Philosophy in Roman society of the late Ist –early IInd centuries AD.

Abstract

The subject of research in this article is the role of philosophy in the life of Roman society in the late Ist – early IInd centuries AD. The period of the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96), Nerva (96-98) and Trajan (98-117) is considered. The author sets himself the following tasks: firstly, to determine how strong the influence of philosophical teachings on the political views of Roman citizens was; secondly, to analyze the role of philosophy in the worldview and behavior of the Romans in other spheres of life other than political; thirdly, to consider the relationship between the ideas of Greek philosophy and Roman ideas and traditions. To achieve this goal, the works of Roman authors Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, and Juvenal were studied in the original language. Fragments in which philosophy and philosophers are mentioned are identified and analyzed, and their comparison with each other is carried out. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the period of the late Ist –early IInd centuries AD was not the subject of independent research in terms of the influence of philosophical ideas on Roman society. The political situation influenced the spread of philosophy. Under Domitian, philosophers were expelled from Rome, freedom of speech was not allowed, and under Nerva and Trajan, philosophers returned to Rome, and the number of followers increased. The listeners of the philosophers were both well-educated representatives of the upper classes, as well as less educated and less noble people. The fashion arose to imitate philosophers without a serious passion for philosophy. Stoicism was the most popular teaching. Its ideas and Roman traditional values crossed in relation to virtues, in the question of suicide. The attitude of representatives of the Roman nobility towards stoicism in the political plan was ambiguous.