After so many centuries, does the Ancient Stoics have anything to teach us about the modern problems of our world?

The Antonine Plague flared up during the reign of Marcus Aurelius of the Roman Empire in 165 AD. It crossed borders as it widespread panic and overwhelmed the world. And it ended up killing between 10 and 18 million people in the empire with a mortality rate of 2 up to 3%. The sickness began with symptoms like fever, headache, and fatigue until it reached a high-level of unbearable pain. The Empire escalated quickly and resembled a graveyard.

However, Marcus Aurelius was the beacon of calm, sanity and stability to his people. His life’s philosophy, stoicism, represented hope. He made the dwellers of his empire a priority by answering their existential question at the time; what should we do? And he did the best he could to deal with a pandemic. Marcus had cultivated wisdom, virtue, and self-control that can bring positive changes in others.

“T o bear in mind constantly that all of this has happened before. And will happen again — the same plot from beginning to end.” — Marcus, Meditations.

Understand, It Is All Natural

None of this is new and we have been through this before.

The Stoics believe that everything around us operates according to a web of cause and effect. Humanity was always at the mercy of events outside our sphere of control. Part of Stoicism is to recognize the truth that most of what happens around us is uncontrollable. Yet, it does not encourage resignation or passivity. It is, in fact, a philosophy that shines brightest when the outlook is darkest.

“Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.” — Epictetus, Enchiridion.

How Marcus Aurelius Responded To The Pandemic

To live is an act of courage, one of the four pillars of Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius knew he had no more over the plague’s spread and still, he didn’t flee Rome as people would’ve expected. He stayed when every rich person had fled. He stood by his people by showing up, giving speeches and attending funerals. Once, reminded of his own loss, he was overcome with grief and wept in public when he heard an advocate say in the course of an argument “Blessed are they who died in the plague.” He was strong, but he certainly did not have a cold heart and Stoics were not taught to suppress emotions. He led the empire for 15 years during this crisis but he ended up being exposed to the illness.

“The storm does not interfere with the pilot’s work, but only with his success. It is indeed so far from hindering the pilot’s art that it even exhibits the art; for anyone, in the words of the proverb, is a pilot on a calm sea.” — Seneca, Letters to Lucilius

Few days before his death, he entrusted five of his loyal friends to ensure a peaceful transition of power to his son Commodus. Grief clouded their judgment. But even in death, Marcus had put his ego aside. He kept stressing about the plague’s implication and pondering death in general. “Remember thou must die”, Marcus was constantly reminding himself that death is inescapable and this thought had shaped every one of his choices and actions.