1. Historical Context and Influences:
– Interest in philosophy at Rome began in 155 BC with Athenian influence.
– Roman philosophy was shaped by Hellenistic schools like Stoicism and Epicureanism.
– Emperors such as Hadrian, Nero, Julian the Apostate, and Marcus Aurelius supported philosophical pursuits.
– The Stoic Opposition, a protest by philosophers, occurred during the Flavian dynasty.
2. Schools of Thought:
– Middle Platonism emerged around 90 BC, blending Platonism with Peripatetic and Stoic doctrines.
– The School of the Sextii, founded around 50 BC, combined Pythagorean, Platonic, Cynic, and Stoic philosophies.
– Neopythagoreanism experienced a revival in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
– Late Peripatetic philosophy was represented by Alexander of Aphrodisias in the 3rd century AD.
– Neoplatonism, founded by Plotinus in the 3rd century AD, emphasized unity with the One as the ultimate human goal.
3. Key Philosophers and Figures:
– Cicero: Influential Roman philosopher and orator.
– Seneca: Stoic philosopher and advisor to Emperor Nero.
– Marcus Aurelius: Roman Emperor known for his Stoic writings.
– Epictetus: Stoic philosopher emphasizing personal ethics.
– Lucretius: Roman poet and philosopher renowned for ‘On the Nature of Things’.
4. Philosophical Schools and Concepts:
– Stoicism: Focuses on virtue, self-control, and resilience.
– Epicureanism: Emphasizes pleasure as the highest good.
– Skepticism: Questions the possibility of knowledge.
– Neoplatonism: Blends Platonic philosophy with other influences.
– Aristotelianism: Based on the teachings of Aristotle.
5. Major Works and Contributions:
– ‘Meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius.
– ‘On the Nature of Things’ by Lucretius.
– ‘De Officiis’ by Cicero.
– ‘Letters from a Stoic’ by Seneca.
– ‘Discourses’ by Epictetus.
Ancient Roman philosophy is philosophy as it was practiced in the Roman Republic and its successor state, the Roman Empire. Roman philosophy includes not only philosophy written in Latin, but also philosophy written in Greek in the late Republic and Roman Empire. Important early Latin-language writers include Lucretius, Cicero, and Seneca the Younger. Greek was a popular language for writing about philosophy, so much so that the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius chose to write his Meditations in Greek.
