The Stoic Philosophers
Zeno Citium
Zeno of Citium was the known founder of Stoicism. He was a
Phoenician who came to Athens as a young man to study philosophy
under the Cynic philosopher Crates.
According to history, to help Zeno overcome his attachment to social
convention, Crates would publicly embarrass Zeno by smashing a pot he
was carrying and covering him with lentils. Although this may not be
good at first glance, through such kinds of experiences, Zeno was able
to inherit the Cynics' distrust of social niceties, which Zeno regarded as
irrational.
Through this experience, he established the Stoic school of philosophy.
The name of this school came after the portico, or what they called the
painted porch.
Zeno used this portico as a place where he could have his lectures. This
was the reason why the philosophy of Zeno came to be known as
Stoicism.
As mentioned earlier, the ethical teachings and the brave death of
Socrates inspired Zeno; due to the fate of Socrates, the followers of
Stoicism were able to realize the immoralities of the people of Athens;
hence, they placed tremendous emphasis on the morality of the human
person. The Stoics gave importance to all the three divisions of
philosophy formulated by Aristotle: logic, physics, and ethics
Zeno lived an ascetic life befitting his philosophy. Although he wrote an
idea about utopia in the Republic, none of his works survived. History
said that Zeno fell and broke a toe but took this incident as a sign that
death was already calling him. So, he strangled himself.
Epictetus, the Sage Slave (c. 50 130ce)
Through Alexander the Great, Greece was able to conquer the
Persian Empire. Because of this, Greece established its power over a
large area of the Near East and Egypt. Eventually, Greek culture
became more sophisticated and cosmopolitan, absorbing ideas and
customs from the cultures it conquered.
As the Greek empire expanded, the importance of individual city-
states, such as Athens and Sparta, diminished, and people identified
themselves as part of a larger, more international community.
When Alexander died, his empire began to fall apart. By the middle
of the 2nd century BCE, Rome had destroyed what was left of
Alexander's kingdom and annexed Greece as a Roman province
called Achaia. By 100 BCE, Rome had controlled the entire
Mediterranean area.
One of the most philosophically influential Stoics was a Roman slave named
Epictetus. Since a slaves life is not his own, Epictetus was able to reflect on
the philosophy of Stoicism: controlling what we can and accepting what is
beyond our control.
Historians know nothing about the life of Epictetus except that his mother
was a slave living in Hierapolis. He was set to Rome to become a slave of a
former slave Epaphroditus, Neros administrative secretary. Because of his
intelligence and unusual abilities, Epaphroditus sent Epictetus to study with
Musonius Rufus, the most powerful Stoic since the days of Zeno (Soccio,
206).
From the Stoic, he developed the idea that he could be bought or sold,
pampered or tortured, at his owner's whim. His master would always remind
him that as a slave, what happened to him had no bearing on his wishes or
behavior. The only absolute control that he could have was his reaction to
what was happening.
His motto in life was (Anechou kai apechou): Bear and forbear.
The Stoic Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (121 180 CE)
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus lived his life surrounded by commotion,
deception, and crowds. During his younger days, he impressed
Emperor Hadrian, which led the latter to advise Marcus' uncle,
Aurelius Antoninus (more commonly known as Antoninus Pius), to
adopt Marcus.
When Marcus reached the age of 40, Antoninus Pius, then emperor,
appointed Marcus as heir instead of the other adopted son of Pius,
Lucius Verus.
When Pius died in 161 CE, Marcus generously named his stepbrother
Verus as the co-emperor-against the wishes of the Senate. However,
Marcus got little help from Verus, and he was doing all the serious
work of governing.
Thank You
When he was the emperor, he had to contend with flatterers, liars, and enemies. He had
also to deal with uprisings and barbarian invasions. And so, he had to be away from home
and join the frontliners to deal with the enemies. While in a battle, his trusted general
betrayed him. He had to spend the last years of his life away from home on a great
military campaign. He suffered through the deaths of four of his five sons, and he even
endured unsubstantiated rumors that his wife took many lovers in his absence and that
his sole surviving son was not his own.
Although he lived his life amid lies and betrayals, many Romans loved Marcus because of
his kindness and mercy. He refused to turn away from his incompetent stepbrother,
choosing instead to carry out both their duties until Verus died in 169, after which Marcus
ruled alone. He convinced the Senate to pardon the family of the traitorous general when
other emperors would have destroyed it. Instead of taking revenge against those people
accused of his wife's lovers, he recommended promoting them as this could be for the
good of Rome.
Marcus combined classical philosophy with a spiritual quality that foreshadowed the
Christian-influenced Scholasticism of the Medieval Ages. He was also one of the kindest,
