Want to Read About Stoicism? Here’s Where to Start with Every Stoic Philosopher
A Reading Guide of Recommended Translations and What Order to Read Them
Stoicism's modern resurgence is due to many factors. Its system of ethics is commonly attributed to being a major influence behind the practice of cognitive behavioral therapy, which seeks to combat negative behaviors and thought patterns by assessing the structure and nature of those behaviors.
What many people find that Stoicism brings them is a sense of control—a means of coming to terms with the chaotic world that surrounds them and finding ways to not only bring themselves inner peace but take action in the world that improves the well-being of others.
There are many modern primers and introductory readers about Stoicism, taking the philosophical texts and reinterpreting them in a modern context. However, the beauty of Stoicism is that interpreting the text isn't an effortful pursuit.
While you may have been turned away from different schools of philosophy, due to the complexity of their books, the Stoics are what many Western philosophers struggle to be: straightforward.
The Stoics, particularly the later Stoics, wrote in very simple language and spoke in plain terms about how they felt we should go about living better lives. It is this simplicity (and what some might say bluntness) that makes Stoic writing strike such a resonant chord.
So if we don't need to have Stoicism interpreted for us and can read it for ourselves, where can we read the original texts?
Although many Stoic philosophers have existed throughout the centuries, we only have access to the works of a select few. We have no complete writings of Stoicism’s founder Zeno of Citium for easy access. What remnants exist of Zeno's prolific successor, Chrysippus can also be found in mere fragments and casual mentions in the works of other writers of the ancient era. As it stands, much of what the Greek Stoics have left us is lost to time.
It is not until we enter the later stages of Stoicism's development, and its adoption by members of the Roman Empire, that we begin to come across Stoic literature still accessible in the modern age. Among these Roman Stoics are three very prominent individuals: Epictetus, a slave, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a writer and advisor to Emperor Nero, and Marcus Aurelius, believed by many to be one of the last great emperors of the Roman Empire.
Each of these men, though their stations in life vary, provides us a glimpse into Stoic ethics in a way that has drawn many modern readers to Stoicism today. Epictetus, Seneca, and Aurelius show us Stoicism, not as a philosophy meant to be discussed abstractly in lecture halls and confined classrooms, but a philosophy as a way of life—a practical guide for how we are to conduct ourselves in civil society and moments of personal hardship.
This article will be your brief introductory guide to each of these philosophers. I'll give you a brief overview of their history and contributions to Stoicism. Most importantly, I will provide you with my recommended translations of the Stoics to read (and hopefully reread) for many years to come.
It's important to not only read the Stoics (or any school of ancient philosophy) but also to ensure you have the right translation of the text. Our understanding of the Stoics continues to grow and change over time. Some translations released decades ago may, upon closer inspection, lose some of the nuances the original authors may have intended when translating from the original Latin or Greek. With newer translations, we not only get a fuller picture of what Stoicism is but also are giving more and more people new opportunities to understand and learn about what the Stoics lived by.
I will discuss some of the most recent English translations of the three major Stoics. I will also discuss some collections containing the works of a few minor Stoics across history.
I prioritize many of these editions for their well-researched notes and annotations, as well as the supplementary materials they include to provide readers with the historical and cultural context in which Stoicism was born in and thrived throughout.
And while you can read the Stoics in any order that you may wish, I have structured this guide in the order that I personally recommend reading each of the Stoics, giving a solid foundation in their principles before seeing how they were influenced or developed from then onward.
Without any further delay, let's begin.
Epictetus
“In short, in any field of endeavor, we don’t let the recognition that we won’t reach the peak make us stop trying.” —Epictetus, Discourses 1.2.371
Born in 55 A.D. in Hierapolis, Epictetus was born into slavery. His captivity—ingrained so thoroughly into his identity that his name roughly translates to “acquired one” in Greek—would guide him to become one of later Stoicisim’s leading ethical thinkers. Much of Epictetus's writings come to us by way of his student, Arrian who transcribed notes from Epictetus’s lectures for future prosperity.
If you want to read the written works of Epictetus, I recommend Epictetus: The Complete Works, translated by Robin Waterfield. This volume includes recent translations of Epictetus’s major works The Handbook (also known as the Enchiridion) and his Discourses, as well as the fragments of his other works.
Waterfield’s translation is a stylishly-edited and well-formatted text, with a comprehensive collection of annotations and recommended readings for those who want to explore Epictetus in greater depth. This book is an approachable entry into Stoicism, giving readers a complete foundation in its founding principles by one of the philosophy’s greatest teachers.
Musonius Rufus
“…the person who is practicing to become a philosopher must seek to overcome himself so that he won’t welcome pleasure and avoid pain, so that he won’t love living and fear death, and so that, in the case of money, he won’t honor receiving over giving.” —Musonius Rufus, Lecture on Practicing Philosophy2
Born around 20-30 A.D. in Volsinii, Etruria, Musonius Rufus was raised in his society’s equestrian class before later becoming a philosopher and teacher. Among his students was Roman-slave-turned-Stoic-philosopher, Epictetus.
