MARCUS AURELIUS AND TITUS LIVIUS

Stoicism and Emotion

Written by: Tanya Scuccimarra, Spring 2010

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MARCUS AURELIUS AND TITUS LIVIUS

What would the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius say about the historian Titus Livius?

Further, how would a true subscriber to the Stoic religion or philosophy like Aurelius judge

Livy’s reaction to writing The History of Rome from its Foundation? According to The

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study:

It is often said that before the advent of philosophy the Romans were Stoics without knowing it. Certainly the heavy emphasis which the Romans placed on the qualities of resolution, self-sufficiency, endurance of pain, and seriousness of mind made the Stoic ideals thoroughly congenial to many of them, and it’s natural to see the heroic actions of Romans past and present in Stoic terms…1

The explanation that Livy writes at the beginning of The History of Rome from Its Foundation is

full of human emotions like fear, doubt, pride, and ego. Was he in direct opposition to a stoic

thinker like Marcus Aurelius? More than this, can human emotion and stoicism go hand and

hand?

“What lends itself to the ground-faith of the stoics was a pantheistic optimism. The universe, and all that therein is, is divine, inhabited or rather permeated by the godhead, the Word which is Law and Reason; all its parts are knit together in a mysterious yet reasonable communion which makes apparent evil good, since it serves the purpose of the whole—‘Destiny’ is but another word for Providence, which as the universal Word runs through all things and interpenetrating the whole leads it to the Best. (Marcus Aurelius His Life page 135)2

The word ‘pantheistic’ should be further dissected and defined clearly as:

…a metaphysical and religious position. Broadly defined it is the view that (1) God is everything and everything is God … the world is either identical with God or in some way a self expression of his

                                                            1R. B. Rutherford, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), 68. 2A.S.L. Farquharson, Marcus Aurelius: His Life and His World (Westport: Greenword Press Publishers, 1975), 135.  

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nature. Similarly is it the view that (2) everything that exists constitutes a “unity” and this all-inclusive unity is in some sense divine.3

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations holds his private thoughts that are firmly planted in stoicism’s

soil. What are some of the basic principles of Stoicism? According to Marcus Aurelius, some of

the basic truths of Stoicism are best defined through his private journaling. Aurelius speaks

often of everything having a divine purpose and that everything and everyone has a part that

makes up the Whole—or the greater good of society and mankind. Nothing can happen to a man

that can take away his goodness if his good is stored up inside of him. No evil-doers, sickness,

war, famine, or human emotion can take away this goodness if a person truly possesses it for

themselves—despite circumstances. His directing mind (mind of divinity) can lead him onward

to perform whatever duty the gods have gifted him with. Man should always be at rest even in

distress as long as his mind is guided by the divine.

Aurelius would admire Livy the writer and Roman historian as Livy did adhere to some

of the ideals of Stoicism. Before Livy starts his tale of The History of Rome from its Foundation

he informs the reader of a few personal thoughts about the task of telling Rome’s history over a

time-span of seven hundred years. Livy is clearly struggling with such a monumental burden of

writing a story of Rome that is both honest and, at the same time, inspirational—urging the

Roman people to feel patriotism toward their country. Livy is trying to instill Romans with new

fire that will allow them to build their country, serve their country, and to be loyal to the greater

good of their nation. Livy states, “I shall find satisfaction in contributing—not, I hope,

                                                            3Edward N. Zalta, “Parntheism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2009/entries/pantheism/ (accessed April 19, 2010). 

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ignobly—to the labor of putting on record the story of the greatest nation in the world.”4 Livy,

though hesitant, was willing to write the history of Rome by finding satisfaction not in the story

itself, but in the mere fact that he was fulfilled personally by doing his part. He was writing from

a good place within himself and for the greater Whole.

While Livy writes, “The task of writing a history of our nation from Rome’s earliest days

fills me, I confess, with some misgiving, and even were I confident in the value of my work, I

should hesitate to say so,”5 Aurelius may have answered Livy with, “I have often wondered how

it is that everyone loves himself more than anyone else, but rates his own judgment of himself

below that of others.”6 If Livy had the gumption to take on a monumental task such as

explaining the history of Rome then he should judge that it is his fate to write such a story and no

matter the outcome, he is not distracted by the fear of failing but by the effort to do what it is he

is fated to do.

