The Wellspring of Good

Bronze Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius, born on this date in the year 121, is my favorite Roman Emperor, the last of the "Five Good Emperors." Additionally, he is one of my favorite moral philosophers. Whenever I read his Meditations, it amazes me to consider that this dutiful, humble, and authentic voice is of the Most Powerful Man in the World!!! Would I be so ethical and righteous if I had supreme wordly power? I seriously doubt it.

I don't think that I'd go all Nero or Caligula, but I wouldn't be writing Stoic reflections in my private journal. No, I'd be eating exquisite food, drinking fine wine, enjoying the cultural and intellectual richness of the Roman arts and letters, and relaxing with pleasurable company. I would hope that I'd have the ethical integrity to govern with wisdom and responsibility, but that would be secondary to having a good time.

I wouldn't be writing things like this in my private journal:

Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so.

or

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.

Now, when you read such concepts in the works of Epictetus or Musonius Rufus, these are admirable ideas. But it's no surprise that people with such little worldly power would try to tame the chaotic pulls of ambition and desire. Finding contentment with a humble existence is a coping mechanism for the weak and disenfranchised. The Roman Emperor is neither weak nor disenfranchised!!!

And this is what makes Marcus Aurelius so admirable. The Stoic virtues are not mere coping devices for a life of hardship. They are relevant regardless of worldly status. Marcus Aurelius doesn't practice the Virtues because he needs to; he practices them because they are Right.

Here's a short vid about the life of Marcus Aurelius:

Here's a link to Marcus Aurelius' Wikipedia page.

If you are interested in Moral Philosophy, definitely check out the Meditations, which is available free on-line at many locations including at the Internet Classics Archive or Project Gutenberg.

Enjoy!!!

Great and Wondrous Deeds

Parthenon

As resident of Los Angeles can attest, we spend a lot of time commuting around the city. Over the past few months, this has been especially true for me. To pass the time, I usually listen to music on the radio. However, I decided to change it up and listen to recordings of lectures on Ancient Greek civilization. I've always been a student of Classical Civ, but I've mostly been focused on the Romans. Well, I decided it was finally time to give Greece a bit of my time.

Sure. I've read the standard repertoire, Homer and Hesiod, Sophocles and Euripides, Plato and Aristotle. However, it was always in passing, part of a literature or philosophy class. Just another primary text to grind through. So, although I could claim to be widely read in the Greek classics, it was a really shallow claim.

Anyways, I got a few courses from the Teaching Company and was surprised at their overall quality. Each course was an excellent basic survey of the topic. They actually make feel good about the long and frequent drives that I make around town. The 405 is no longer a detestable waste of my time. ;-)

I've listened to a few courses by Jeremy McInerney, Chair of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a very good lecturer and his courses have good organization with broad focus, including cultural, economic, military, and political elements. I've listened to "Ancient Greek Civilization", "Age of Pericles" and "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age."

Another fine lecturer is Elizabeth Vandiver of Whitman College. Her courses focus on literary topics. She's very good at explaining the basics of a work, as well as both the broader context and the specific nuances. However, I think the listener will get more from these lectures if they have previously read the work under study. For instance, I've only read Herodotus in bits and pieces, never "cover to cover." Therefore, in her course "Herodotus: The Father of History," I got more out of the areas in which I was familiar. I also listened to her course on "Greek Tragedy" and "The Odyssey of Homer." All three of these courses were excellent.

Finally, you can't study Ancient Greece without doing some philosophy. I listened to a couple of course by David Roochnik of Boston University, "Introduction to Greek Philosophy" and "Plato's Republic." Both of these courses were well organized and with very accessible lectures. I was especially impressed by the course of the Republic. Given my previous unhappy experiences with this work, I was doubtful that any lecturer could keep my interest on the subject. He did. Bravo!

Euphronios Krater

Anyways, I highly recommend these courses. Moreover, I'm interested in actually reading some Ancient Greek studies.

Here's a link to the Teaching Company's website.

Prof. Jeremy McInerney's webpage is here.

Prof. Elizabeth Vandiver's Wikipedia page is here.

Here's a link to Prof. David Roochnik's webpage.

Enjoy!!!