trajan was built, these men would not have been able to rely on the advice or information of anyone who had been involved in the original project. Just how well did the designers of the Column of Marcus Aurelius understand their model? Even today, with the benefit of close-up photography and numerous detailed studies, the frieze of the Column of Trajan is far from fully understood.
Runar M. Thorsteinsson
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199578641
- eISBN:
- 9780191722868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199578641.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter provides a general introduction to Roman Stoicism, especially in relation to the field of ethics. A brief overview is given of the historical setting of the Stoic school in Rome in the ...
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This chapter provides a general introduction to Roman Stoicism, especially in relation to the field of ethics. A brief overview is given of the historical setting of the Stoic school in Rome in the first two centuries CE. Some of the main philosophical characteristics of the school are described, such as the doctrine of universal humanity, and the close relationship between ethics and theology in Stoicism is discussed. The chapter also defines what is meant by the phrase ‘Roman Stoicism’, and lists its main sources, including Cicero, Seneca, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. The Stoic sources which are specifically consulted in the present study are then determined. These include Seneca, Musonius, and Epictetus.Less
This chapter provides a general introduction to Roman Stoicism, especially in relation to the field of ethics. A brief overview is given of the historical setting of the Stoic school in Rome in the first two centuries CE. Some of the main philosophical characteristics of the school are described, such as the doctrine of universal humanity, and the close relationship between ethics and theology in Stoicism is discussed. The chapter also defines what is meant by the phrase ‘Roman Stoicism’, and lists its main sources, including Cicero, Seneca, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. The Stoic sources which are specifically consulted in the present study are then determined. These include Seneca, Musonius, and Epictetus.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann.5
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter focuses on Adrastus, a former slave but now a freedman of the emperor, who had moved into a new house. Adrastus was not just any official, and his was not just any house. He was the ...
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This chapter focuses on Adrastus, a former slave but now a freedman of the emperor, who had moved into a new house. Adrastus was not just any official, and his was not just any house. He was the procurator or caretaker of the Column of Marcus Aurelius, and his new residence was built just behind the column. The remains of Adrastus's house were found in the year 1777 during excavations beneath the Piazza di Montecitorio, about one hundred meters to the west of the Piazza Colona and the column itself. A lot is known about Adrastus's house because he recorded its construction in a pair of remarkable inscriptions, dating to the year ad 193, that reproduce letters that Adrastus exchanged with the emperor and his servants. The letters were inscribed on a tall marble block that formed the doorpost to the new house.Less
This chapter focuses on Adrastus, a former slave but now a freedman of the emperor, who had moved into a new house. Adrastus was not just any official, and his was not just any house. He was the procurator or caretaker of the Column of Marcus Aurelius, and his new residence was built just behind the column. The remains of Adrastus's house were found in the year 1777 during excavations beneath the Piazza di Montecitorio, about one hundred meters to the west of the Piazza Colona and the column itself. A lot is known about Adrastus's house because he recorded its construction in a pair of remarkable inscriptions, dating to the year ad 193, that reproduce letters that Adrastus exchanged with the emperor and his servants. The letters were inscribed on a tall marble block that formed the doorpost to the new house.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann.4
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This book focuses on Marcus Aurelius. Born in a villa on the Caelian Hill in Rome in April of ad 121, Marcus was raised by his grandfather, a holder of three consulships and a relative of Hadrian. ...
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This book focuses on Marcus Aurelius. Born in a villa on the Caelian Hill in Rome in April of ad 121, Marcus was raised by his grandfather, a holder of three consulships and a relative of Hadrian. Hadrian took Marcus under his wing and eventually ordered his own chosen successor, Antoninus Pius, to adopt him. On Pius's death in 161, Marcus became emperor; he promptly raised his adoptive brother Lucius Verus to the position of coemperor and took his adoptive father's name. Thereafter he was known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. All was not smooth, however: various peoples beyond the Roman frontiers seized the opportunity offered by the imperial transition to stir up trouble. Marcus and Verus were ill prepared to deal with these developing crises: neither had gained any practical military experience in their youth, and one of them—Marcus—had never even been outside of Italy.Less
This book focuses on Marcus Aurelius. Born in a villa on the Caelian Hill in Rome in April of ad 121, Marcus was raised by his grandfather, a holder of three consulships and a relative of Hadrian. Hadrian took Marcus under his wing and eventually ordered his own chosen successor, Antoninus Pius, to adopt him. On Pius's death in 161, Marcus became emperor; he promptly raised his adoptive brother Lucius Verus to the position of coemperor and took his adoptive father's name. Thereafter he was known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. All was not smooth, however: various peoples beyond the Roman frontiers seized the opportunity offered by the imperial transition to stir up trouble. Marcus and Verus were ill prepared to deal with these developing crises: neither had gained any practical military experience in their youth, and one of them—Marcus—had never even been outside of Italy.