Therefore, even if the story he wrote was not valued and prized, he was fulfilling his role

of historian. Livy states, “I am aware, too, that most readers will take less pleasure in my

account of how Rome began and in her early history.”7 Yet, Livy still wrote the story. If Livy

truly desired to prompt Rome to remember their roots and find a reason to serve their country,

why wouldn’t he care how they felt about his story? Perhaps he was being driven by something

more than the approval of Rome? He was able to continue writing a story that he was concerned

would not bring him popularity. He was in a battle between human emotion verses stoic

                                                            4Donald S. Gochberg and Titus Livius, “Classics of Western Thought Volume I: The Ancient World” “The History of Rome from its Foundation,” 4th ed. (Fairfield: QuebecorPrinting, 1988), 385. 5Ibid. 6Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (England: Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc, 2006), 164 12:6. 7Donald S. Gochberg and Titus Livius, “Classics of Western Thought Volume I: The Ancient World” “The History of Rome from its Foundation,” 4th ed. (Fairfield: QuebecorPrinting, 1988), 385. 

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reasoning. Perhaps, because Livy was still able to write this piece of Roman history, he was

remaining true to his inner goodness and the ability to look past his human worries. Stoicism was

at work because he wrote the story despite everything he was feelings. Marcus Aurelius wrote:

All that you pray to reach at some point in the circuit of your life can be yours now—if you are generous to yourself. That is, if you leave all the past behind, entrust the future to Providence, and direct the present solely to reverence and justice. To reverence, so that you come to love your given lot: it was nature that brought it to you and you to it. To justice, so that you are open and direct in word and action, speaking the truth, observing law and proportion in all you do. You should let nothing stand in your way—not the iniquity of others, not what anyone else thinks or says, still less any sensation of this poor flesh that has accreted around you: the afflicted part must see to its own concern.8

However, Aurelius also said, “If it is not right, don’t do it: if it is not true, don’t say it.”9 Livy

may have decided not to write the story if he would have followed Aurelius’ beliefs because

Livy clearly knows that his re-telling of Rome’s history was more of a poem, or folktale, than an

actual account of hard facts.

Unlike Aurelius who would have pushed forward toward each and every task that he

believed to be his role without allowing emotion to form his next step, Livy actually speaks to

his true feelings. Yet, interestingly enough, Livy shows that he can give in to human emotion

and still proceed with his course of action. As he writes in his prologue, “Countless others have

written on this theme and it may be that I shall pass unnoticed amongst them; if so, I must

comfort myself with the greatness and splendor of my rivals, whose work will rob my own

recognition.”10 Livy doubts the significance of his writing compared to others who wrote on

                                                            8Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (England: Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc, 2006), 115 12:1. 9Ibid., 118 12:17. 10Donald S. Gochberg and Titus Livius, “Classics of Western Thought Volume I: The Ancient World” “The History of Rome from its Foundation,” 4th ed. (Fairfield: QuebecorPrinting, 1988), 385.

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Rome’s history. He’s feeling insecure about the power of his words to prove anything or

promote Rome’s greatness. Livy is questioning his own art, the written word, and goes on to

throw away any ideas of having his work actually mean something—before ever knowing the

outcome of Rome’s thoughts toward his story. How very human of him! Livy proceeds to write

a body of work that is being read in 2010.

Is there room for stoicism and human emotion? Can the two exist? Obviously so,

considering that Livy wrote despite his fear and his writing meant something to Rome. The Stoic

Philosophy captures a speech delivered by Oxford Professor, Gilbert Murray, in 1915. Professor

Murray was a well learned and honored man in the field of philosophy, religion, and history. The

Professor commences his speech on Stoicism by stating, “I do not suggest that it is a perfect

system…. It is certainly not that….But I believe it represents a way of looking at the world and

the practical problems of life….I shall approach it, therefore, rather as a psychologist than a

philosopher or historian.”11 Professor Murray suggests that Psychologists are critical of Stoicism

because they believe it’s a psychology of intellect and that stoicism depends on rational thought

at all times. This is not how human beings are created. People are rational and emotional all at

the same time. Or, people are pure reactionary, only able to find rational thought after the initial

feelings of fear, doubt, pride, worry, envy, and all others fade.

