Roman philosophical beliefs

EpicureanismStoicism

Philosophy and Roman Religion

Introduction

• How did the Romans view their gods?

• How did the Romans worship their gods?

• How would you describe the relationship that the Romans had with their gods?

Introduction

• The religious beliefs of the Romans went unchallenged for many years– Power and prosperity kept increasing– Religious practices were working

• But the old religion did little to satisfy people on an intellectual and spiritual level

• In the last two centuries BC, educated Romans turned to the philosophers of Greece when seeking answers to their questions about the nature of the universe and the purpose of life.

Introduction

• Athens main city for teaching philosophy by the third century BC

• Two schools had an influence on Roman thought– The Epicureans, followers of Epicurus– The Stoics, followers of Zeno

Epicurus (341-270BC)

• From Greek island of Samos

• Set up school in Athens in 305BC

• Had many devoted followers including women and slaves.

EpicureanismThe nature of the universe

• Everything consists of a stream of atoms which flow in parallel lines in a void (emptiness)

• Sometimes atoms swerve, collide and join together to produce matter – which eventually makes up our universe and everything in it

• Because atoms swerve by chance nothing is fixed. The destiny of humans is not predestined and humans can act according to their own free will

• Death occurs when the atoms break up, and death is the end of everything

• All unexplained events which people claim are caused by the gods, are in fact caused by the movement and combination of atoms

Epicurean view of the gods

• Epicurus taught that there is no point in worshipping the gods– There is nothing to be feared after death, since death is

the end of everything– The gods do not create life– They have no influence on events during an individual’s

lifetime

Epicurean view of the gods

• For most people it would have been to extreme to hear a claim that the gods did not exist, so Epicurus taught that:– The gods were outside the universe– They were perfect beings, who spent their time reflecting

on their perfection– The gods were indifferent to human affairs and human

behaviour and they did not direct the events of the world– If you want to worship the gods, concentrate on trying to

be like them, rather than offer prayers and sacrifices (gods need nothing from humans and have nothing to offer them)

EpicureanismThe greatest good

• Pleasure– This must be the greatest good because all

humans strive for it– Best achieved by avoiding pain, living a quiet

secluded life, avoiding all extremes and activities which might bring pain

• The following activities should be avoided (could bring pain):– Political career, pursuit of wealth, love affairs

Epicureanism

• A true Epicurean:– Replaced love with friendship– Replaced ambition and greed with attempts to

achieve peace and tranquillity– Replaced excess with moderation– Replaced prayer, sacrifice and fear of the gods with

the contemplation of their perfection– Did not fear death because human consciousness

would no longer exist after death– Believed that all matter came about by chance

Epicureanism in Rome

• Ideas reached Rome in 3rd century BC• Some philosophers expelled from Rome during

2nd century BC because ideas and teachings undermined their authority and tradition

• But Greek ideas and culture spread, eroding the traditional beliefs of the educated– Many converts– Titus Lucretius Carus, The Nature of the Universe, 1st

century BC

Lucretius, The Nature of the Universe

• Read study materials 2, THE EPICUREAN VIEW, by Lucretius, The Nature of the Universe VI 47-78– What message is Lucretius giving about the gods?– What message is he giving about belief in the

gods?

Horace, The Epicurean View

• Study materials 3, THE EPICUREAN VIEW, by Horace, Odes I 34– How does Horace describe Epicurean philosophy?– What is it that makes him unable to reject the

gods?– Do you think Horace is being serious?

Zeno (c. 335-263BC)

• Taught in a colonnade in Athens called the Stoa Poikile (the Painted Stoa) Stoicism

• Phoenician• Reached Athens around

314BC, studied under an Athenian philosopher for 13yrs, then founded his own school in 301BC

StoicismThe Basic Theory

• Not too concerned with a scientific explanation of the nature of the universe

• Zeno went back to an earlier doctrine of Heraclitus and claimed that fire was the basis of all matter– This fire was identified with God or reason, which

created the world

StoicismThe Basic Theory

• Belief in a single God, a World Soul, which created all living things– All things shared this divine World Soul and

contained a small piece of divine fire

• After death the body decayed but the soul returned to and was dissolved back into the World Soul

• World and human nature was governed by fixed and unchanging laws (no chance)

Stoicism

• Stoics believed that:– All human beings were children of God– All humans were ruled by the same law – all were

equal– You must live according to nature – accept their fate

and learn to live with only the basic necessities (pain food, water, basic clothing and shelter)

– Human should develop the gift of reason, helping people to overcome pleasures, passions, pain, grief, superstitions and fear

Stoicism

• The greatest good:– Virtue or goodness

Stoicism in Rome

• Many Romans accepted the belief in an all-powerful World Soul– Link to Jupiter

• Pursuit of virtue identifies with old Roman ideal of pietas – doing one’s duty to the gods, the state, to followers and family

• Stoicism brought to Rome by Panaetius in 2nd century BC- Welcomed into some top families, translated Stoic

teachings into practical doctrine for the ruling class of Rome to live by

Cicero on Stoicism

• Study Materials passage 4, TRUTH AND FABLE, by Cicero, The Nature of the Gods II 70-2– List 4 ways in which Cicero says the gods are

misrepresented– What does Cicero think of the old stories about

the gods– How should men worship the gods?

The Academy

• Based on teaching of Plato (427-384BC Athens)• Believed this world was constantly changing and that

people could not be sure of anything in it because their senses could not be trusted

• Behind this world lay an ideal, eternal and unchanging world from which humans could grasp ideas from through the use of pure reason

• Most important idea was goodness and the pursuit of it through reason and a virtuous life

• God was a single power identified with goodness

Philosophy and Roman Religion

• Moral conduct– Important to all 3 schools of philosophy, not essential in

Roman religion• Philosophers rejected traditional views of the gods

- For Epicurus they were remote and disinterested in humans- Stoics believed in a Supreme Being- Plato linked a single God with Goodness- Roman believed in many gods, with power, and who could

be influenced by human actions• Intellectual content of philosophy. Roman religion emotionally

unsatisfying

Task:

• Complete the compare and contrast visual thinking map, comparing the beliefs of Epicureans and Stoics