Gaius Musonius Rufus. An outline of the portrait of a Roman intellectual in the Claudian and Flavian era

Abstract

Gaius Musonius Rufus was a Roman Stoic philosopher of the 1st century AD who, despite being a less-known figure, for his importance can be compared with Seneca, Hierocles, Epictetus (who was Musonius' disciple) and Marcus Aurelius. He first engaged in the study of philosophy in Rome during Nero's reign and, after being exiled in 65, came back to Rome after Galba's ascent to power; at some time in the 70s he had to go to exile again, to be back only after the death of Vespasian. Like many other representatives of the Late Stoa, Musonius paid little attention to the theoretical side of the Stoic doctrine, concentrating mostly on practical ethics, namely, the so-called paraenetic, or moralistic discourse, a discipline which eventually exerted great influence of European moral philosophy. Musonius advises on how one should behave in a given situation, parting from the positive assumption that a human being is born with a proclivity for virtuous life and a capacity of goodness. The present paper follows Musonius' life and teaching through the events of Roman history and public life; as a result, one gets a more complete understanding of his character and thinking (and also of the reasons why it became influential), as well as of the common background of Roman, in particular Stoic, philosophy of the 1st century. A paradigmatic Roman intellectual, Musonius contributed to shaping that idea of a dignified way of life which dominated European consciousness ever since; his own example gave proof of his adherence to the principles he believed to be true.