There is no one single Stoic text still existing that focuses entirely and solely on the four cardinal virtues. It is likely that some of the early Stoic literature that has been lost, for example Zeno's book The Ethics, Cleanthes' Of The Virtues, or Chrysippus' Of The Difference Between The Virtues (titles listed by Diogenes Laertes), would add quite a bit to our knowledge and understanding of these topics.

For our study of virtue and the virtues in this class, we will have to stick to the authors and texts we are fortunate enough to still possess. Some of these identify as Stoics, while others are not themselves Stoics but do provide us with information about what the Stoics did teach about these matters.

In many cases, we will not be reading and discussing the entirety of the texts listed below, but just focusing on passages or portions that are particularly germane to our topics. Before each week session, I will tell you in advance which parts or portions of those texts will be mast useful for you to read.

The authors and texts that you will find most useful for this class are the following:

Lucius Annaeus Seneca. A Roman philosopher and advisor to the emperor Nero, who did identify as a member of the Stoic school. He has a lot to say about virtue and the virtues, and even where he thinks other Stoics got some matters wrong.

• Letters (aka Letters to Lucilius, Letters to a Stoic, Moral Letters)
• On The Happy Life
• On Constancy

Marcus Tullius Cicero. A Roman statesman, lawyer, politician, and philosopher, who did not identify as a Stoic, but did draw upon them where he thought they were correct, and recorded many of their viewpoints, arguments, and positions

• On Duties
• Tusculan Disputations (portions of books 4 and 5)
• On The Ends (portions of book 3 and 4)
• Stoic Paradoxes



Gaius Musonius Rufus. A contemporary of Seneca and the teacher of Epictetus, identified as a Stoic philosopher, and has quite a few useful things to say on the topic of virtue and the virtues.

• Lectures

Epictetus. A student of Musonius Rufus, identified as as Stoic philosopher, but uses the language of virtue and the virtues less often and less explicitly than he refers to other ethical concepts.

• Discourses (just selected chapters and sections)

Marcus Aurelius. A Stoic Roman Emperor who references Epictetus in his own writing, and who does have some useful things to say about the virtues.

• Meditations (just selected sections of the work)

Arius Didymus. A philosopher who is reported to have been the teacher of the Roman emperor Augustus. He reportedly did identify as a Stoic, and left behind summaries of various schools ethical doctrines, preserved in the Anthology of Joannes Stobaeus.

• Epitome of Stoic Ethics

Diogenes Laertes. A biographer of many ancient philosophers who also recorded their teachings in his Lives Of The Philosophers.

• Lives Of The Philosophers, book 7, chapter 1: The Life Of Zeno

Plutarch: a middle Platonist philosopher who provides criticisms of the Stoics in several of his texts. In week 6 of our class, we will reference a few selections from

• How a Man May Become Aware of His Progress in Virtue
• On Stoic Self-Contradictions
• On Moral Virtue

In our class, we will be piecing together a composite picture of what the Stoics have to say about virtue and the virtues drawing upon these various authors and texts. All of the texts mentioned are worth reading, but you will find that they approach the matters we are studying from different perspectives and in different ways. Some of the texts simply summarize what the Stoic positions are, while others provide more arguments, explanation, analogies, and even critical reinterpretations.