12-17-2010, 06:03 AM
The only direct quote that I can think of is this:
The fact that Marcus uses the horror of a battle’s aftermath to illustrate not “living in accordance with nature” is telling. To him as a Stoic, rebelling against something that happens outside of one’s control is as terrible as being mutilated in war. Because he used such an analogy I’m sure he had problems with the aftermath of battle and didn’t just ignore it.
Later (8.38) he tells himself to smell the stench of decay and look at rotting meat. He is trying to force himself to confront the reality of death and decomposition, to view it as it is and not be distressed by it because it is part of the way life works.
This is speculation, but it is conceivable that soldiers familiar with Stoic doctrine used such methods, or even educated officers could have recommended such a course to their men in order to deal with the horror of war.
Quote:Have you ever seen a severed hand or foot, or a decapitated head, just lying somewhere far away from the body that it belonged to? That’s what we do to ourselves – or try to – when we rebel against what happens to us, when we segregate ourselves.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.34
The fact that Marcus uses the horror of a battle’s aftermath to illustrate not “living in accordance with nature” is telling. To him as a Stoic, rebelling against something that happens outside of one’s control is as terrible as being mutilated in war. Because he used such an analogy I’m sure he had problems with the aftermath of battle and didn’t just ignore it.
Later (8.38) he tells himself to smell the stench of decay and look at rotting meat. He is trying to force himself to confront the reality of death and decomposition, to view it as it is and not be distressed by it because it is part of the way life works.
This is speculation, but it is conceivable that soldiers familiar with Stoic doctrine used such methods, or even educated officers could have recommended such a course to their men in order to deal with the horror of war.
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
www.davidcord.com
