Tusculanae Quaestiones
Encyclopedia
The Tusculanae Disputationes (the Tusculan Disputations), is a series of books written by Cicero
, around 45 BC
, attempting to popularise Stoic
philosophy
in Ancient Rome
. It is so called as it was reportedly written at his villa in Tusculum
.
The Tusculanae Disputationes consists of five books:
The rhetor's theme De contemptu mundi, on the contempt of the world, was taken up by Boethius in the troubled closing phase of Late Antiquity
and by Bernard of Cluny
in the first half of the twelfth century.
In the Tusculan Disputations is the locus classicus of the legend of the Sword of Damocles. There is also a disapproving note that Amafinius was one of the first Latin writers in Rome.
In a recent study Bernhard Koch has shown that Cicero aims at a therapy of emotions based on academic foundations but worked out by stoic thesis.
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, around 45 BC
45 BC
Year 45 BC was either a common year starting on Thursday, Friday or Saturday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday and the first year of the Julian calendar and a leap year starting on Friday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
, attempting to popularise Stoic
Stoicism
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...
philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. It is so called as it was reportedly written at his villa in Tusculum
Tusculum
Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy.-Location:Tusculum is one of the largest Roman cities in Alban Hills. The ruins of Tusculum are located on Tuscolo hill—more specifically on the northern edge of the outer crater ring of the Alban volcano...
.
The Tusculanae Disputationes consists of five books:
- "On the contempt of death"
- "On bearing pain"
- "On grief of mind"
- "On other perturbations of the mind"
- "Whether virtue alone be sufficient for a happy life"
The rhetor's theme De contemptu mundi, on the contempt of the world, was taken up by Boethius in the troubled closing phase of Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
and by Bernard of Cluny
Bernard of Cluny
Bernard of Cluny was a Benedictine monk of the first half of the 12th century, a poet, satirist, and hymn-writer, author of the famous verses De contemtu mundi, "On Contempt for the World"....
in the first half of the twelfth century.
In the Tusculan Disputations is the locus classicus of the legend of the Sword of Damocles. There is also a disapproving note that Amafinius was one of the first Latin writers in Rome.
In a recent study Bernhard Koch has shown that Cicero aims at a therapy of emotions based on academic foundations but worked out by stoic thesis.
External links
- e-book at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
(Google Books)