Why did so many Romans become Stoics? 

In my Catholic girl's high school, we were required to take religion. In our junior and senior year, we were allowed to take philosophy to meet that requirement. We would ask our philosophy teacher at the beginning of each year if he was feeling more Platonic or Aristotelian in this particular year and he would start the semester by telling us which way he was leaning. I had a wonderful educational experience that certainly isn't universal in this country.

"All my life...I've been fearful of defeat. But now that it has come, it's not near as terrible as I'd expected. The sun still shines. Water still tastes good. Glory is all well and good, but...life is enough, ne?" *Comment by Marc Antony after the Battle of Actium*

“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”- Seneca the great Stoic

Domitian after expelling the Philosophers: "Ha! What uptight, arrogant nerds Philosophers are! They think they can tell me how to run my Empire! I'm the only one here who knows how to control the morality of Rome" *5 minutes later* Domitian: "IS THERE A VESTAL VIRGIN IN ROME WHO HASN'T SLEEPED WITH SOMEONE?!"

Garrett, you never disappoint. This was eye-opening, fascinating, jaw-dropping, and hilarious. Your research and depth-of-knowledge just makes me want more and more.

Best add placement ever. Made me laugh out loud. Thank you! And thank you for all your content!

Hey Garrett! Hope you’re well. I was talking about books the other day and some of my friends that don’t read a lot. so I gave them my copy of Naked Statues-, I figured your dry wit humor they would appreciate and learn something along the way. Love your videos! I’d love to have a professor like you, I’d never lose focus in a lecture haha

Thanks! I appreciate the quality and persistence of your efforts.

Earliest I’ve ever been, I’ve been delving quite deep into the prospects of stoicism recently, so this couldn’t have been more well timed

another question I've never considered but now need the answer to. thanks toldinstone

I love the Streetfighter II player select bit cx Caught me by surprise on this channel

Garrett, you have taken me on a journey from the macro to the micro. I appreciate your dedication to the ancient world and discovering my ancient roots. My few trips to Italy have not exposed me to the depth of history and every day life of the Romans (and others) that you have provided. I would like to link them together in the remaining years I walk the planet.

Diocletian and the Tetrarchs would be a great band name

In some ways the ancient Greek philosophers were incredibly prescient. The idea that everything that happens is fated (but simultaneously your choices matter) ties in nicely with the block theory of the universe as proposed by some physicists.

The Roman stoic philosopher Seneca made a comment I have always treasured -when you wake up in the morning think of all the terrible things that might happen to you during the day -if any of them actually happen to you -you will be prepared for them!It was Seneca when as his tutor kept Nero on the rails but when Nero ordered him to commit suicide then all hell broke loose!

Terrific video!

Love these videos

Another great one.

More stoicism content, PLEASE!

the characterization of epicureanism as a hedonist philosophy is very misleading. they believed the ultimate pleasure was freedom from fear and suffering, and that otherwise they should live in contentment and harmony with nature. they didnt advocate lust, gluttony, mammon, and other types of "pleasure" as the right course of action.

Nice video

I wonder if the cause Stoicism's popularity in the Imperial era is in part due to it advocating a withdrawal from public affairs and an acceptance of things outside the practitioner's power. A more politically minded philosophy, like that of Aristotle or Plato or even Polybius, is hard to cultivate in an autocracy where politics is a dangerous and limited game. It's no coincidence that Stoicism (like Epicureanism) developed in the age of the great Hellenistic kings when the political life of the Greek _polis_ had lost much of its vitality and most of its stakes.

I love Stoicism, in our crazy world of exaggerated fear-mongering & negativity, there's much that can be learned from the Stoics. I think you should do a video about Marcus Aurelius when you have the time, the reluctant Philosopher-Imperator with a series of private, personal diatribes that are very much inspiring for our modern world. I know his example helped me greatly during my own struggles.

This guy has the most relaxing voice in the world

The transition to the sponsor message was omazing!