Christopher Brooke
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691152080
- eISBN:
- 9781400842414
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691152080.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter details the contemporary assault on Stoic moral psychology from the pens of the French Augustinians. The influence of the Stoic revival of the sixteenth century continued to be felt in a ...
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This chapter details the contemporary assault on Stoic moral psychology from the pens of the French Augustinians. The influence of the Stoic revival of the sixteenth century continued to be felt in a variety of spheres in seventeenth-century France, and gave rise to a variegated landscape which brought about several orientations toward the Stoics. The chapter considers one such orientation in particular — the nascent anti-Stoicism of the 1640s. This took on its distinctive form in the pages of Corneille Jansen's Augustinus (1640), but, as the chapter demonstrates, such an orientation was not by any means confined to narrow Jansenist circles.Less
This chapter details the contemporary assault on Stoic moral psychology from the pens of the French Augustinians. The influence of the Stoic revival of the sixteenth century continued to be felt in a variety of spheres in seventeenth-century France, and gave rise to a variegated landscape which brought about several orientations toward the Stoics. The chapter considers one such orientation in particular — the nascent anti-Stoicism of the 1640s. This took on its distinctive form in the pages of Corneille Jansen's Augustinus (1640), but, as the chapter demonstrates, such an orientation was not by any means confined to narrow Jansenist circles.
Barbara M. Levick
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195379419
- eISBN:
- 9780190261276
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780195379419.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The elder Faustina (c.97–140 AD) was the wife of Antonius Pius and the aunt of Marcus Aurelius, and her more prominent daughter, Faustina II (130–175), the wife of Marcus Aurelius and the mother of ...
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The elder Faustina (c.97–140 AD) was the wife of Antonius Pius and the aunt of Marcus Aurelius, and her more prominent daughter, Faustina II (130–175), the wife of Marcus Aurelius and the mother of Commodus. Bearing the same name, and both the wives of rulers, these women shed valuable light on the role of imperial women in in what is often considered the golden age of the Roman Empire. This book highlights the importance of these women to the internal politics of the Empire during this period and shows how they are links in a chain of elite Roman women for whom varying levels of recognition and even power were available. The Faustinae, as they are jointly called, come between the discreet Matidiae, the discreetly manipulative Plotina (Trajan's women), the philosophical Sabina (Hadrian's wife) and in the Severan dynasty Julia Domna, who has had a very high profile. In assessing their place in this chain, the book examines especially Faustina II's deep involvement in palace politics, her enhancement of her mother's position, and her possible role in the revolt of Avidius Cassius (175). This book also brings together and displays the material evidence for their lives and legacies. There is an abundance of inscriptions and coins that provide firm evidence for their public status in Rome, Italy, and various parts of the Empire. Portraiture is also examined, in particular to see how much Faustina I and II were identified by artists, and how close a precedent Faustina II was for Domna, as their titulature suggests she was.Less
The elder Faustina (c.97–140 AD) was the wife of Antonius Pius and the aunt of Marcus Aurelius, and her more prominent daughter, Faustina II (130–175), the wife of Marcus Aurelius and the mother of Commodus. Bearing the same name, and both the wives of rulers, these women shed valuable light on the role of imperial women in in what is often considered the golden age of the Roman Empire. This book highlights the importance of these women to the internal politics of the Empire during this period and shows how they are links in a chain of elite Roman women for whom varying levels of recognition and even power were available. The Faustinae, as they are jointly called, come between the discreet Matidiae, the discreetly manipulative Plotina (Trajan's women), the philosophical Sabina (Hadrian's wife) and in the Severan dynasty Julia Domna, who has had a very high profile. In assessing their place in this chain, the book examines especially Faustina II's deep involvement in palace politics, her enhancement of her mother's position, and her possible role in the revolt of Avidius Cassius (175). This book also brings together and displays the material evidence for their lives and legacies. There is an abundance of inscriptions and coins that provide firm evidence for their public status in Rome, Italy, and various parts of the Empire. Portraiture is also examined, in particular to see how much Faustina I and II were identified by artists, and how close a precedent Faustina II was for Domna, as their titulature suggests she was.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226713007
- eISBN:
- 9780226713021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226713021.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius ...
