Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy pp 253–276Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Is It Possible to Marry and Be Happy? The Later Stoics on Matrimony and Modes of Life

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

  • 469 Accesses

Abstract

Marriage is a reoccurring topic in Ancient philosophy. The Roman Stoics in particular take up marriage and family life as topics worthy of serious philosophical concern. This chapter analyzes the later Stoic discussions on marriage, family, and choices of good ways of life. As this chapter demonstrates, the Stoic discussions on marriage and family life relate to many of the fundamental ideas in their ethics and political thought. One important context in which the Stoics discuss bonds with loved ones, paradigmatically with one’s spouse and children, is in relation to their theory of indifferent things.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

eBook
USD   24.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   32.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Writings on marriage were so common that according to Elizabeth Asmis, these texts constituted a separate literary tradition in Antiquity (Asmis 1996: 76).

  2. 2.

    Gretchen Reydams-Schils dedicates an entire chapter to marriage and the family in her work, The Roman Stoic (2005). It is a great merit of this work that it gives these matters such an important role, but as her general project is an investigation of the later Stoics’ views of the self (not of gender), she does not enter into a more substantial discussion on the connections between Stoic views on marriage and their metaphysics and philosophy of education. Neither does she pay any particular attention to the specific question concerning gender in the Stoic discussions on marriage.

  3. 3.

    As noted earlier, according to Stoic metaphysics , natural events are neither ethically good nor ethically bad, but indifferent. The only things with ethical value are our own evaluations, in other words whether we accept an outer impulse as inherently good, bad, or neither. Cf. Chap. 4 and 8.

  4. 4.

    On the topic of tragedy and the good life in Ancient philosophy, see Martha Nussbaum’s work Fragility of Goodness (2001/1986). On Stoic views on tragedy, death and suicide, see Malin Grahn (2014).

  5. 5.

    Diogenes Laertius states that, according to Zeno, a Stoic sage could also be a Cynic, as Cynicism is a shortcut to virtue (DL VII: 121).

  6. 6.

    Seneca is also known to have written a treatise, De Matrimonio, but it has not survived. Some anecdotes about it are to be found in Jerome’s Adversus Jovianium 1.41–49 (see also F. Haase, ed., L. Annei Seneca Opera quae supersunt, 1902). Given the little that is known of Seneca’s work, I do not include it in my discussion in this chapter.

  7. 7.

    For an English translation of Antipater of Tarsus’ On Marriage, cf. Will Deming 2004: 221–230, and Hierocles’ On Marriage, cf. Ilaria Ramelli (ed.) & David Konstan (transl.) 2009.

  8. 8.

    For Musonius Rufus’ lectures on “Showing that women also should study philosophy,” “Practicing philosophy,” “Sexual matters,” “What is the chief end of marriage?” and “Whether marriage gets in the way of studying philosophy,” see texts 3; 6; 12; 13; 14 in King 2011; cf. Nussbaum (2002).

  9. 9.

    Cf. Chap. 4, where I discuss the metaphysical notion of krâsis. In this context, I also showed why the Stoic view of matter and reason (and their relationship to one another) is very different to that of Aristotle’s. In Aristotle’s biology, these concepts also receive an explicitly gendered interpretation, which I suggest is not the case in Stoic metaphysics . I do not think that Antipater alludes to a gendered notion of “reason” or “matter” either, even though he applies the analogy to describe the union between male and female.

  10. 10.

    Cf. Also the metaphysical categories of “disposed” and “relatively disposed” discussed in Sect. 4.3.

  11. 11.

    On the history of marriage in Antiquity, see, e.g., Cynthia B. Patterson (1991): 48–72.

  12. 12.

    Stobaeus defines marriage as “an intermediate appropriate act,” comparable to “serving as an ambassador” or “discussing matters (dialegesthai)” (Stob.7.8; SVF 3.494).

  13. 13.

    Cf. DL: X; Nussbaum 1994: 102–139.

  14. 14.

    Cf. My discussion on Plato’s Symposium in Sect. 2.1. The Stoic stance differs significantly also from Plato’s Republic where reproduction is solely discussed from the point of view of what benefits the whole society, and the decisions concerning it are left outside of the individual’s own deliberation.

  15. 15.

    Cf. Sextus PH I: 155, DL VI: 97.

  16. 16.

    One could object that the general physical weakness of women is attributable not only to natural capacities but also to their way of life and lack of exercise, and this is why engaging in physical exercise would make women less inferior to men in this respect. This problem is similar to the connection between coldness and idleness in Galen (are women cold because they lead idle lives? Or do they lead idle lives because this follows from their natural coldness ? Cf. Sect. 2.3).

  17. 17.

    Cf. Hierocles’ treatise on siblings, Stob. Anth. 4.84.20; for similar arguments on slavery cf. Seneca, Letter 47.

References

  • Asmis, Elizabeth. 1996. The Stoics on Women. In Feminism and Ancient Philosophy, ed. Julie K. Ward. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deming, Will. 2004. Paul on Marriage and Celibacy. Society for New Testament Studies, Monograph Series, 83. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grahn, Malin. 2014. Free Philosophers and Tragic Women—Stoic Perspectives on Suicide. In Culture, Suicide, and the Human Condition, ed. Marja-Liisa Honkasalo, and Miira Tuominen, 105–128. New York: Berghahn Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, A.A. 2001. Ancient Philosophy’s Hardest Question: What to Make of Oneself? In Representations 74. Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: The University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, Martha. 1994. The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, Martha. 2001/1986. Fragility of Goodness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nussbaum, Martha. 2002. The Incomplete Feminism of Musonius Rufus. In The Sleep of Reason - Erotic Experience and Sexual Ethics in Ancient Greek and Rome, ed. Martha Nussbaum and Juha Sihvola, 283–326. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, Christina. 1991. Marriage and the Married Woman in Athenian Law. In Women’s History & Ancient History, ed. Sarah B. Pomeroy. Capel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reydams-Schils, Gretchen. 2005. The Roman Stoic—Self, Responsibility, and Affection. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schofield, Malcolm. 1991. The Stoic Idea of the City. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York, NY, USA

    Malin Grahn-Wilder

Authors
  1. Malin Grahn-Wilder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Malin Grahn-Wilder .