Very interesting

When I first learned about the Stoic and Epicurean philosophies. I found that I had much to agree with in both. And have never seen them as being in conflict with one another.

"The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton is a great beginner book on various philosophies including stoicism. I really enjoyed it.

Your book was great 😃 WHENS THE NEXT ONE!!!!!!??????

Great video. In fact it's omaze-ing. Har har. Anyway, I'm sure you don't need my input for content ideas, but I'd really love a video recommending some must-reads on Roman history. I've long wanted to read a comprehensive work on the Roman empire, but there's such a glut of material out there I don't know which to choose. In addition to your own fine book, of course.

Stoicism was a good fit for Roman culture due to its heavy emphasis on discipline. As well, emphasis on reason over emotion was a core belief along with self control. Stoic " theology" thus was a fatalistic and naturalistic pantheism based in the Stoic view of nature. It should also be noted that classic Greco-Roman paganism was already declining before Christianity.

Love the 8bit Philosophy nod

The Enchiridion of Epictetus, a book of "applied stoicism" (Enchiridion means "handbook") was so popular among early Christians that it was edited to remove its pagan content rather than being banned outright for it.

Was Caeser technically an emperor? I thought that Augustus was the first, Caesar technically being a dictator rather than an imperator. My memory might be faulty though.

This substantially expanded my knowledge about stoics that I acquired from lecture of Edward John Izzard

"Sale of Creeds" by Lucian and "The Clouds" by Aristophanes would also be worth reading if one wishes to see satire on philosophers.

2:04 Loved the way Aristotle was portrayed by Christopher Plummer in the Oliver Stone's movie "Alexander." Despite only appearing in a couple of scenes, it definitely lraves a big impression on you.

Stoicism is just great philosophy! It is so full of wisdom.

Read the Enchiridion multiple times in my life and i JUST learned how to pronounce Epictetus.

Ryan Holiday seems to have cornered the Stoic market anyway. He's making a killing off all those Stoic books.

Excellent video never knew Socrates didn't write

Word in the street is that Toldinstone can make a mean Manhattan cocktail 🍸

The only ancient Mediterranean philosophy that stuck with me is "First secure an independent income. Then practice virtue."

I never followed any religion in my almost 50 years of life. It is useless. But Philosophy, Cynicism and Stoicism especially, they helped me a lot.

I read somewhere that some Romans were naturally Stoic too, like Cato the Elder. And it was just thought to be the Roman spirit.

We are like seventeen seconds into the video and I like Julian the Apostate already.

I knew I'd wait too long to get my title and land in Scotland!

I discovered stoicism not long ago and, for my astonishment, I found many similarities between the doctrine and the oral culture of my birthplace. As my home state is known for its deep Catholicism, I wonder if the Catholic Church have embraced some stoic values and then spread those values to the world.

I thought the main difference between Epicurean and Stoic thought had to do with which was the first cause of existence, the physical world or ideas... 🤔

Epicurians method/goal was never ''to seek pleasure'' !!????.. Seriously... wtf

I’ve never heard anyone besides you say “thatch” instead of “that” or “anch” instead of “and”, interesting

People have always liked 'fart' jokes, they are the most ancient type of joke. I'm not sure I find them funny, but many do, it's very old.

Hi

Girl 1#: "He didn't cry with Titanic! Can you believe it?!" Girl 2#: "Do boys even have feelings?" Aristotle: "As a child, my student Alexander once told me that, the day he became a soldier, he would never flee from battle. When he died at the age of 32, his back was the only part of his body without a single scar..." True Men: 😢

Your channels give me no reason to believe that you partake in computer games. However, I firmly believe you would enjoy doing a commentary on The Forgotten City, which revolves around getting to know a small community in Nero’s Rome. With very few “game-like” elements, it’s really more focused on exploring a snapshot of everyday Roman life. I feel it would be right up your alley.

Roman/Greek religion was ahead of its time. They depicted supernatural beings that realistically wouldn’t care too much for mortals unlike the widespread Christianity today. Though it is interesting to speculate how Christianity propelled our civilization forward in us mostly having common ethics and right/wrong.

Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Fart jokes. I guess if they were around 2000 years ago, then they will be around 2000 years from now. Pity. Enjoyed the video.

being stoic during roman times was an even better idea than it is nowadays.

I don't know, how many modern politicians practice what they preach?

That thumbnail looks like Tobias Fünke as a blue man.

well of course I know them! Cato Minor, Epictetus, Musonius Rufus, Seneca, and me!

I am going to guess more than two...

🤠👍🏿

Stoics as the fire consumes their entire house and family: 👁_👁 "meh"

I wonder deeply… Thy camper advertisement will be on this tablet for future of man to see… All while the camper king will not be paying coin for this service as its embedded in this tablet forever. Thus is the way of the ad blocker😢

Nothing is beyond our reach though

I hit the like button on these videos before I even watch them. I love every one!

All the Roman Stoics are in the thumbnail picture.

How did stoicism come to embrace traditional values? My understanding is that early stoics were radically egalitarian even by today's standards. (Zeno even had a critique of gendered clothing or something? Been well over a decade since I read this stuff so I might have some of the details wrong.)

Instead of a Catholic high school, begging, my parents reluctantly agreed to public high school. I was placed in advanced studies and my science textbook in 9th grade was the same one I used in 5th grade! I was years ahead of my peers and every class I had was the same, textbooks the same ones I'd used 3 - 4 years prior. I was astonished at how far ahead I was. I was heartbroken.

Julian the Apostate was many things, but apparently the Romans, Pagan as well as Christian, all agreed that the most important thing he was, was annoying AF.

This all comes down to who is the great creator of life. The great God sent His Son, and He was was killed. But, He rose from the dead to prove that He was the Divine Redeemer. All of the ancient pagan monarchies, before Jesus, fell in to oblivion.

For some reason this video reminds me of the Monty Python Communist sketch

people listening to Stoic philosophy get to win a truck....lol...boy the times we live in!

No stoic defends religion. That wouldn't be stoic.

" Some Girls are bigger than others, some Girls' Mothers are bigger than other Girl's Mothers " ~ Morrissey

If I don’t win that airstream I’m unsubscribing.

So Epicureanism was right all along. Not stoicism

Funny, so much time devoted to a philosophy when nothing inherently means anything other than what means something to the individual.

First

I dislike Stoicism. Never have I seen the word "catamite", which is derogatory term for a gay man, used so many times as in Epictetus (read his works). I much prefer Epicureanism, which accepted women as equals, non Romans, and gender/sexual nonconformists into its bosom. It's due to Stoicism that Paul wrote those famous Epistles, and why we labor under such vile anti woman, anti gender/sexual nonconformity, and even racism. It's a blight on Western culture.

I think stoicism is overrated. Voiding life of emotion and passion usually leads to the people around you thinking of you as a cold jerk. I would bet that Commodus’s horrible leadership (understatement) could psychologically be traced to the stoicism that Marcus Aurelius cast on him, as well as the people who raised Commodus for him.

I’ve always wondered why people who don’t believe in God should have morals. What’s the point? If there’s no God to hold you accountable, why should you behave at all? But many atheists have ethical standards. Why?

Nothing more insufferable than the stoic

Philosophy is a direct translation of the name of zoroastrian religion Mazda Yasna into greek. They both mean love/friendship with wisdom

This is like saying how many Roman’s were Socratic’s. People think “stoicism” is this profound world changing life philosophy. Every culture has had some version of this for centuries. Stoicism is not unique in any way whatsoever. It’s a philosophy for westerns who jerk themselves thinking that there’s some ancient philosophy that makes them uniquely resilient. I’m sick and tired of hearing about stoicism. Get a life. You want to study something that challenge you , change the way you think about things then study what you’re told not to study, Marxism

So what are ancient Roman fart jokes like? It's actually kind of amusing to me that even back then people thought farts were funny.