He exemplifies the sort of man who should have been venerated and made the founder of a world religion, but was not, yet he was the moral superior in my opinion to jesusnot perfect, but admirable within the context of his. Entries are grouped by categories and by date most recent on top within each category, page. Ad 30100 was one of the four great roman stoic philosophers, the other three being seneca, marcus aurelius and musonius s pupil epictetus. Musonius surviving writings are relatively few and short. If you enjoyed the handbook and discourses then you should read the less wellknown lectures and sayings of epictetus own teacher, gaius musonius rufus. Gaius musonius rufus project gutenberg selfpublishing. Because stoicism was, for musonius, not merely a philosophy but a guide to daily living. Musonius luctuosus is a species of beetle in the family cerambycidae, and the only species in the genus musonius. Gaius musonius rufus was one of the four great stoic philosophers of the. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Lectures and fragments by musonius rufus, paperback barnes. Renowned as a great stoic teacher, musonius conceived of philosophy as nothing but the practice of noble behavior. But recently a new translation has become available.
A person who has not studied letters, music, or sports does not say that he knows them. This small collection of discourses and sayings may be divided into two groups. Mar 23, 2020 i have just published a new ebooklet that collects nine essays i wrote, covering basic aspects of theoretical and practical stoicism. Musonius rufus internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Gaius musonius rufus was one of the foremost stoic philosophers of the roman imperial period. Discover book depositorys huge selection of musonius rufus books online. Since this man deserves far more publicity than he has ever gotten in the modern age, i have written this short essay.
His philosophical teachings survive as thirtytwo apophthegms pithy sayings. He taught philosophy in rome during the reign of nero, as consequence of which he was sent into exile in 65 ad, only returning to rome under galba. To put him in historical context with the other three great roman stoics. Lectures and sayings will therefore be welcomed by those who seek insight into the practice of stoicism. Musonius rufus in 1822 says, haec igitur a reliquis nonnihil diversa videtur. A reading of musonius lectures and fragments as translates by cora e. In the sect of stoic philosophy, musonius rufus is one of the lesserknown philosophers. He is also remembered for being the teacher of epictetus. To keep himself blameless and free from such errors one should by constant practice accustom himself to choosing food not for enjoyment but for nourishment, not to tickle his palate but to strengthen his body.
Musonius rufus was one of the four great roman stoics. If you accomplish something good with hard work, the labor passes quickly, but the good endures. Because stoicism was, for musonius, not merely a philosophy but a prescription for daily living, he has. Musonius rufus by musonius rufus, cynthia arrieuking. Cynthia king translator is associate professor, emerita. He was allowed to stay in rome when vespasian banished all the other philosophers from the city in 71 ad, although he was eventually banished anyway, only returning after. Little is known about his life or thought, however, apart from a handful of surviving lectures and sayings, and some scattered references about hi. A group of lectures are on sexual matters, marriage, and family. The overlooked stoic musonius rufus epictetus, seneca and marcus aurelius. Read lectures and fragments by musonius rufus available from rakuten kobo. Nor does he pretend to possess these skills if he is unable to name also the teacher to whom he went. Musonius rufus was a first century ad pagan stoic philosopher whose views were much like the teachings of the new testament. Rufus asks, like a good stoic, why should the exile lament of his condition, why should he complain, how is he oppressed.
On the one hand, he was the teacher of epictetus and an adviser to the philosophical opposition to the roman principate, and is thought to have enjoyed unusual intellectual and political influence. It is not possible to live well today unless you treat it as your last day. A collection of extracts from his lectures still survives. Lectures and fragments, translated by cora lutz philosophers on the role of women. Musonius was widely celebrated for his moral integrity. Studies of the stoic philosopher musonius rufus have yielded conflicting opinions about his significance as a thinker. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading musonius rufus. The sources on him reveal a teacher of philosophy who was particularly concerned with social issues. Each entry links to the corresponding booklet for download from a dropbox folder. Equally so is the praise spoken in his name by those who were well familiar with it. During his life, musonius stoicism was put to the test, most notably during an exile to gyaros, a barren island in the aegean sea.