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In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto and his correspondents, who included the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The events of Marcus's life are known mostly through much later sources, of which the best are the Historia Augusta biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus and a very late condensed version of book 70 of Cassius Dio's history. The letters between Marcus and Fronto from 139 to 145 provide what appears to be direct evidence of a living relationship of some kind. The future emperor, revered as a sort of saint from antiquity onward, is exuberant, slangy, sometimes impudent, and (as he says himself in letter 37) bubbling over with love for Fronto. Were Marcus and Fronto in love? Were they lovers? This book presents only a selection of letters: all the letters from the years 139–48 that testify to the feelings of the correspondents.Less
In 1815 Angelo Mai found a long-lost treasure of the classical world in the Ambrosian Library in Milan: a palimpsest codex containing, among other works, many of the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto and his correspondents, who included the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The events of Marcus's life are known mostly through much later sources, of which the best are the Historia Augusta biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus and a very late condensed version of book 70 of Cassius Dio's history. The letters between Marcus and Fronto from 139 to 145 provide what appears to be direct evidence of a living relationship of some kind. The future emperor, revered as a sort of saint from antiquity onward, is exuberant, slangy, sometimes impudent, and (as he says himself in letter 37) bubbling over with love for Fronto. Were Marcus and Fronto in love? Were they lovers? This book presents only a selection of letters: all the letters from the years 139–48 that testify to the feelings of the correspondents.
C. Kavin Rowe
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780300180121
- eISBN:
- 9780300182101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300180121.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter finishes the discussion of the Stoics with the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The chapter is organized around the six dominant areas of Marcus’s language in his Meditations: Death, God/Nature, ...
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This chapter finishes the discussion of the Stoics with the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The chapter is organized around the six dominant areas of Marcus’s language in his Meditations: Death, God/Nature, Human Beings and Right Judgments, Human Beings and the Possibility of Right Judgments, Philosophy, Society.Less
This chapter finishes the discussion of the Stoics with the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The chapter is organized around the six dominant areas of Marcus’s language in his Meditations: Death, God/Nature, Human Beings and Right Judgments, Human Beings and the Possibility of Right Judgments, Philosophy, Society.
Christopher Brooke
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691152080
- eISBN:
- 9781400842414
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691152080.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter views a series of philosophical exchanges in the eighteenth century, which showcases the back and forth between plausibly Stoic and Epicurean concerns and arguments. It first takes a ...
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This chapter views a series of philosophical exchanges in the eighteenth century, which showcases the back and forth between plausibly Stoic and Epicurean concerns and arguments. It first takes a look at François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, the major opponent from within French Catholicism of the Augustinian tendency towards Epicureanism, before turning to Bernard Mandeville's critique of Shaftesbury. The chapter also studies the moral philosophies of Joseph Butler and Francis Hutcheson, both of whom directed their arguments against Mandeville and in defence of Shaftesbury. In addition, the chapter discusses a persuasive interpretation of David Hume as a somewhat Epicurean and certainly anti-Stoic moral theorist.Less
This chapter views a series of philosophical exchanges in the eighteenth century, which showcases the back and forth between plausibly Stoic and Epicurean concerns and arguments. It first takes a look at François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, the major opponent from within French Catholicism of the Augustinian tendency towards Epicureanism, before turning to Bernard Mandeville's critique of Shaftesbury. The chapter also studies the moral philosophies of Joseph Butler and Francis Hutcheson, both of whom directed their arguments against Mandeville and in defence of Shaftesbury. In addition, the chapter discusses a persuasive interpretation of David Hume as a somewhat Epicurean and certainly anti-Stoic moral theorist.
Richard Rutherford
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198723417
- eISBN:
- 9780191790058
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198723417.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The figure of Marcus Aurelius in Pater’s novel Marius the Epicurean is examined in order to shed light on Pater’s complex attitude to both pagan philosophy and early Christianity. The novel makes ...