Rufus often shunned attention and being lavished with praise, believing that it was the philosopher’s role to encourage their audience to think—a feat he felt demanded silence from the audience rather than shouts. His lectures discussed a myriad of topics ranging from a parent’s obligation to their children to whether women should be taught philosophy. In many ways, Rufus is among one of the most forward-thinking philosophers of the ancient world.
Musonius Rufus is often overlooked, in favor of the other major Stoic philosophers on this list. As a result, the number of regularly produced translations of his lectures is slim. Thankfully, Cynthia King published a collection of Rufus’s lectures and sayings that is both concise and well-structured.
With fully numbered lectures and passages, King’s translation not only makes for a pleasant reading experience, but is a valuable resource when conducting further reviews and rereads of Rufus’s work. Her volume’s numbering and annotations make the text easy to reference and more digestible for the average reader.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“ I do not know what will happen, but I do know what can happen. I exempt none of that from expectation: I expect it all; and if I am spared any of it, I count myself fortunate.” —Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letter 883
Born around 4 B.C. in Corduba, Spain, Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a writer, politician, and one of Stoicism’s most prolific contributors. As the byproduct of a circuitous career in the legal profession, Seneca caught a series of equally fortunate and disastrous political headwinds, ultimately leading to him gaining the role of mentor to Emperor Nero of Rome.
Seneca’s contributions to the Stoic literary corpus span multiple forms, leaving him with the largest extant body of work of any Stoic philosopher. His contributions to Stoic ethics would go on to influence his contemporaries in the political profession like Marcus Tullius Cicero and future Stoics like Epictetus.
When reading Seneca’s work, there is no better source than the publications provided by the University of Chicago Press. As discussed in another article on Seneca’s letters, the University of Chicago has seen to the complete publication of all of Seneca’s extant works, ranging from his letters and essays to his plays. There is not a more complete collection of Seneca’s body of work than this series.
The University of Chicago Press’s The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca consists of the following seven volumes:
The best introduction to Seneca’s work can be found in Letters on Ethics, which contains a series of letters written to his friend Lucillius discussing a wide variety of topics from the perspective of Stoic ethics.
From there, I recommend reading one of the three essay volumes. Hardship & Happiness contains some of Seneca’s most moving prose on grief, mortality, and how to live amid times of sorrow. Anger, Mercy, Revenge provides some meditations on how we ought to handle our most volatile emotions, while On Benefits addresses the subjects of gratitude and companionship.
Unique to this list, Seneca also took a number of shots at playwriting. Across two volumes, the University of Chicago Press has assembled eleven plays written by Seneca featuring figures from Greek and Roman mythology. While not traditional Stoic writings, these plays feature subtle hints of Seneca’s philosophical influences throughout each script.
Marcus Aurelius
“Anything that doesn’t make a person worse in himself doesn’t make his life worse either, and does him no harm, external or internal.” —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.84
Born in 121 A.D. in Rome, Marcus Aurelius had already taken to philosophical studies by the age of 10-11 years old. Aurelius was raised by his grandfathers, after losing his father at the age of three. Having undertaken his studies well and being of great constitution, Aurelius, as a young boy, caught the eye of then-Emperor Hadrian.
With the emperor having no heir of his own, Hadrian expressed his desire to make Marcus his heir to the throne, under the condition that he be adopted and raised by Antoninus Pius. The three men would go on to be considered some of Rome’s last great emperors.
As with Epictetus, I recommend Robin Waterfield’s translation of Meditations for first-time readers of Marcus Aurelius. Aurelius is a larger than life figure in the world of modern Stoicism and so his inclusion in the latter section of this guide may be surprising for some readers. But the philosopher king provides a unique perspective on Stoicism that both explains why I recommend he not be read first and why Waterfield is the best translator for this captivating figure.
Unlike most of the works on this list, these words were not meant for public reception. And yet, Aurelius opted not to write Meditations in his native language of Latin, but in Greek, the language of philosophy at the time. Waterfield’s translation carries with it the commanding and beautiful way in which Aurelius utilized language to communicate his day-to-day observations and the means through which he responded to the crises of his time.
The Waterfield translation of Meditations, like his work for Epictetus, features a very detailed introduction and a plethora of well-researched annotations. Aurelius’s writing of the Meditations was akin to a person writing their own diary or journal. Here in the text, we see Aurelius grapple with the tenets of the Stoic philosophers that came before him, namely Epictetus whose knowledge was preserved thanks to his loyal students.
Waterfield’s annotations serve as an essential aid when reading Meditations as they provide further historical context and information that is not always prevalent in the text themselves. In these annotations, Waterfield gives explanations on key Stoic concepts, provides biographical information on Aurelius’s upbringing and political rule, and outlines the ways that Aurelius applies the lessons of Stoicism to his day-to-day life.
In this work, we see Aurelius tread and retread the same topics over time. What may appear repetitive to some readers, Waterfield shows us is a reflection of how Aurelius had to routinely practice and apply Stoic teachings to his own life.
