Great article. Well done!
Category: Stoicism
Thanks for the review, Enda
Thanks for the review, Enda
These are photos of the final print version of Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, our graphic novel, which is due for publication by St. Martin’s Press on 14th June in hardback and ebook formats. See the preorder promotion page for special offers if you order now.
Come and join us for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on the Stoicism Subreddit, on 16th May from 10am EDT. I’ll be discussing Verissimus, my new graphic novel about Marcus Aurelius, among other things. Everyone is welcome!
A superb graphic novel that provides stunning insights into one of the most interesting figures of antiquity, as well as into the philosophy that guided him throughout his life.
Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic
More info on where to order Verissimus is available from Macmillan, the publisher’s website. Also see listings in Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Comic stores can order Verissimus from the Diamond Previews World catalogue. Follow our Verissimus Facebook and Instagram pages for updates. Please contact us for podcast interviews and media requests.
About the Author
Donald Robertson is one of my favorite writers about Stoicism.
Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of The Daily Stoic
Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, who lives in Canada and Greece. He is the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy. His bestselling self-help book How to Think Like a Roman Emperor has been translated into eighteen languages.
Zé Nuno Fraga, who created the artwork, is an award-winning illustrator from Portugal. Kasey Pierce, who advised on the content, is an award-winning author and comic book editor.
Preorder Promotion
St. Martin’s are currently running a preorder promotion that means anyone buying Verissimus may be eligible for three different prizes.
Sample Articles and Interviews
Donald has appeared on over 100 podcasts.
- Mythvision Podcast
- Troy Baker’s Let’s Get into it Podcast
- Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom Podcast
- Interview for the Comic Vault
- How I wrote Verissimus on the Good Men Project
- How to Think Like Marcus Aurelius on High Existence Podcast
Stoics Care Virtual Conference
❤️🔥 I’m speaking about Stoic philosophy and cognitive therapy at the “Stoics Care” virtual conference, which focuses on how #Stoicism teaches us to care wisely about the world around us. Registration is free. Come and join us.
Stoicism at Plato’s Academy
A Walk in the Park of Philosophy at Athens
A Walk in the Park of Philosophy at Athens
The name “Academy” is most commonly associated with the home of Platonic philosophy but the same location, in Athens, also plays a part in the history of Stoic philosophy. Zeno of Citium studied at the Platonic school in the Academy for at least a decade before founding his own Stoic school, located at the famous Stoa Poikile or Painted Porch, in the Agora of Athens. Toward the end of his life a monument was erected in the grounds of the Academy. It was a pillar with an inscription commemorating Zeno’s exemplary virtue and temperance, and honouring his contributions to philosophy.
Socrates once walked there discussing philosophy, while Plato was still a young student of his, and his rivals the Sophists probably gave speeches there too.
The Academy was one of Athens’ ancient gymnasia or recreational grounds. It contained a wrestling school, libraries, shrines, etc. The area was described as a pleasant wooded grove, until the Roman dictator Sulla cut down its trees to rebuild his siege engines in the 1st century BC. The Academy was most famously associated with Plato’s philosophy, with which it quickly became synonymous after he set up his school and began teaching there. However, other philosophers also taught in the grounds of the Academy. Socrates once walked there discussing philosophy, while Plato was still a young student of his, and his rivals the Sophists probably gave speeches there too.
The Founder of Stoicism
Centuries later, Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, spent ten years attending lectures in the Platonic school at the Academy, which at that time was headed by a successor of Plato called Xenocrates of Chalcedon. Over the years, Zeno began to build a reputation himself as an expert on dialectic, however, he continued to attend lectures at the Academy, delivered by Xenocrates’ successor, Polemon of Athens, a rebellious youth who turned his life around and became renowned for his temperance as a philosopher.
Zeno was therefore admired for showing intellectual humility by attending the public lectures of a famous rival philosopher. Nevertheless, Polemon is said to have joked:
You do not escape my notice, Zeno, slipping in by the garden door, stealing my doctrines and clothing them in a Phoenician style!