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The figure of Marcus Aurelius in Pater’s novel Marius the Epicurean is examined in order to shed light on Pater’s complex attitude to both pagan philosophy and early Christianity. The novel makes extensive use of Marcus’ own Meditations, but some significant omissions are discussed. An appendix provides evidence of heavy use of the Meditations in chapter 12 of the novel.Less
The figure of Marcus Aurelius in Pater’s novel Marius the Epicurean is examined in order to shed light on Pater’s complex attitude to both pagan philosophy and early Christianity. The novel makes extensive use of Marcus’ own Meditations, but some significant omissions are discussed. An appendix provides evidence of heavy use of the Meditations in chapter 12 of the novel.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann.6
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter argues that understanding the rationale behind the location of Adrastus's house is but one of the problems one faces when trying to reconstruct the ancient surroundings of the Column of ...
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This chapter argues that understanding the rationale behind the location of Adrastus's house is but one of the problems one faces when trying to reconstruct the ancient surroundings of the Column of Marcus Aurelius. Our understanding of the function of the column in its broad historical and political context depends in large part on an understanding of the meaning and use of the spaces and structures that surrounded it. Did the column stand in the open, or was it surrounded by other buildings? What sort of buildings? And what relationship, if any, did the column have with these structures? Rapid changes in this area of the Campus Martius during the second century ad make answering these questions a challenge. These changes did not involve new buildings alone: they also relate to the very substance of the Campus itself, for the ground level rose continuously throughout the early imperial period.Less
This chapter argues that understanding the rationale behind the location of Adrastus's house is but one of the problems one faces when trying to reconstruct the ancient surroundings of the Column of Marcus Aurelius. Our understanding of the function of the column in its broad historical and political context depends in large part on an understanding of the meaning and use of the spaces and structures that surrounded it. Did the column stand in the open, or was it surrounded by other buildings? What sort of buildings? And what relationship, if any, did the column have with these structures? Rapid changes in this area of the Campus Martius during the second century ad make answering these questions a challenge. These changes did not involve new buildings alone: they also relate to the very substance of the Campus itself, for the ground level rose continuously throughout the early imperial period.
Martin Beckmann
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834619
- eISBN:
- 9781469603025
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877777_beckmann.11
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter illustrates how the meager and frequently unreliable sources for the history of the reign of Marcus Aurelius make it almost impossible to reconstruct any more than a superficial account ...
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This chapter illustrates how the meager and frequently unreliable sources for the history of the reign of Marcus Aurelius make it almost impossible to reconstruct any more than a superficial account of the main events of his reign. The main literary sources for the period are two: Cassius Dio, a senator and historian who lived in the time of Septimius Severus; and the Historia Augusta, a collection of imperial biographies written in the fourth century. The Historia Augusta is notoriously unreliable, a situation made worse by the fact that its biographical focus means that historical events are normally mentioned out of order. Dio, who should be an outstanding source for this period, has suffered in transmission: his text is only preserved in fragments cobbled together into an abbreviated history in the eleventh century by a Byzantine monk named Xiphilinus.Less
This chapter illustrates how the meager and frequently unreliable sources for the history of the reign of Marcus Aurelius make it almost impossible to reconstruct any more than a superficial account of the main events of his reign. The main literary sources for the period are two: Cassius Dio, a senator and historian who lived in the time of Septimius Severus; and the Historia Augusta, a collection of imperial biographies written in the fourth century. The Historia Augusta is notoriously unreliable, a situation made worse by the fact that its biographical focus means that historical events are normally mentioned out of order. Dio, who should be an outstanding source for this period, has suffered in transmission: his text is only preserved in fragments cobbled together into an abbreviated history in the eleventh century by a Byzantine monk named Xiphilinus.
John M. Cooper
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199233076
- eISBN:
- 9780191716416
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233076.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
This chapter argues that Epictetus accepted and followed the views of the original Stoics, according to which the essential thing in moral improvement was an increase in one's understanding of the ...
