roman religion epicurean ism
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Roman ReligionRoman Religion
Epicureanism
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Ogilvie says the following:Ogilvie says the following:
Ancient religion was tolerant and non-sectarian.This is unlike ancient philosophy. The adherents(supporters) of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophyfought long and acrimonious (bitter/hostile) feuds,as one can see by reading Lucretius. The reason
for this difference between religion and philosophyis that the philosophers maintained various factualpropositions about the world that it was made ofbreath or atoms, that it was finite or infinite, andso on. Roman religion offered no dogmas(doctrine/belief) about the universe, there was
nothing for the people to contradict or to argueabout. Philosophers, on the other hand, hadelaborate systems which they defended to the lastdetail with grotesque ingenuity.
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OverviewOverview who werewho were EupicreansEupicreans??
Epicureans were named aftertheir founder, Epicurus, who livedaround 300 B.C.
Epicureans believed that the mainreason for studying philosophywas practical:
To make a happy life for yourself.
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Their beliefsTheir beliefs
They said that you would be happy ifyou had more pleasure in your lifeand less sadness
The Epicureans said that the best wayto be happy and not sad was to notwant anything. It's wanting thingsthat leads to pain. If you're always
wanting more things, then you can'tenjoy the things you do have, becauseyou're always suffering the sadnessof not having things.
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Advice from the Epicureans:Advice from the Epicureans:
The Epicureans advised people notto make close friends or fall in love,because it could lead to sadness if
your friend went away or died. Theless you want, the happier you willbe.
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The Epicureans also taughtpeople that when they died,their soul would die with their
body, because both were madeof atoms that would be brokenup and made into other thingswhen you died. They said that
therefore people should not beafraid of dying or worry aboutwhat would happen to themafter they died.
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The Epicureans also said not tobe afraid of the gods, becausethe gods did not interfere withpeople's lives.
When things happened, it was
just because of natural,scientific causes, and nothing todo with the gods.
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What are these scientificWhat are these scientific
causes?causes?
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Epicureans Atomic theoryEpicureans Atomic theory All things consist of atoms and void (space)
The atoms are of varying size and swirl around at random.
Sometimes the atoms swerve and collide with each other bychance, combining together to form worlds.
The soul consists of very fine atoms
No-one created the universe because atoms/voids alwaysexisted
All phenomena that people thought were the gods wereactually atoms movement and combinations.
DEATH IS THE END OF EVERYTHING
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Scholarship questionsScholarship questions
04 =
Discuss the Roman attitudes to
foreign religions andphilosophies, and the reasonsfor their success at Rome
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Only bursary essay questions IOnly bursary essay questions Icould findcould find
2002 = Describe the process and purposesof animal sacrifice in Roman religion.Explain the attitudes of the Stoics andEpicureans to sacrifice.
1998 = Write short essays on TWO of thefollowing: Epicureanism
1987= Write 200-250 words on each of TWO
of the following: Philosophic attitudes tothe Roman Gods and religious practice.