The Stoic Creed - College of Stoic Philosophers

"
"
1 68 THE STOIC CREED
feature, not disproved even by Aurelius s persecution
of the Christians ;
for that did not proceed from
religious intolerance, but was dictated by political
motives, supported by the belief (mistaken, no doubt,
yet real) that the Christians did not act from inward
conviction, but from "mere perversity."
1
In the true
cosmopolitan spirit, Epictetus counsels us, when any
one speaks evil of us, to harbour no ill-will against
him, but to bear a gentle mind towards him, consoling
ourselves with the reflection,
"So it
appeared to him
(Encheiridiony 42). This, of course, might be simply
the gracious condescension of the superior person
contemptuous of those who differ from him or who
criticize him. But, as a matter of fact, it was not.
The Stoic was no cynic (in
the modern sense of that
term), and his charity was genuine. On the other
hand, the Stoic was no hermit. Although the wise
man, being self-sufficient, is independent of all forms
of government and of distinctive nationality, neverthe
less his philosophy taught
him that for the
generality
of people a man should remain in the State and perform
faithfully his duties as citizen, whatever they might
be
"staunchly every hour, as a Roman and a man,
resolving to do the work in hand, with scrupulous and
unaffected dignity, affectionately, freely, justly
(Aurel.
Med. ii. 5) should marry also, if there were no sufficient
;
reason to the contrary, and enter into the various home
and family relationships, discharging conscientiously
his part as husband, father, friend 2
and
; when, after
years of toil,
he might rightfully seek a haven of rest,
1
Aurelius, Med. xi. 3.
2
See Cicero, De Finibus, Hi. 20, 68 ; Seneca, De Otio, Hi. 2.