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Romans did not like philosophy

This post is also available in: Polish (polski)

Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius

The Roman Empire gave birth to some truly outstanding philosophers such as Seneca the Yougher or Marcus Aurelius. That does not mean, however, that the Romans, like the Greeks, considered meditation an important aspect of life. First, according to the Romans, philosophy was a Greek invention, and as they were conquered by the “sons of She-wolf”, it was not worthy for the Roman to deal with the matter invented by the Greek.

Secondly, the philosophy focused on perfecting the soul and interior of the human being, which according to the Romans led to forgetting about physical development, which was important for the need to protect the fatherland. Galen, a Roman physician of Greek descent from the second century CE claimed, for example, that according to the Romans, practicing philosophy was just as important as drilling holes in millet seeds.

Sources
  • M. Trapp, Philosophy in the Roman Empire: Ethics, Politics and Society, 2007

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