Appendix

Appendix

Antipater of Tarsus

  • On Marriage. In: SVF 3.254.23–257.10.

Aristotle

EN :

Nicomachean Ethics

  • The Complete Works of Aristotle. The Revised Oxford Translation. Jonathan Barnes (revised). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1984.

Cicero, Marcus Tullius

  • De officiis. M. Winterbottom (ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994.

Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers (DL)

  • Diogenis Laertii Vitae philosophorum. Miroslav Marcovich (ed.). Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana. Vol. 1. Stuttgart-Lipsia: Teubner, 1999–2002.

  • Lives of Eminent Philosophers. R.D. Hicks (transl.). Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1995.

Epictetus

  • Discourses (Disc.)

  • Encheiridion (Ench.)

  • Discourses and Selected Writings. Christopher Gill (ed.). Robin Hard (transl.). London: J.M. Dent & Vermont, Tuttle/Everyman, 1995.

  • Discourses, Books I–IV. W.A. Oldfather (transl.). Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Hierocles

Êthikê stoikheiôsis :

(Elements of Ethics)

Êthikê stoikheiôsis :

(Elements of Ethics)

Ek tou Oikonomikou :

(Household Management)

Ek tou pôs patridi khrêsteon :

(How Should One Behave toward One’s Country?)

Ek tou pôs syngenesi khrêsteon :

(How Should One Behave toward One’s Relatives?)

Peri gamou :

(On Marriage)

  • Corpus dei papiri filosofici greci e latini. Vol. 1 and 4. Guido Bastiani and Anthony Long (eds.). Firenze: Olschcki, 1992. (CPF)

  • Etische Elementarlehre (Papyrus 9780): Nebst den bei Stobaios erhaltenen etischen Exzerpten aus Hierokles. Hans Friedrich August von Arnim (ed.). Berlin: Berliner Klassikertexte 4, Weidmann, 1906.

Hierocles the Stoic, Elements of Ethics, Fragments and Excerpts. Ilaria Ramelli (ed.). David Konstan (transl.). Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2009.

Musonius Rufus

  • Musonii Rufi Reliquiae. O. Hense (ed.). Leipzig: Kessinger, 1905.

  • Musonius Rufus: Lectures & Sayings. William B. Irvine (ed.). Cynthia King (transl.). CreateSpace, 2011.

Plato

Rep. :

Republic

Symp. :

Symposium

  • Platonis Opera (Oxford Classical Texts):

  • Vol. 1, ed. E.A. Duke et al. 1995.

  • Vol. 2, ed. J. Burnet 1922.

  • Vol. 3, ed. J. Burnet 1922.

  • Vol. 4, ed. J. Burnet 1922.

  • Respublica, ed. S.R. Slings 2003.

  • Complete Works. John M. Cooper (ed.). D.S. Hutchinson (associate ed.). Indianapolis: Hackett Publishers, 1997.

  • Plato in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 5–6, The Republic. Paul Shorey (transl.). London: Heinemann, 1969.

  • The Symposium. Christopher Gill (transl.). London and New York: Penguin Books, 1999.

Seneca, Lucius Annaeus

  • Ad Marciam

  • Epistulae

  • Opera Philosophica. Louis Delatte (ed.). Olm, Hildesheim, 1981.

  • Moral Essays. Vol. I. John W. Basore (transl.). Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1928.

  • Moral Essays. Vol. 2. John W. Basore (transl.). Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1932.

  • Epistles. Vol. I–VI. Richard M. Gummere (transl.). Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press, 1917–1925.

  • Selected Philosophical Letters. Brad Inwood (transl.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Sextus Empeiricus

  • PH I-III Outlines of Pyrrhonism

  • Sexti Empirici Opera. H. Mutschmann and J. Mau (eds.). In: Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum. Lipsiae: Teubner, 1962.

  • Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Scepticism. Julia Annas and Jonathan Barnes (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Simplicius

  • Commentary on Epictetus’ Encheiridion

  • Commentarius in Epicteti enchiridion, Theophrasti characteres. F. Dübner (ed.). Paris: Didot, 1842.

  • On Epictetus’ Handbook 1–26. Tad Brennan and Charles Brittain (transl.). London: Duckworth, 2002.

Stobaeus

Anth. :

Anthology

  • Anthologium, Ioannis Stobaeus. Otto Hense and Curtius Wachsmuth (eds.). Weidman: Berolini, 1884–1909.

  • Arius Didymus: Epitome of Stoic Ethics. Arthur J. Pomeroy (ed. and transl.). Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1999.

Stoicorum veterum fragmenta. Vol. I–III. H. von Arnim (ed.). Leipzig: Lipsiae, in aedibus B.G. Teubneri, 1903–1924. (SVF)

Xenophon

Oec. :

Oeconomicus

  • Oeconomicus—A Social and Historical Commentary. Sarah B. Pomeroy (transl.). Oxford: Clarendon University Press, 1994.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Grahn-Wilder, M. (2018). Is It Possible to Marry and Be Happy? The Later Stoics on Matrimony and Modes of Life. In: Gender and Sexuality in Stoic Philosophy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53694-1_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation