Stoicism, founded in the late 4th century BCE, has long been associated with its male philosophers like Zeno of Citium, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. However, the principles it is based on, like self-discipline, rationality, resilience, and the pursuit of virtue, were not exclusive to men. Ancient sources reveal remarkable women who embraced and lived by Stoic ideals, influencing their families, societies, and history.

Let’s look at the lives of five extraordinary women in ancient Greece and Rome who embodied Stoic philosophy. Though often overshadowed by their male contemporaries, these women left indelible marks on the philosophical tradition and remind us that Stoicism is a philosophy of inclusion.

1. Porcia Catonis

Porcia Catonis, daughter of the famed Stoic philosopher and politician Cato the Younger, epitomized courage, intellectual rigor, and loyalty to her ideals. Born between 73 BCE and 64 BCE into a family steeped in Stoic values, Porcia was raised in an environment that emphasized virtue, self-control, and rationality.

Cato the Younger married Porcia to one of his political allies, Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, when she was still a teenager. However, her second marriage to Marcus Junius Brutus, one of Julius Caesar’s eventual assassins, placed her at the center of one of Rome’s most turbulent periods. Demonstrating the Stoic ideal of emotional control, she remained steadfast despite personal and political danger.

A story showcasing her resilience involves learning of Brutus’s plans to assassinate Caesar. Porcia, keen to prove her strength and trustworthiness, wounded herself with a knife, refusing medical aid to demonstrate her capacity to endure pain. When Brutus eventually confided in her, it was a testament to her Stoic determination and her unshakable will.

Porcia’s tragically died in 42 BCE. The exact circumstances of her death are disputed, but the most popular views are that she died either by illness or by suicide after Brutus’s death at Philippi, which mirrored her father’s defiance against tyranny. Her life and death reflected the Stoic principle that liberty, whether political or personal, was worth the ultimate sacrifice.

In Life of Cato, Plutarch wrote, “Nor was Porcia, the daughter of Cato, inferior to the rest of her family, for sober living and greatness of spirit. She was married to Brutus, who killed Caesar; was acquainted with the conspiracy; and ended her life as became one of her birth and virtue.”

Or, as in translation by Bernadotte Perrin (Loeb Classical Library edition), “And still more true is it that the daughter of Cato was deficient neither in prudence nor courage. She was the wife of the Brutus who slew Caesar, was privy to the conspiracy itself, and gave up her life in a manner worthy of her noble birth and her lofty character, as is told in the Life of Brutus.”

2. Arria The Elder (Arria Major)

Arria the Elder, a Roman woman of the 1st century CE, is remembered for her fortitude and eloquence. She was the wife of Caecina Paetus, who became embroiled in a conspiracy against Emperor Claudius. When her husband faced execution, Arria’s courage shone brightly.

When Paetus hesitated to take his own life after being condemned, Arria took a sword and stabbed herself, handing it to her husband with the words, “Non dolet, Paete.” “It does not hurt, Paetus.” Her act of Stoic bravery inspired her contemporaries and immortalized her as a paragon of fearlessness and self-possession.

As written by Pliny the Younger in Letters as translated by J.B.Firth “It was indeed a splendid deed of hers to draw the sword from its sheath, to plunge it into her breast, then to pull it out and offer it to her husband, with the words which will live for ever and seem to have been more than mortal, ‘Paetus, it does not hurt.’”

Arria’s life underscores the Stoic principle of accepting fate with grace. Her actions conveyed that death, when embraced for the sake of virtue or loyalty, needs not be feared. Her philosophy resonates with the Stoic concept of prioritizing moral integrity over physical survival.

3. Fannia

Fannia, the granddaughter of Arria Major, inherited her grandmother’s indomitable spirit and commitment to Stoic ideals. Her father was Thrasea Paetus, one of the leaders of the opposition against Emperor Nero. She married Helvidius Priscus, a senator and outspoken critic of Emperor Vespasian. Fannia exemplified loyalty, courage, and an unshakeable belief in justice.

When Helvidius was exiled for his opposition to tyranny, Fannia chose to accompany him despite the personal hardships it entailed. Her commitment to the Stoic virtue of sympatheia, the interconnectedness of all human beings, compelled her to support her husband even at great personal risk.

Later, when Helvidius was executed under Emperor Domitian, Fannia preserved his writings and memory, ensuring his ideas would not be forgotten. This got her exiled by Domitian in 93 CE when she asked the Stoic Herennius Senecio to write a biography about Helvidius. During her trial, she didn’t try to deny anything and confirmed that she had provided the diaries to Senecio.

Pliny the Younger, in the Letters of the Younger Pliny, as translated by John Benjamin Firth, writes, “Yet her mind and spirit are wonderfully strong, quite worthy of Helvidius her husband and Thrasea her father, but in all other respects she is losing ground, and the sight fills me not only with apprehension but with positive pain; for it grieves me to think of so excellent a woman being torn from all of us, who will never, I fear, see her like again. What a pure, upright life she has led! How dignified she was, and how loyal!”

Her actions align with the Stoic emphasis on enduring hardship for the sake of truth and justice. Fannia’s dedication to her principles and her fearless advocacy of freedom make her a shining example of Stoic resilience.

4. Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor

Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor (160-212 CE), the daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, grew up in a household imbued with Stoic ideals. Though less famous than her brother Commodus and sister Lucilla, Cornificia shared her father’s philosophical leanings and contributed to the intellectual life of her era.

We don’t know much about Cornificia’s life, but from what we can gather, her life reflected the Stoic principles, and she endured a lot when her brother Commodus became an emperor. Commodus ordered the deaths of her husband, son, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law’s family. Cornificia survived these political executions, but ultimately, the same fate awaited her years later.

Cornificia’s death, reportedly ordered by Emperor Caracalla, was met with dignity and calm, embodying the Stoic principle of accepting fate with equanimity. Her life serves as a reminder of the often-overlooked contributions of women to the Stoic tradition.

5. Hypatia Of Alexandria

Though associated with Neoplatonism and not identifying as a Stoic, Hypatia of Alexandria (350–415 CE) incorporated Stoic principles into her teaching and life. As a mathematician, philosopher, and teacher, Hypatia was a towering intellectual figure in the waning days of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Hypatia’s philosophical outlook reflected the ideal of living according to nature and reason. She lectured on the writings of Plato and Aristotle and taught that a disciplined mind, guided by rational inquiry, could achieve inner peace and harmony with the cosmos. Her life as a scholar and teacher exemplified the pursuit of wisdom as the highest virtue.

Tragically, Hypatia became a victim of political and religious strife. Her brutal murder by a Christian mob in 415 CE marked the end of an era in Alexandria, but her legacy endures as a testament to the ideal of unwavering commitment to truth and reason, even in the face of violence and persecution.

Hypatia’s legacy can be seen throughout the ages. During the Middle Ages, she was used as a symbol of Christian virtue. During the Age of Enlightenment, she was a symbol of opposition to Catholicism. And in the twentieth century, she was seen as an icon for women’s rights and a precursor to the feminist movement.

The Stoic Legacy Of Women

The lives of these five women illustrate that Stoicism was not a philosophy confined to academia or the male elite; it was a practical guide for life embraced by individuals facing profound challenges. Porcia Catonis, Arria the Elder, Fannia, Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor, and Hypatia lived in different times and circumstances, but their adherence to Stoic principles united them.

Their stories remind us that Stoicism’s core tenets are universal. Often overshadowed by their male counterparts, these women enriched the tradition with their unique perspectives, demonstrating that philosophy is as much about living with courage and integrity as it is about writing treatises.

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