Theyre a glimpse into history and a reminder that stoicism was built by flawed and brilliant men. His lecture on the chief end of marriage is a remarkable statement by a thinker who stands outside the judeochristian tradition. Lutz and introduced by gretchen reydamsschils, offers readers access to the thought of one of historys most influential and remarkable stoic thinkers. He taught philosophy in rome during the reign of nero. He considered the four traditional cardinal virtues more or less. Musonius rufus, womens equality, and the new testament. I suggest reading musonius rufus with a notebook to capture some great ideas and multiple grains of salt to work through the rest. Details about musonius thought and life are found in lutz and in five men by charlesworth. Of all the stoics whose teachings survive, its fair to say that musonius rufus is the least studied, and i would argue, the least appreciated.
Musonius insists that only those sexual acts aimed at procreation within marriage are right. For the past year i have been mostly a student solely of musonius. While in modern times he is best known for being the teacher of epictetus c. Aug 31, 2016 a reading of musonius lectures and fragments as translates by cora e.
Musonius rufus and greek diatribe wijsgerige teksten en studies by van geytenbeek, a. He was a friend of rubellius plautus, whom emperor nero saw as a threat. At a time of renewed interest in stoicism, this collection of musonius rufus s lectures and sayings, beautifully translated by cora e. Musoniuss influence in stoicism was and is substantial. Oct 01, 2016 the lectures and sayings of musonius rufus. Lectures and fragments of musonius rufus is essential reading for students of stoics and anyone interested in leading the good life. Rufus taught philosophy in rome during the reign of nero, as a consequence of which he was sent into exile in 65 ad to gyaros, a barren island in the aegean sea. Rufus was the head of the stoic school in his time. These are the most commonly cited stoic philosophers for good reason. Subsequent to a general introduction to the life of musonius ca. These are free pdf booklets that assemble thematic writings i have been putting out during the years.
Lectures and sayings revised by king, cynthia, irvine, william b. Theyre written in a strikingly similar style to epictetus discourses. In fact, one of his students was to become the more famous stoic teacher, epictetus. There are 21 lectures and 53 fragments extant of musonius rufus on stoic. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Rufus asks us, how can exile be an obstacle to the acquisition of virtue, when no one was ever hindered from the knowledge and. Ad 30100 was one of the four great roman stoic philosophers, the other three being seneca, marcus aurelius, and musonius pupil epictetus.
Lectures and sayings kindle edition by king, cynthia, irvine, william. As the subtitle puts it, this guide is for those who ne. In this volume, readers will find cynthia kings translation of musonius lectures, as recorded by his pupil lucius. Lectures and fragments of musonius rufus stoic therapy. Lectures and sayings king, cynthia, irvine, william b.
Because stoicism was, for musonius, not merely a philosophy but a prescription for daily living, he has been called the roman socrates. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The overlooked stoic musonius rufus by steven umbrello. The first shall be last and the last shall be first by hekataios amerikos. Musonius rufus on exile reflections on theology and moral. Then musonius defends the position that farming is a suitable occupation for a philosopher and no obstacle to learning or teaching essential lessons. Epictetus spent his youth as a slave in rome to epaphroditos, a very wealthy freedman of nero. In one of his lectures musonius recounts the advice he offered to a visiting syrian king. Yet his wisdom was practical, which dealt with daytoday living, how to deal with pleasure, wealth, and hard work. At a time of renewed interest in stoicism, this collection of musonius rufuss lectures and sayings, beautifully translated by cora e. Considered one of the great stoic philosophers, some modern scholars refer to musonius as the roman socrates, as musonius, like socrates, did not leave any writings of his own. Musonius rufus, more than any other stoic, reminds me to both respect and challenge the ancient teachers whose ideas i am incorporating into my life. Has he been exiled from the warmth of sun, has he been exiled from being refreshed by the rain, has he been excluded from the society of men.
Musonius rufus lectures and sayings by musonius rufus, cynthia arrieuking, william irvine. Pdf musonius rufus is often given the title the roman socrates, however he is more often looked over when talking about stoicism. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Musonius rufus, the roman socrates yale classical studies 10 1947. The name given by his parents, if one was given, is not known the word epiktetos in greek simply means acquired. Even as a slave, epictetus used his time productively, studying stoic philosophy under musonius rufus.