Many readers see in Aurelius a man who, even with all of the power in his known world, is trying to change himself for the better and fight against his daily struggles. He is less of a philosopher, but more a leader grappling with philosophical questions. It’s this relatability that draws people to Aurelius, as we embark on the same philosophical journey he did.
Other Stoic Writings
“It is my opinion, first of all, in accordance with the correct claims made by the ancients, that there are three kinds of philosophical theorems, logical, ethical, and physical; next, that of these logic should be placed first, ethics second, and physics third; and that theology is the final topic in physics;… and that is why they called the teaching of this topic the ‘final revelation.’” —Chrysippus, On Stoic Self-Contradictions by Plutarch5
As stated earlier, many of Stoicism’s greatest philosophers and teachers either left behind no writings of their own or what work they did leave behind was lost to the sands of time. However, we are fortunate still that the Stoics, being one of Ancient Greece’s most prominent philosophical schools, were regularly talked about by their contemporaries and those who came after them.
Much of what we know about Stoics such as Zeno, Chrysippus, and Cleanthes, we know by the biographies of Diogenes Laertius. Though his depictions are often the subject of scholarly debate to this day, Diogenes gives us one of the only major links that we have to early and middle-era Stoicism.
There are also fragmented works from these earlier Stoics that have survived to the modern day. Many of these fragments are included in supplementary texts that serve as guides or primers on Stoicism. While distinct from what Stoicism became in its adoption by Ancient Rome, these fragments display a core emphasis on logic, physics, and ethics that has remained a constant throughout much of Stoicism’s history.
If you want to read more about the many other Stoics that have defined the philosophy’s history, I suggest reading Brad Inwood and Lloyd P. Gerson’s The Stoics Reader and Hellenistic Philosophy: Introductory Readings. Both of these books provide comprehensive overviews on the evolution of Stoicism as a whole, its perception by the Stoics’ contemporaries and rivals, and additional fragments from some of the philosophy’s less-acknowledged figures.
Hellenistic Philosophy discusses Stoicism, along with two of its competing schools of Epicureanism and Skepticism. The Stoics Reader builds on top of the Stoicism section of Hellenistic Philosophy, but with a greater focus and more supplementary material. I mention both publications since there are marginal differences in Stoicism content that may be worth addressing if you want to know everything about the philosophy and its origins.
The influence of the Stoics has been felt throughout the centuries and continues into modern times. Hopefully, this guide gave you the jump start that you need to set off on your own journey to better understand Stoicism.
The Stoics have enriched my interest and passion for the study of philosophy, making it feel accessible and easy to understand. In time, I think you’ll feel the same way too.
Philosophy does not have to be overly complicated and hard to digest. The Stoics showed us a simpler path to becoming our fully realized selves as citizens of a global community. Having read through this guide, you’re now on this path too.
Happy reading!
Socials:
Substack: bryceallenreads.substack.com
Twitter: twitter.com/bryceallenreads
Threads: threads.net/@bryceallenreads
Glasp: glasp.co/#/bryceallen
For more articles on reading, writing, and the creative process, subscribe to my free Substack newsletter!
You can support my writing by buying me a coffee!
You can also show support by purchasing from the affiliate links in this article.
Sources:
Aurelius, Marcus. 2021. Meditations: The Annotated Edition. Edited by Robin Waterfield. Translated by Robin Waterfield. New York, New York, United States of America: Basic Books.
Epictetus. 2022. The Complete Works: Handbook, Discourses, & Fragments. Edited by Robin Waterfield. Translated by Robin Waterfield. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: The University of Chicago Press.
Inwood, Brad, and Lloyd P. Gerson, trans. (1988) 1997. Hellenistic Philosophy: Introductory Readings. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
———, trans. 2008. The Stoics Reader: Selected Writings and Testimonia. Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Rufus, Musonius. (2010) 2011. Lectures & Sayings. Translated by Cynthia King. William B. Irvine.
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. (2010) 2012. Anger, Mercy Revenge. Translated by Robert A. Kaster and Martha C. Nussbaum. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2010) 2014. Natural Questions. Translated by Harry M. Hine. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2011) 2014. On Benefits. Translated by Miriam Griiffin and Brad Inwood. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2014) 2016. Hardship & Happiness. Translated by Elaine Fantham, Harry M. Hine, James Ker, and Gareth D. Williams. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2015) 2017. Letters on Ethics. Translated by Margaret Graver and A. A. Long. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2017a) 2022. The Complete Tragedies. Edited by Shadi Bartsch. Translated by Shadi Bartsch, Susanna Braund, Alex Dressler, and Elaine Fantham. Vol. 1. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
———. (2017b) 2022. The Complete Tragedies. Edited by Shadi Bartsch. Translated by Shadi Bartsch, Susanna Braund, and David Konstan. Vol. 2. Chicago, Illinois, United States of America: University of Chicago Press.
Epictetus, 76.
Rufus, 37.
Seneca, Letters on Ethics, 312.
Aurelius, 74.
Inwood & Gerson, The Stoics Reader, 9.