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This chapter argues that Epictetus accepted and followed the views of the original Stoics, according to which the essential thing in moral improvement was an increase in one's understanding of the philosophically articulated reasons for believing the fundamental Stoic claims about the human good and how to achieve it. He did not accept that such improvement could be achieved by merely rhetorical efforts to paint attractive pictures of life according to Stoic principles, as other Imperial Stoic authors, such as Seneca before him and Marcus Aurelius after, did. His Discourses, which do employ lots of such rhetorical devices to this effect, do not represent his teaching to his pupils; but we can recover from them sufficient information about his teaching of Stoic philosophy to confirm that he did accept and follow the original Stoics' ideas about what moral improvement does require: increasingly deep philosophical understanding of the reasons why the Stoic theories about how one should live are true.Less
This chapter argues that Epictetus accepted and followed the views of the original Stoics, according to which the essential thing in moral improvement was an increase in one's understanding of the philosophically articulated reasons for believing the fundamental Stoic claims about the human good and how to achieve it. He did not accept that such improvement could be achieved by merely rhetorical efforts to paint attractive pictures of life according to Stoic principles, as other Imperial Stoic authors, such as Seneca before him and Marcus Aurelius after, did. His Discourses, which do employ lots of such rhetorical devices to this effect, do not represent his teaching to his pupils; but we can recover from them sufficient information about his teaching of Stoic philosophy to confirm that he did accept and follow the original Stoics' ideas about what moral improvement does require: increasingly deep philosophical understanding of the reasons why the Stoic theories about how one should live are true.
Daniel S. Richter
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199772681
- eISBN:
- 9780199895083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199772681.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter examines how Stoicism provided a way of thinking about space, culture, ethnicity, and the relationship of the parts to the whole. It discusses how Athenian intellectuals (or perhaps ...
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This chapter examines how Stoicism provided a way of thinking about space, culture, ethnicity, and the relationship of the parts to the whole. It discusses how Athenian intellectuals (or perhaps better, intellectuals writing in or about Athens) adapted a fifth- and fourth-century Athenian language of lineage and descent to imagine how the various parts of the rapidly shrinking oikoumenê formed a cohesive whole and how post-classical Stoic thought provided a kind of template out of which the monogenic and polygenic ideas of the modern world grew. The focus here is on how the Mediterranean world created Stoic political theory and how Stoic political theory in turn structured a cosmopolitan Mediterranean. The chapter argues that the political thought of the early Stoa is far less universalizing than some have suggested and demonstrates that early Stoic political theory was primarily concerned with the status of outsiders within the classical polis. This chapter focuses on Zeno’s ideas about the unity of mankind as a response to contemporary Athenian debates over the status of “outsiders” within the polis.Less
This chapter examines how Stoicism provided a way of thinking about space, culture, ethnicity, and the relationship of the parts to the whole. It discusses how Athenian intellectuals (or perhaps better, intellectuals writing in or about Athens) adapted a fifth- and fourth-century Athenian language of lineage and descent to imagine how the various parts of the rapidly shrinking oikoumenê formed a cohesive whole and how post-classical Stoic thought provided a kind of template out of which the monogenic and polygenic ideas of the modern world grew. The focus here is on how the Mediterranean world created Stoic political theory and how Stoic political theory in turn structured a cosmopolitan Mediterranean. The chapter argues that the political thought of the early Stoa is far less universalizing than some have suggested and demonstrates that early Stoic political theory was primarily concerned with the status of outsiders within the classical polis. This chapter focuses on Zeno’s ideas about the unity of mankind as a response to contemporary Athenian debates over the status of “outsiders” within the polis.
Barbara M. Levick
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195379419
- eISBN:
- 9780190261276
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780195379419.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter details the combined efforts of Antoninus Pius and Faustina I to establish a dynasty based on family inheritance. The marriage between Marcus Aurelius and Faustina II was meant to ...
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This chapter details the combined efforts of Antoninus Pius and Faustina I to establish a dynasty based on family inheritance. The marriage between Marcus Aurelius and Faustina II was meant to solidify the monarchy, yet such unions were not without political consequences. Faustina II, as befitting an emperor's wife, stood for motherhood and fertility in her time; and the fact that her fame surpassed even that of her predecessor, Faustina I, also meant that her life, or rather the historical records detailing her life, were not without scandals and sensationalism.Less
This chapter details the combined efforts of Antoninus Pius and Faustina I to establish a dynasty based on family inheritance. The marriage between Marcus Aurelius and Faustina II was meant to solidify the monarchy, yet such unions were not without political consequences. Faustina II, as befitting an emperor's wife, stood for motherhood and fertility in her time; and the fact that her fame surpassed even that of her predecessor, Faustina I, also meant that her life, or rather the historical records detailing her life, were not without scandals and sensationalism.
