Gaius Musonius Rufus
Gaius Musonius Rufus | |
---|---|
Born | c. AD 20 – 30 |
Died | As late as AD 101 |
Nationality | Roman |
Other names | Musonius Rufus |
Era | Ancient philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
School | Stoicism |
Gaius Musonius Rufus (
Life
The son of a Roman
He returned under Galba (68 AD). When Marcus Antonius Primus, the general of Vespasian, was marching upon Rome (69 AD), he joined the ambassadors that were sent by Vitellius to the victorious general, and going among the soldiers of the latter, preached about the blessings of peace and the dangers of war, but was soon made to stop.[7] When the party of Vitellius gained the upper hand, Musonius was able to accuse, and obtain the conviction of, Publius Egnatius Celer, the Stoic philosopher who had condemned Barea Soranus.[8] It was perhaps about this time that Musonius taught Epictetus, his most famous student. So highly was Musonius esteemed in Rome that Vespasian allowed him to remain in Rome when the other philosophers were banished from the city (71 AD),[9] but eventually he was exiled anyway (perhaps around 75 AD), only returning after Vespasian's death (79 AD). As to his death, we know only that he was dead by 101 AD, when Pliny speaks of his son-in-law Artemidorus.[10]
Writings
It is unknown whether Musonius wrote anything for publication. His philosophical opinions were collected by two of his students. One collection of Discourses, by a certain Lucius, form the basis of the 21 lengthy extracts preserved by Stobaeus.[11] A second collection was compiled by one Pollio; it has been lost, but some fragments survive in quotations by later writers.[12]
The titles of the 21 discourses (Cora Lutz edition) are as follows:
- That There is No Need of Giving Many Proofs for One Problem
- That Man is Born with an Inclination Toward Virtue
- That Women Too Should Study Philosophy
- Should Daughters Receive the Same Education as Sons?
- Which is more Effective, Theory or Practice?
- On Training
- That One Should Disdain Hardships
- That Kings Also Should Study Philosophy
- That Exile is not an Evil
- Will the Philosopher Prosecute Anyone for Personal Injury?
- What means of Livelihood is Appropriate for a Philosopher?
- On Sexual Indulgence
- What is the Chief End of Marriage
- Is Marriage a Handicap for the Pursuit of Philosophy?
- Should Every Child that is Born be Raised?
- Must One Obey One's Parents under all Circumstances?
- What is the Best Viaticum for Old Age?
- On Food
- On Clothing and Shelter
- On Furnishings
- On Cutting the Hair
Philosophy
His philosophy, which is in many respects identical with that of his pupil,
Musonius pays much more attention to
A life lived according to nature consists in social, friendly sentiments and temper, and in contentment with what will simply alleviate the primary needs of nature.
Musonius argued because men's and women's capacity to understand virtue is the same, both should be trained in philosophy.[20]
Notes
- ^ Suda μ 1305, Musonius
- ^ Tacitus, Annals, xiv. 59
- ^ Tacitus, Annals, xv. 71; Cassius Dio, lxii. 27; Philostratus, Vit. Apoll., vii. 16
- ^ … addidit insulam Gyarum immitem et sine cultu hominum esse: In the Annales, Tiberius is portrayed as extraordinarily cruel and vengeful, making his hesitance to exile a criminal to Gyaros particularly pointed.
- ISBN 978-0761829027.
- ^ "Lecture IX – TheStoicLife.org". www.thestoiclife.org. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ Tacitus, Histories, iii. 81
- ^ Tacitus, Histories, iv. 10, 40
- ^ Cassius Dio, lxv. 13
- ^ Pliny, Epistles, iii. 11
- ^ Stobaeus, Floril. xxix. 78, lvi. 18
- ^ e.g. Aulus Gellius, v. 1, ix. 2, xvi. 1
- ^ a b Heinrich Ritter, The History of Ancient Philosophy, Alexander James William Morrison, tr. (London, 1846), vol. IV, p. 190.
- ^ a b Ritter, p. 191.
- ^ Epictetus, Discourses, i. 7
- ^ a b c Ritter, p. 192.
- ^ a b c Ritter, p. 193.
- ^ a b Ritter, p. 194.
- ^ a b c d e f Ritter, p. 195.
- ^ Diotima, Philosophers on the Role of Women Archived 2014-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
Further reading
Translations
- Cora Lutz, (1947), Musonius Rufus: The Roman Socrates. Printed in: Yale Classical Studies, Volume X. Edited by A. R. Bellinger. Yale University Press.
- Cynthia King, (2011), Musonius Rufus: Lectures and Sayings. Edited by William B. Irvine. CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1456459666
Studies
- J. T. Dillon, (2004), Musonius Rufus and Education in the Good Life: A Model of Teaching and Living Virtue. University Press of America. ISBN 0761829024
- L. Dottarelli, (2015), "Musonio l'Etrusco. La filosofia come scienza di vita", Annulli Editori ISBN 978-8895187457.
- ISBN 978-0525541875.