In other words, he borrowed ideas from Polemon’s Academic philosophy and incorporated them into Stoicism.
After founding the Stoic School, Zeno earned such a reputation as a teacher and role model to the youth that when he reached an advanced age, the Athenians passed a decree publicly honouring him and had it inscribed on two stone pillars “one in the Academy and the other in the Lyceum”. It begins with the words:
Whereas Zeno of Citium, son of Mnaseas, has for many years been devoted to philosophy in the city and has continued to be a man of worth in all other respects, exhorting to virtue and temperance those of the youth who come to him to be taught, directing them to what is best, affording to all in his own conduct a pattern for imitation in perfect consistency with his teaching, it has seemed good to the people — and may it turn out well — to bestow praise upon Zeno of Citium, the son of Mnaseas, and to crown him with a golden crown according to the law, for his goodness and temperance, and to build him a tomb in the Ceramicus at the public cost.
This information seems to be derived by our source, Diogenes Laertius, from an earlier author Antigonus of Carystus, whose Successions of Philosophers was written in the 3rd century BC, shortly after Zeno’s death. Antigonus of Carystus adds that to the inscription were added the words “Zeno of Citium, the philosopher”, as Zeno had insisted that his status as a foreign immigrant at Athens should not be forgotten.
Bringing Philosophy Back to the Academy
A few years ago, I was walking in the park of Akadimia Platonos in Athens when it struck me that we should still be doing philosophy there. I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t an international conference centre nearby where events could be organized celebrating the history of Plato’s Academy, allowing authors and academics to discuss ancient Greek wisdom with a modern audience. It would certainly bring much-needed foreign revenue and investment into a suburb of Athens that’s suffered economically and could benefit from urban renewal.
I began talking to my friends in Greece about the idea and it somehow caught fire. We ended up starting a new nonprofit, based in Athens, called The Plato’s Academy Centre. Before long we’d established a board of advisors including several highly-regarded authors and academics, as well as representative from the political and business spheres. During the pandemic, we began organizing virtual events and building an online community to discuss Greek philosophy and its relevance to modern life. We’re also working on the long-term goal of fundraising to create our conference centre adjacent to and overlooking the historic park, where Plato’s school once stood. Feel free to get in touch if you’re interested in learning more about the project.
Tickets are now available for our virtual conference on philosophy, 21st May.
Hi everyone,
I’m delighted to announce that the Plato’s Academy Centre will be holding its inaugural conference online on 21st May, to commemorate the birthday of Plato. We have an amazing program of speakers for you, including leading experts on Greek philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. Everyone is welcome to join us. If you’re interested in how ancient philosophy can help us today, this is the event for you!
Book now as a limited number of tickets are available! As this is a nonprofit organization, payment is by donation, an amount of your choosing (or free if you prefer not to donate at all — just get in touch). All proceeds go to promoting the Plato’s Academy Centre’s goals of bringing Greek philosophy to a wider international audience.
Go to our EventBrite listing for the full program of speakers and other essential details.
Look forward to seeing you there,
Donald Robertson
President of the Plato’s Academy Centre
I don’t understand.
I don’t understand. I’ve never said anything about anyone “having the capability to be a Nazi because we are human” — are you sure you’re referring to this article?
Sure but your point basically seems to be that he denies supporting the alt-right whereas my point, I think, already moves the debate beyond that. He’s being insincere, or at least inconsistent, when he denies supporting them. He poses with them, repeats their talking points, supports their leaders, and has received very large sums of money from his supporters in the alt-right. When you say the “far left” have misrepresented Peterson, that seems like an ad hominem fallacy. I”m definitely not far left myself, and neither are most of the people who I’ve seen pointing out Peterson’s links to alt-right extremism, which are surely right there in plain view for everyone to see.