Livy seems to find his rationality once he accepts the task at hand or the hand that fate

has dealt them. Livy wrote about his lack of confidence, alluding to the fact that other great

writer’s will receive recognition for their historical writings on Rome and that his work will fade

into nothing. If he were a die-hard stoic he wouldn’t even concern himself with such thoughts

and emotions. Was it even possible for Livy to apply only stoicism when asked to write a history

                                                            11Gilbert Murray, The Stoic Philosophy (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1915), .   

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of Rome? Psychologists suggest that Stoicism “paid too much attention to fully conscious and

rational processes, and too little attention to the enormously larger part of human conduct which

is below the level of consciousness.”12

Marcus Aurelius would have pulled Livy up by the bootstraps and said, “…when things

have such a plausible appearance, show them naked, see their shoddiness, strip away their own

boastful account of themselves, Vanity is the greatest seducer of reason: when you are most

convinced that your work is important, that is where you are must under its spell.”13 However,

in a sense, Livy found his peace and reasoning to continue with writing Rome’s foundation—

because, after all of his mixed emotions and turmoil he still wrote the piece. Perhaps stoicism

and emotion need to work hand and hand?

Professor Murray speaks of stoicism not truly grasping the power of human nature,

“Stoicism…has gone astray through not sufficiently realizing its dependence on the human mind

as a natural biological product.”14 Perhaps this advice would serve Marcus Aurelius well?

Maybe then Marcus Aurelius could have had more peace about his own desires which he

addresses throughout Meditations, “No more wandering. You are not likely to read your own

jottings, your histories of the ancient Greeks and Romans, your extracts from their literature laid

up for your old age. Hurry then to the end, abandon vain hopes, rescue yourself if you have any

care for yourself, while the opportunity is still there.”15 Professor Murray answered this deep cry

of human desire with, “We cannot escape as easily as these brave men dreamed from the grip of

the blind powers beneath the threshold.”16

                                                            12 Ibid., 60. 13Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (England: Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc, 2006), 48 6:13. 14Gilbert Murray, The Stoic Philosophy (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1915), 64. 15Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (England: Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc, 2006), 22 3:14. 16 Gilbert Murray, The Stoic Philosophy (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1915), 64. 

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Simply put, human beings have desires which run so deep that no rational thought can

ease them. Likewise, a human run by emotion alone will never accomplish any task due to

relentless doubts, fears, and worry that plague a man’s mind. However, applying both stoicism

and emotion, Livy was able to write a piece of work that is still taught on and read. Nobody can

know what work may have been produced by Marcus Aurelius other than Meditations because

Aurelius refused to allow himself the joy of writing for writing’s sake. Marcus Aurelius, as

Professor Murray points out in his speech, truly believed that, “God, the eternal dramatist, has

cast you for some part in his drama, and hands you the role. It may turn out that you are cast for

a triumphant king; it may be for a slave who dies of torture. What does that matter to the good

actor? He can play either part; his only business is to accept the role given him, and to perform it

well.”17

I have not given, received, nor witnessed any unauthorized help on this work. TS

                                                            17Ibid., 50.

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Bibliography Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. England: Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc, 2006. Birley, Anthony. Marcus Aurelius: A Biography. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 1999. Farquharson, A.S.L. Marcus Aurelius: His Life and His World. Westport: Greenword Press, Publishers, 1975. Gochberg, Donald S., and Titus Livius. “Classics of Western Thought Volume I: The Ancient World” “The History of Rome from its Foundation.” 4th ed. Fairfield: QuebecorPrinting, 1988. Murray, Gilbert. The Stoic Philosophy. New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1915. Rutherford, R. B. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Zalta, Edward N. "Pamtheism." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2009. http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2009/entries/pantheism/ (accessed April 19, 2010).