Images of the Roman Stoics in the works of V.I. Modestov

The article deals with the interpretation and allusions of V.I. Modestov in his assessment of the Stoic heritage. The works of the scholar devoted to the images of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius are analyzed. Studying the Reflections of Marcus Aurelius, V.I. Modestov draws attention to the humanistic principle of his philosophy. Thoughts of Aurelius are full of respect for people, severity to his own deeds, a constant imperative duty. The Emperor did not find vain glory or wealth precious, tending to the ideals of goodness, justice, patience, courageous humanity, and even rising to the Christian self-sacrifice and forgiveness of the enemy. There is, however, a reasonable question: why is the emergence of such an extraordinary ruler, a sage on the throne, as if embodying the Platonic ideal of a model ruler, did not save the Roman Empire from destruction? This, according to historians, is the uniqueness of the historical situation of II century AD and the period of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. On the example of the ancient ruler, we see the relentless action of historical law, which even an enlightened and exalted person cannot break. Acting contrary to the course of the historical process, like Marcus Aurelius did, they only make it more rapid. Contoured by V.I. Modestov, the image of the Roman emperor is the goodness of his virtues. He is wise, just, humane. The subject of mutual love, he, however, allowed the persecution of Christians. Trying to justify the "idol", the historian believes that Marcus Aurelius did not initiate it, because he inherited these political "guidelines". However, this is why one cannot fully justify Marcus Aurelius, because he could somehow mitigate the plight of Christians, but did nothing for it. The contradiction of the internal and external sentiments of the Emperor indirectly casts a shadow on Stoicism itself, which, according to V.I. Modestov, represents a doctrine with a narrow social background that has no chance of a moral revolution in ancient Roman society. A similar situation is observed with the famous educator of Nero, Roman Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger. Turning to his letters to Lucilius, V.I. Modestov notes that despite the moral decline of the Roman society at the time of Seneca, the Roman Stoic ideas have a special depth and intensity of pursuit, they have a great spiritual potential. However, the historian finds that the Stoicism of the Roman philosopher cannot give life and revive the society of the time. V.I. Modestov believes that Stoicism leads its followers to moral perfection, but because of extreme rationalism and individualistic orientation it is unacceptable to society ready to accept the irrational tenets of Christianity. However, discrepancies, inconsistencies of the Stoicism doctrine and the Christianity principles do not stop V.I. Modestov in his admiration of the images of the ancient sages, and he calls for his contemporaries to do the same. The author concludes that V.I. Modestov, by considering the remarkable aspects of the life of the Roman Stoics and their doctrines, updated the moral issues in the context of the problems of Russian society of the 1870s and 1880s.

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