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Rameses the Great

Philosophical Greek religions

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I just want to discuss the state of Rome relative to these Greek beliefs. To my understanding, many Romans fround upong Greek philosophy partly for its complex nature. However in these three philosophies: Epicureanism, Stoticism, and Cynicism one had to apply to Roman life.

 

Epicureanism-a pure materialistic view of things.

Stoticism-the search for an inner life with religion.

Cynicism-criticism of mankind and society.

 

Obviously the Greek subscribed to all these philosophies, given their mindset. However many Roman hate philosophy, but had to follow one of the three above. Bear with me here, where do the Romans stand on these three ideas?

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I don't recall ever reading about how any Romans hate philosophy. Perhaps they did not take to it as much as the Greeks did, but for the most part they respected the philosophical understanding of the Greeks and basically left them to it. Still, a great many of the upper society of Rome partook to some degree in all three philosophies, though I suppose you can say stoicism was the most popular.

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What about Pythagoras' philosophical religion? I believe his followers were not allowed to eat beans or touch chickens. That might not have been popular with the Romans seeing how much they revered their sacred chickens.

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I don't believe the Romans, aside from a few Hellenophobes, hated philosophy. They merely had a cultural mindset that valued pragmatism above speculation. Only educated Romans would have become well acquainted with Hellenic philosophy. Even among them, the emphasis was on the practical application of ethics rather than more abstract areas such as metaphysics.

 

Stoicism as its core believes the only good is virtue, the only evil is vice, and everything else in the world is indifferent. Stoics believed in the passionless performance of one's duty. Duty had always been the central Roman concept; it is not then surprising that Stoicism was the most successful of the Hellenic philosophies in Rome.

 

As far as Pythagoras, his mystical cult was always on the fringes of Greco-Roman society.

 

Philosophy generally existed in tandem with religion rather than as a replacement to it. Religion was about cultic practice to propitiate supernatural powers, and generally did not proscribe a moral worldview or an ontology of the cosmos. Those that wanted such things could turn to a philosophy as they saw fit (or not). Even the educated Romans who internalized a philosophy still paid a certain decorum to the cultic religion of the common people.

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Hadrian was a Hellenophile in general, but I'm not sure if he was beholden to a particular philosopher.

 

Marcus Aurelius was the Stoic philosopher.

 

And the later Julian was something of a Neoplatonist.

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