Stoicism - College of Stoic Philosophers

STOICISM ON THE THRONE. 2 25system was so near his own, though the foundations onwhich it stood were so unlike. Nor is there much evidenceof " the narrow mahgnance of his fellow-Stoics,"by which he isthought to have been probably incited. ^It is true that the name of Rusticus, his early teacher,does appear as that of the magistrate who tried andsentenced Justin, but the action of the judge wasmainly formal, and there is little trace of personalrancour, though his tone may sound contemptuous indealing with professions which he could not understand.^Justin himself had donned the mantle of the sage,and passed throughall the schools in turn as a seekerafter wisdom, but though he spoke of the earlierphilosophers as taught by the inspiration of the Word,he may well have stirred the jealousy of those whosepartial knowledge he refuted, and who, like the Cynichave hounded onCrescens whom we read of, maythe populace against him. There is, indeed, a strangecoincidence of language which may point to someknowledge on the emperor's part of the " SecondApology " of Justin. He speaks of the soul whichshould be ready at any moment to be parted from thebody, " not from mere obstinacy, aswith the Christians,but considerately and with dignity and in a wayto persuade another, without tragic show (urpaywciwe)"-It has been thought that this contains a reference tothe wish expressed by Justin that some one would'^Sir A. Grant, "Oxford Essays," 1858, p. 119.Ruinart," Acta Martynim Selecta."Q